Hello there!
And welcome to Adventures in Fiction Writing - 2
This is the second in a series of emails about the state of fiction writing today along with updates on my debut novel, Becoming Amber, which will be released later this year.
My first newsletter covered the love of writing.
Now the work begins.
One of the keys to a book's success is starting with a good idea.
The Idea
For years before writing my first book, I taught college and university equine courses. What catapulted me into book writing was seeing students shaking their their cramped hands from taking so many notes during my lectures and asking, "When are you going to write a book for this class?"
So, for many years, that's just what I did. I had a laser focus on my topics and created books for students, horse owners, budding riders and trainers, land stewards, and others interested in learning about horses. In 24 years, I wrote 33 books on training, riding, facilities and care.
With my non-fiction horse books, the ideas came faster than I could write. Besides books, I was also a photojournalist for over a dozen equine magazines and had more than a thousand articles published.
Write What You Know
When I turned to fiction, it was like stepping off a cliff and falling into a nebula, a vast expanse, light-years wide, where new stars are born . . . and dying stars collapse.
While zillions of ideas whirled around looking to take hold, advice from my favorite creative writing professor kept popping into my head: "Write what you know."
Well, I know horses for one thing. And I'm an avid cook. I love nature and know quite a lot about the natural world. And I play guitar and piano, shoot photos and guns. I wanted to use my experiences and knowledge to write fictional stories filled with adventure, crime, mystery, suspense, and the emotional trials of life.
Where
Do I Start? aa, sou 
In a setting you know well, grasshopper.
I've lived in Canada and nine US states, so I chose a time and place I knew was rich with history and characters for my first novel - post-earthquake Alaska.
For three years during the late 1960s, the Kenai Peninsula was my home and I knew my experience there would add authenticity and a high level of accuracy to the details in my story.
With the time and place set, the fun began!
With a free rein, I dove in and created characters and a story line set in the rich fabric of the Alaska bush.
Stay tuned to hear how Becoming Amber came to life.
Until
then,
