Serenity McLean

After writing and publishing a non-fiction book, the idea of writing fiction had been rolling around my head for a couple of months. I had jotted down a couple of concept ideas but nothing resonated. Then I got a bad cold and was sick in bed when it hit me, I should write about what I think about and research. That afternoon I had a draft of the first chapter. The story seemed to come easily and although I was only writing part time, I had the book ready for editing in a little over five months.

Don’t get me wrong; I am not saying this all comes easy. It is definitely a lot of hard work. And then there is the marketing work to get the book in the hands of readers. That takes a bit of planning, preparation and outright time committed to promotion. I had been packaged out of my job and it took just a few days to decide to take the opportunity to dedicate all my time to do the work of an independent author.

While most authors talk about picking up a pencil in their youth and writing, writing, writing. Not me. I picked up that pencil and started sketching. Art has played a significant role in my life as a way of sharing how I see the world and what I love about this world.

I am very visual and think in pictures and much of what I want to say about my world can be achieved through art and photography.

But I have spent many years thinking about a whole different world: life after life on this earth. The limitations of art and photography for sharing this world with others are best overcome with imagination. I tell the story and let the reader’s imagination create the visuals. That is far more satisfying for a topic that demands a personal connection to the world I am sharing.

I think there are two joys. One is writing and sharing about the Christian walk. Many people mention their reflections after reading one of my stories and I am truly honoured to be a part of that process.

The other joy for me is becoming lost in the story. I'm a pantser writer, meaning I write from the seat of my pants. The story takes life as I write and for a while I'm part of that world. In my research I study the streets and collect images of the various places. So while writing my imagination takes me to those settings and I feel like I'm on vacation.

You know how when you come back from a really great holiday and little things will instantly take you back? Well, that happens to me even after the book is written. Music I listened to while writing will take me to vivid scenes that stuck in my memory.