Thursday, October 18, 2007

L. Diane Wolfe - Guest Post

I'm thrilled to have author & speaker, L. Diane Wolfe visiting today! She shares with us what inspires her to write. Read on for her insightful words:




What inspires me?

In contemplating the topic of writing young adult fiction, I have to ask the question – why do I write what I write? What is my true motivation for the words I put on paper? What impact do I want them to have on the world?

Sadly, I don’t think enough authors and writers ask those questions of themselves!

You have to believe in the story you are creating. You have to know the subject matter, hold convictions in the storyline, and love your characters with all your heart. And you also have to be responsible for how others will view your work and what message they will take from your story.

The temptation for YA writers is to conform to the flavor of the moment. Currently dark fantasy and horror, steeped heavily in the macabre, is very common. Also at the top of the popular list are several salacious series following rich, spoiled teens partaking in all sorts of deviant behavior. Controversy sells, and these books move quickly off the shelves. But is their message really representing the heart of the writers?

When I began writing my series, The Circle of Friends, I had one purpose in mind – to inspire others to achieve. I had spent several years in a motivational training system and learned the principals of goal setting, people skills, and maintaining a positive attitude. Armed with this training, I began seeking a vehicle through which I could encourage others. There were already plenty of non-fiction books available on the subject, so I decided to pour the knowledge into a fictional book series. Portraying healthy relationship dynamics and entertaining readers at the same time appealed to me, and my series rapidly took shape.

The underlying theme of overcoming flows through each book. LORI follows a swimmer with Olympic dreams and focuses on setting goals and a positive attitude. SARAH portrays a character lacking in self-esteem and desperate to find belief in herself. JAMES focuses on a young man trying to overcome past abuse and make something of his life. MIKE tells the story of a young man who can’t forgive himself for a past mistake and ultimately questions his own beliefs. HEATHER, the one I am currently writing, portrays a headstrong character that must learn to accept others as they are and not be so selfish.

My inspiration now comes from another source as well. Letters and emails from fans, proclaiming that my books have restored their confidence and encouraged them to pursue their goals, keep me writing! My purpose was to motivate others and knowing The Circle of Friends has done just that is true success to me.

Now that you know what inspires me, I have to pose the questions – what inspires YOU?

-Author & Speaker, L. Diane Wolfe http://www.thecircleoffriends.net/


This Virtual Book Tour has been brought to you by:

3 comments:

  1. Hi, Donna and L. Diane,

    Great interview. Sounds like a wonderful series for teens.

    I need to have L. Diane Wolfe on Book Bites for Kids sometime.

    I love your blog, Donna!

    Suzanne Lieurance
    The National Writing for Children Center
    http://www.writingforchildrencenter.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Suzanne-
    I would love to do it! It's an excellent series for teens - far more positive than most YA fiction in the stores.

    ReplyDelete
  3. How great to know that you have restored the confidence in a YA.

    Great post!

    Sylvia C.

    ReplyDelete

Thank for you taking the time out to visit with me and to learn about my writing career.

Please be sure to leave your blog address so I can reciprocate.

I look forward to visiting you too.