Interview with Author Margery Walshaw

 Please enjoy this interview from 2017:

I stumbled across Margery Walshaw’s new book, Full Color Life, at an opportune time. It deals with a subject that many of us struggle with as writers: staying motivated. This has been a real problem for me lately.

This book is less of a ‘how to’ writing manual and much more about how to get inspired and stay inspired. You say “writer’s block is almost always a matter of not knowing where our story should go.” When you hit a writer’s slump, how do you get out of it?

I talk about how to get out of a writer’s slump in my book. Some of my advice is simple such as getting outdoors, other times, it’s seeking inspiration from other sources such as music. When I personally hit a writer’s slump, I feel it’s important to remind myself to have confidence in the writing process. Meaning, I know that there will be days when the words fly out of me and days where I’m not focused.

It might sound a bit esoteric, but I truly believe that if we are open to inspiration it will find us. If I believe that the answer will come to me, it usually manifests itself fairly quickly. Of course, I’m thinking about the problematic section of my book and therefore, when I go about my normal activities, I’m much more likely to be on the lookout and be receptive to an answer.

I’ve called myself a writer for a long time, but I have a harder time identifying as an artist or creative. Can you talk a bit about how these labels overlap and the importance of claiming them?

The term “creative” as applied to an individual is a very Hollywood term and that’s where I first heard it, but I like it and apply it to all artistic people. I can meet a writer and just launch into a great conversation. It’s like we “get” each other. I think this is because we’re both writers, we’re creative, we’re artists. We often hear that labels are bad. But labels can be positive. If someone wants to call me an artist, rather than a writer, I welcome that label. I encourage people to come up with their own terms/labels. What do you want to be remembered for? Are you a writer, a creative, a story-teller, an entertainer…they’re all good choices.

Throughout your book, you’ve included interviews with a diverse group of creatives. Did you find commonalities?

It’s easy for me to quickly state what the commonality was among the people I interviewed. In a word: DRIVEN. They know what they want and work tirelessly for it. But, they love their work. In fact, it’s sometimes hard to even call it work because it embodies their whole being.

You write fiction under the name Mia Fox. What are some of the different challenges in writing fiction versus nonfiction? Which do you prefer?There is a big difference to my mindset when I’m writing as Mia Fox (for fiction) or Margery Walshaw (for non-fiction). I sometimes say that Mia is my naughty alter ego. (Readers will know the truth of this if they check out my Surprise Passion series!) Mia gets to have all the fun while Margery has to be serious. However, I also use my fiction process as a means to help other authors. I test out different genres and see if they are selling well with readers. I test out different marketing tactics. I explain that I’d rather have Mia make the mistakes than my clients.

Writing non-fiction is my way of sharing the knowledge that I have accumulated professionally. But a writer writes and I wouldn’t be satisfied in life if I didn’t pursue my fiction and the fantasies that my stories lead me to. One writing is for entertainment and the other is for education. I love both.

One of the things that resonated most for me was the unexpected stumbling block you encountered when you finished your first book and had to start marketing it. How did you break out of your comfort zone?

When I wrote my first fiction book, like many new writers I expected to put it on Amazon and have people find it. That was terribly naive. Just think of how many books exist! But, they say ignorance is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. My solution was not to be ignorant, but to educate myself. I read tons of blogs from successful authors, internet marketers, even people who understood the nuances of internet advertising. And now, I share my knowledge as a writer’s consultant and on my blog.

 

You can check out blogs for Margery Walshaw or Mia Fox.