In Erin Reel's Lit Coach blog today, there is a terrific interview with author Paula Reed. The theme is "artistic integrity" and the take-away from this post is: write what you love, and don't let predetermined ideas about displeasing editors and readers that may be beholden to your previous books interfere with writing the book that's calling out to you.I love this advice, and I especially loved when Reed, who built her reputation on romance novels, says:
In the romance genre the main story must be a love story, and happily-ever-after is a non-negotiable element. Sometimes, though, it seems to me that happily-ever-after can be walking away when a romantic relationship ends and keeping a true friend, so when I wrote Hester I chose a different path—straight historical fiction based upon a previous literary work.
One of the perks of living as a writer is that, more than most people, you get to follow your passion, in Reed's case, the desire to explore the "what abouts" in The Scarlet Letter. You get to go on a treasure hunt every single day. And sometimes, you actually do uncover gems. Those are the days that make it all worth while.
Thanks, Suzi! Writing is always full of exciting discoveries, isn't it?
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