We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Danielle Thorne a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Danielle , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you take vacations? Why or why not?

Yes, as often as possible! Burnout destroys more than joy. It affects creativity, work ethic, health, and your relationships. It’s crucial to step away no matter the room your responsibilities take up in your life. Remember that in the past, businesses didn’t use to be open on Sundays; they closed early in the evenings and on holidays. These days it seems everyone’s working the same schedule to supply one another—nonstop—and life has no pause button. Time out is a necessity. One of the secrets for survival is balance, which means a getaway even if it’s for a day. It’s one of those things you have to choose to schedule time for and make happen. I only work five days a week and save the weekends for catching up with my home and family, as well as a quiet day for meditation and spirituality. Now that I’m older and see my kids less, I travel two to three times a year with at least one destination out of the country—and I don’t take work with me. Intermittent breaks and vacations nourish mind, body, and soul. We need to be outside and need to explore new things with all of our senses in order to stay strong and inspired.

Danielle , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was raised in Tennessee and now live south of Atlanta, Georgia. My partner and I have been married for over 30 years and raised four boys while he was an air traffic controller, and I kept the homestead. To date, I’m an author of over 30 books published both traditionally and independently. I started writing in my youth by dabbling in poetry then I had a few articles published. I didn’t pursue novels until I was in my late thirties and that learning process took time. Writing conferences and critique groups helped, and I published my first book in 2008 with a small eBook company. Shortly after, I transferred to a mid-list outfit that released in all formats then later I went indie. Validating success came through my independent historical romances, but when I had the opportunity to sign with Harlequin’s Love Inspired line and write contemporary feel-good stories, I jumped at it. The experience has been a wonderful and worthwhile investment of my time, but I look forward to branching out into other genres that interest me.

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

One painful thing I had to unlearn on my journey is the difference between business relationships and friendships, and I’m still learning. The creative arts is a world where like-minded people connect deeply, and sometimes this is an opportunity for someone to take advantage or betray that trust. Understanding that friendship is earned, and should be considered carefully within the parameters of your chosen business, can save you from a lot of heartache. I’ve learned the hard way that not all publishers are honest, not all editors are qualified, and not all reviewers are sincerely interested in your books. That doesn’t mean kindness, respect, and the willingness to serve others around us goes out the door. It just means be careful, listen to the experiences of others, and don’t rush into a trusted working relationship until you know the backstory and performance history of the person winning you over.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

It took a long time for me to pursue the resources I needed to get published. While that was mostly because of being an introvert, joining writing groups online and in person connected me to resources I would have never tried like conferences and classes. Unfortunately, I was too vain to realize I needed take classes and read books to become a better writer, and these days, those tools along with blogs and videos are invaluable. Businesses require investments, and despite the costs, these are tools new writers need to seek out.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.daniellethorne.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authordaniellethorne/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDanielleThorne

Image Credits

Canva.com