What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* From Radio host (best job ever!), DJ, news reporter to newspaper journalist, like many author’s, Lori has been writing most of her life.
* In writing, Lori has discovered a truism: everyone has a great story to tell. All you need to do is listen. Over the years, with all the people Lori has meet previously and daily, both professionally and personally, with an ear to the ground, readers can often find these ‘character’s’ fictionalized in Lori’s stories.
* Lori’s first novel “Storms of Passion” was published by Wild Rose Press under their Champagne line, in 2014 and received a 5-star Author’s Favourite seal of approval in 2015.
* Collaboration is important to improving one’s craft and as such, Lori is an active member of the Romance Writers of America, TransCanada Romance Writers, The Alberta Romance Writers Association and belongs to both a Critiquing group and a Beta Reading weekly group.
* Lori looks forward to continuing to find the good story; hashing out a scene, having fun with a character and writing the story she would love to read.
Today Lori Power will be talking about how she handles balancing life and writing.
* Balancing life and writing is a struggle for all authors, but especially for those of us not yet able to earn an independent living from their writing. Added to the struggle is the balance of family, commitments and life in general.
* Organizing is key.
* Inherently, I am a structured person—day timer and lists—check it off and move on. Doing this, being too regulated, sometimes interferes with the creative process. If I don’t allow for liquidity, then the writing becomes forces, so I try to find a happy medium.
* My weekly writing group and Beta reading ‘family’ allows me to structure meeting time into the calendar. Friday’s new materials from my Beta group arrives and this has to be returned to them for Monday. I know typically how long it will take me to read each of their submissions and be able to get back to them. Then on Monday evenings, I stake time for the phone call of the weekly review—how many words written for that week—hot topics of conversation—marketing our books, what works, what doesn’t, etc. Then I allot time to write when I know historically I am my most creative.
* The liquid occurs when the opportunity presents itself. A good for instance, is most of us have smart phone now, they come complete with loads of applications. On my morning runs, my mind is most open to ponder scenes, when I am struck by one that I know will work, I simply switch on the microphone and start the dictation process. By the time I’m back at my desk, a small amount of editing places that scene or idea right where it belongs.
* In this regard, I approach my writing, much like I approach my business; know yourself and what works for you, and build around that.
