We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dawn Hudson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dawn below.

Hi Dawn, thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I have been able to earn a full-time living from my creative work. I started writing professionally about six years ago. It was with a publishing company that produced paranormal romance and cozy mysteries.

I learned a lot about writing through this experience. I would say that my writing skills were mediocre when I first started, but they improved a lot as I continued working for the company. I took each critique and feedback seriously and applied those lessons to my future writing. I can see a huge difference between the first book I published on my own and the work I produce today.

I continued to write part time until two years ago. I balanced writing with a full-time teaching job, being a mother, wife, and trying to breathe. However, when we moved to Missouri, in the middle of nowhere, I took the leap. There aren’t any jobs within an hour of where I live. Sometimes, when it rains a lot, the creek overflows and I can’t leave the area. I prayed and jumped in.

I don’t know that I would have wanted to speed up the process, for two reasons. One, I very much enjoyed teaching. I loved the kids (grades 6 through college) although I hated the politics. The other is that by working part time and getting the critiques and feedback, I was able to hone my craft. I’m not perfect and I know that there is still a lot for me to learn, but I can see the tremendous gains I have made over the years.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I started reading when I was three. We moved around a lot when I was a kid and we were very poor. I didn’t have a lot of toys, but Mom always made sure that I had books. My reading advanced quickly and I read Black Beauty and Call of the Wild in first grade. I devour books like a ravenous shark. I started writing when I was in second grade. The power I had because I could create my own worlds, make my fantasies come true, and escape was incredible. I was first published in a newspaper when I was in fifth grade.

Writing is my passion. I can edit, but I prefer writing. I help clients make their dreams come true. Every person has a story in their heart and soul. Every person has that character they want to be or that place they want to visit. However, they might not have the skills to bring that to life. That’s where I come in. Tell me your dreams and I’ll bring them to life for you.

One of the ways that I am different from others and that helps me be a better writer, is that I get to know my clients. I hear what they want. I see what they see. I also make my clients understand that their story is just as important as those told by famous authors. My clients might not become rich and famous like Stephen King or J.K. Rowling, but they will be heard. In the end, isn’t that what everyone wants?

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is that I get to make new worlds, new characters, and new adventures. With a stroke of my pen (which I use when writing for myself) or the stroke of the computer key, I am a witch who uses my powers to solve mysteries. I am a warrior riding a dragon into battle. I am in Scotland two centuries ago about to marry the Laird of the land.

I love to use my writing to explore the psychology of people. My favorite genre that I write for myself is psychological thrillers. These books give me the opportunity to dive deep into the minds and souls of those who committ the ultimate evil. I love exploring the paranormal, as well, especially ghost stories that involve mysteries.

Of course, I won’t lie when I say that I get a thrill inside of my heart when a client tells me that they love my writing, my creativity, and that I have captured their stories perfectly. I also love it when the books get good reviews.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the lessons I had to unlearn was a specific writing technique. One of the publishing companies I worked for insisted that every chapter started with dialogue and that the majority of the chapters were dialogue. They asked this for every style of book and from every writer.

When I started working for other companies and individuals, I quickly found out that while dialogue is great, so is internal dialogue, and narrative that shows what is happening in the story. Otherwise, the characters can seem flat and unlikable and the story isn’t nearly as interesting.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cactusflowerpublishing.com
• Other: email: [email protected]

Image Credits

James Hudson or screenshot