Episode 154 - Dawn Chalker - Writing What You Know
Dawn Chalker wrote her first novel in fifth grade, finding inspiration from real life. That curiosity, creativity and imagination has continued throughout her life, drawing stories from journeys in nature. The northern Michigan-based writer based her recent novel, Bear Me in Mind, on a real-life encounter with a bear in Alaska and also her love for British detective shows. She also writes children’s books.
In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner interviews Dawn about the joys of writing, the importance of writing what you know, her publishing choices, and how she promotes her books.
In this episode, Lynne and Dawn discuss:
Writing a first novel in fifth grade before YA was a genre
Writing as mindfulness
Finding inspiration for books and diving into research to build a story
Writing what you know and doing research
Basing characters on people
Finding the best beta readers
Respecting the writer and understanding their goals
The importance of doing your own book marketing
Being more creative when writing by hand
Links and Resources:
Hepatica Books
Mendenhall Glacier
Where’s the Vacation?
Bear Me In Mind
Northwestern Michigan College
Leelanau Peninsula
Michigan Writers
Traverse City Area District Library
Find Dawn Chalker:
Website
If you enjoyed this episode, you’ll like these other Make Meaning Podcast episodes:
Episode 138 – Sara Bennett Wealer – Connecting with YA Readers
Episode 129 – Rosina Lippi – Author of the Wilderness Series
Episode 122 – Valoree Gagnon & Karena Schmidt – On the Food & Culture of Indigenous Gardens
Episode 105 – Helen Taylor & Gina Nicholas – How to Really Protect the Environment by Being a True Part of it
Episode 49 – Dennis van Englesdorp, Nicole Lindsey & DeAndra LeMelle – Saving the Bees
Episode 165 - Brenda Meller - Capturing a Piece of the Publishing Pie
Episode 164 - Patrick Hicks - Writing Hard Stories Beautifully
Episode 163 - Qin Sun Stubis - Writing Inspired by Long-Held Family Lore
Episode 162 - Elizabeth Conte - Doing Well as an Indie Author
Episode 161 - Ana Veciana-Suarez - Historical Literary Fiction
Episode 160 - Jonathan Whitelaw - Cozy Crime & Escaping into Writing
Episode 159 – April Davila - Meditation & Writing
Episode 158 - Suzanne Nugent - On Character Development
Episode 157 - Blake Kimzey - Creating a Writing Community
Episode 156 - Blair Fell - Original Storylines & Unique Characters
Episode 155 - Martha Anne Toll - Finely Crafted, Award-Winning Fiction
Episode 153 – Jewish Books, Jewish Authors
Episode 152 - Ami Irmen - Character-Driven Narratives
Episode 151 - Rochelle Weinstein - Writing Best-Selling Novels
Episode 150 - Lisa Peers - First Novels & Writing Friendships
Episode 149 – Anne-Marie Oomen - Writing through Family
Episode 148 – Woman of Valor - Katie Scott interviews Lynne about her debut novel!
Episode 147 – Diane Gottlieb - Writing Short & Writing Well
Episode 146 – Barbara Stark-Nemon - Tracing the Path of Historical Fiction
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Lit Society: Books and Drama
Ex Libris
Write The Book: Conversations on Craft
Pollyanna
Great Expectations
Fresh Air
Myths and Legends