Raquel Drosos started writing when she was five, and has rarely stopped. As a teenager, she wrote and published three young adult novels under her maiden name, Raquel George. Games of Chance is her first book for adults. She also blogs about parenting and the creative process. Raquel talks with me about the intersection between acting and writing, plotting vs. writing by the seat of your pants, the moment when your characters come to life in your head (which is not a sign of madness!), her next novel, and more. She also shares some excellent advice she got from her dad.
Episode breakdown:
0:00 Intro
01:09 Parents not artists, but innately creative and supportive.
06:02 Writer surprised by interpretation of their play.
09:55 Supportive parents, writing struggles, novel characters reused.
15:38 Mix of planning and spontaneity in writing.
17:20 Two types of writers: plotters and pantsers.
23:09 Feeding creativity through exposure to art and music.
25:14 Observing people, sparking curiosity, fostering creativity.
27:14 3-year-old nephew's wild story about alligators.
33:00 Characters connect through accents, interviews essential for authenticity.
34:10 The sound of words matters to writing.
40:08 Intense family saga vs. immediate relationship novel.
42:54 Encouraged writer spans genres and age groups.
45:13 Describing book as mix of others important.
48:18 Novel: Parenthood, love, creativity, friendship, humor, advice.
51:51 Jotting down scenes and dialogue, then dedicated.
54:56 Character decides to go left, not right.
58:10 Trust your gut and follow your instincts.
Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.
Please leave a review for this episode and in it, tell us about a moment when your creative work came to life for you.
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Want more? Here's a handy playlist with all my previous interviews with guests in writing.
”Unhiding” with Dr. Kelly Flanagan
Creative Pep Talk #44: Comebacks
Writing from the Trenches with John Roedel
Creative Pep Talk #43: Do It Anyway
Inside Book Publishing with Tom Colgan
Creative Pep Talk #42: Motivation
Sales for Creatives with Annie P. Ruggles
Creative Pep Talk #41: Listen To Your Wisdom
Authenticity and Enthusiasm with Hillary Webb
Creative Pep Talk #40: The Truth
Replay: It’s Gonna Be Great with Paul ”PB” Bessenbacher
Replay: Creative Pep Talk #21: Rest
The Smart Travelista with Linda King
Creative Pep Talk #39: Parallel Universe Time
Creative Pep Talk #38: You’re Normal
Trust, Flow, and Gratitude with Gael Wood
Creative Pep Talk #37: Leave Room to Be Wrong
Writing YA Fiction with Shanti Hershenson
Creative Pep Talk #36: Start Where You Are
Colin Who? with Colin Spaull
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