While fiction is born from imagination and creativity, many authors explain how they came to the stories they create through lived experiences. This is definitely true for Blair Fell, author of The Sign for Home, whose work in the deafblind community taught him about nuances, details and issues facing that community. This debut novel takes readers on a journey through a fascinating community and the lives of compelling characters.
In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner interviews Blair about his writing process, the importance of research and the value of participating in a writing group. He discusses his background as a playwright and television writer, and how he transitioned into writing novels. Plus, Blair offers advice for writers, emphasizing the need to just write, join a writing group, and prioritize writing amid perpetual other commitments.
In this episode, Lynne and Blair discuss:
Finding inspiration in your work and relationships
Researching and interviewing deafblind individuals
Finding an agent and a publisher
Writing a second book after a celebrated first book
Working through a horrible first draft
Motivation from setting deadlines and fear of disappointing others
Building a successful writing career
Why so many writers have a day job
Authors who find success later in life
Audiobook opportunities
Links and Resources:
John Lee Clark
Protactile movement
James Hannaham
Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta
Doug Stewart
Sterling Lord Literistic
Cloud Atlas
The Silver Linings Playbook
American Dirt
“Take care of the sense, the sounds will take care of themselves” - Alice in Wonderland
Writing group with Marian Fontana & Louise Crawford
David Groff
PEN/Faulkner
Delicious Foods
Simon & Schuster
Where the Crawdads Sing
The City College of New York
Woman of Valor by Lynne Golodner
Find Blair Fell:
Website
TikTok
If you enjoyed this episode, you’ll like these other Make Meaning Podcast episodes:
Episode 152 – Ami Irmen – Character-Driven Narratives
Episode 150 – Lisa Peers – First Novels & Writing Friendships
Episode 145 – CL Walters – Young Adult & New Adult Fiction from Hawaii
Episode 143 – Annie Cathryn – Dreams Come True: The Friendship Breakup
Episode 139 – Desiree Cooper – Being “Genre Agnostic”
Episode 105 - Helen Taylor & Gina Nicholas - How to really protect the environment by being a true part of it
Episode 104 - Crystal Blanchette - How to make food your friend
Episode 103 - Katie Yamasaki - How to make murals for Community Expression
Episode 102 - Patrick Hicks - How to write historical fiction
Episode 101 - Margaret O'Gorman - Why bicycling through countries is the BEST way to learn local culture
Episode 100 - Bassie Shemtov - How to combine career and family to really make a difference
Episode 99 - Keisha Greaves - How to turn a devastating diagnosis into a career opportunity
Episode 98 - Kehkashan Basu - How to make the world more sustainable
Episode 97 - Eric Hale - How to give every child a chance, even in the most poverty-stricken communities
Episode 95 - Sabrina Colosimo - How to make your home more beautiful
Episode 94 - Froswa’ Booker-Drew - Why you might want to build your own personal board of advisors
Episode 93 - Joel Hawbaker - How to blend families so that everyone gets along after divorce
Episode 92 - Andrew Flagel - How to make universities stronger, more connected, and more relevant
Episode 91 - Harry Sherwood - How to live a plant-based life
Episode 90 - Jennifer Johnson - How to make schools and classrooms equitable
Episode 89 - Rabbi Yonason Goldson - How to build a career through an ethical mindset
Episode 88 - David Hornak - How to change the school year so kids retain what they learn
Episode 87 - Rasheda Kamaria Williams - How to emerge stronger after being bullied
Episode 86 - Joshua Smith - How to protect your mental health during really tough times
Episode 85 - Michele Cuomo - Recognizing the value in state and community colleges
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