The Fiction Writer's Journey
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“Blessed are the weird people: 
poets, misfits, writers,
mystics, painters, troubadours 
for they teach us to see the world through different eyes.”
​

                        ~Jacob Nordby
Picture
Creative people are weird in as many different ways as there are people! And if you're someone who isn't comfortable with the weird aspects of being creative, then this quote by Jacob Nordby may well change your mind.

Even those of us who recognize that we are weird may still have trouble with this characterization. In my own case, my mother considered me to be flighty, feather-brained, untrustworthy, and even retarded. I was sort of the "odd child", which made me wonder what was wrong with me. I mean, I was who I was and as a little girl, I remember feeling very happy in my whirling, dancing, imaginary world. So what exactly was wrong with me?
​I liked being me!
​
​
But life marches on and the simple, profound happiness of untamed childhood gives way to the demands and constraints of "growing up". Schools and our culture often misunderstand the creative child and smother the untamed creative soul.
As a result, the creative spirit in us fails to flourish.

As an adult, helped by good luck, or call it destiny, I was able to successfully challenge and eventually discard the labels of flighty, feather-brained, untrustworthy, and not-so-smart.


It was my fiction writing that allowed me to make this transformation. I had been writing little short stories since I was five years old, never suspecting my writing would become the nectar of my life. As I became an adult, I realized that my writing was not only the song of my soul, but a life jacket in a world in which I otherwise often felt lost.

In later years, I was lucky to marry a man who believed in my writing. Then I found an editor who supported me every inch of the way. For the first time, I felt seen as a novelist. But none of that holds a candle to the pure joy of writing!

There is not a single  outer world triumph that I would exchange for the journeys I took while writing my books.


The journey itself is everything. The journey is glorious. No one else can give it to us. We ourselves create it, first by daring to write and then by learning to write.

I believe that writing successful fiction involves mastering techniques that I have integrated into The Five Ingredients of the Scene:
  1. Point of View
  2. Dialogue
  3. Mood (as opposed to description)
  4. Dramatic Tension
  5. Flashback

I have led hundreds of women and men on this journey. I'd love to be your coach, which means that I teach, support, and inspire you on your fiction writing journey!

Take the risk. Call me at 914 962-4432 and we can discuss how my coaching can inspire and support you.
Below is a weird, wonderful picture prompt. You might also like to enter the tree in the picture at the top.
Who would enter such a world and...

What happens next!

Jump in! Give yourself free rein. Dance with the Song of your Soul!

After you've finished (first drafts invited!), email me what you've written.
Be sure to include your phone number, time zone, and best times to reach you. I'll call you to discuss my coaching in the context of what you wrote from the prompt.

Have fun! Enjoy your journey.
The Fiction Writer's Journey | All Rights Reserved 2001-2022
emily@emilyhanlon.com
(914) 962.4432 ET
(914) 
​588.1282 ET
  • Home
  • All Programs
  • Hourly Private Programs
  • Manuscript Mentoring
  • About Emily
    • Audio: How Emily Became a Writing Coach
  • Sale
  • The Five Ingredients
  • Subscribe