Interview Q & A with Lise Parton

Q) What words of advice would you give someone wanting to write a book?

A) If you want to write a book…let it out!

Our lives are rich with experiences, and within each of us there are stories to tell. If you ask, many will reveal they secretly desire to write a book, whether it be a non-fiction, true-to-live accounting, or a fictional tale they are happily creating. My best advice would be to just start.

1) grab a pen and paper, or a journal, or alternately, pull out your digital device or computer and lay down some ideas. Jot down your storyline, your characters, and expand your ideas.

2) consider joining a writing community if you want to do all the writing yourself, many are a wealth of helpful support and information to help you

3) if you have a story to tell but don’t want to write it yourself, find yourself a writer, if your story is important to others, or important to you, it is worth finding a way to share it

Q) You have several published books on Amazon, how did you get started?

A) I have been blessed to be able to write all my life, but my work was hidden away in old journals, on scraps of paper, or in binders. Favourite hand-written stories and poems I read to my kids were just in exercise books and so I really wanted to leave them something more tangible. (The Magic Stick, Toys On Guard, Gerda The Goodwill Tree, to name a few, all available on Amazon).

I also dreamed of writing a romance novel, and so I went for it, writing it all by hand. My wishful plan was to publish it someday, and so I did, Act One Willow Beach.

It took COVID and a world shut down to force me to roll up my sleeves and complete many half-done stories and those books. Then I took the next steps to edit, illustrate and publish them, as well as building a home base website, liseparton.com, so people could find me.

I will never say it was easy as there were stumbling blocks and huge learning curves. It took time, dedication, and a fair share of hard work, but the many rewards are worth it all. My advice to you…go for it!

Q) What projects are you currently working on?

A) I am working on an adult fantasy/romance, Tropical Transformation, and am in the final editing stages. I hope to release it not too far off in the near future on Amazon as an eBook. It is a delightful “beach read.” I am also currently working on several poetry books. Stay tuned…

Q) What advice would you offer to someone who wants to write as a career?

A) There is a lot to consider if you want your writing to be a career. One thing is for sure, it takes a lot of work and dedication to write and produce a book. You need to focus and commit, and you certainly need to develop regular writing habits every day.

For non-fiction writing, perhaps write about what you already know, or have experienced. Sometimes your life or work experiences are the perfect vehicle for you to lay down in writing. Be informative, get the details straight, and make it enjoyable for your intended audience, even if the book project is filled with facts and events.

For fictional stories, nurture your inner creative, and dream big…anything is possible. Take the time to read similar books in your intended genre, and learn the ins and outs of a good story, remembering also that as you write you want to make your tale believable and enjoyable for your target reader.

Reality check here, not every writer pens the next big blockbuster and makes millions, that is not usually the general outcome. Write because you have something to say, something to teach, something to share to entertain others, and because it feeds your soul. If you can make a business out of your writing, respect and treat your writing like a business. Set it up that way properly. We ‘creatives’ are famous for writing for the pure joy of it, treating it more like a hobby, and not setting things up as a business.

Just remember there are also many aspects to writing, besides being an author, you might want to think about other directions that interest you as well, such as working in editing, illustrating, as a copywriter, or a publisher.

Q) What do you find the most rewarding about your writing career?

A) There are many, but just waking up inspired to write and creating something new is amazing. What is also rewarding is the joy you receive from others for your work. Just yesterday someone walked up to me at an event I was attending, phone in hand, the Amazon website open, asking me what I would recommend for him as he scrolled through my published offerings. I write in several genres, and for several age groups, both fiction and non-fiction in nature, so I was delighted he found something he would like to read. He downloaded it on the spot with a smile on his face. How fabulous is that? It is incredibly rewarding when someone asks about your writing, or reads your work, or enjoys listening to you read your stories and poems to them. I feel truly blessed and grateful to be able to brighten someone’s day with my written pieces…