We were lucky to catch up with Lynette M. Burrows recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lynette M., thanks for joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?
As an author, you’re often told that to be successful it takes the right story at the right time to the right people. But that only describes what happens sometimes. What it takes to be a successful author is much like any other occupation. It takes time, knowledge, lots of practice, and little successes piled upon one another. It takes understanding that you have to define what success is to you. And that definition will change over time.
Being an author, there’s a lot that is out of your control. You do the best you can to write a good story, an enticing book description, and hire an artist to create a interest-catching book cover. Then you put it out in the world. You can run ads, make appearances, have a website, and a presence on social media. You can do everything humanly possible to work toward success, but you cannot make people buy your book. Define your success in terms of what you can control.
If you have readers who love your books, even if it’s only two or three people, that is a level of success. If you chase the next level of success or define it in a numbers or monetary way, your satisfaction with yourself and your work will suffer. Don’t get me wrong, money is a necessity. I can only continue writing stories if I get paid for what I write. And that is a measure of success, but money isn’t what makes me feel successful.
An early success I had was getting help from a mentor I admired.
I enjoy success each and every time a reader lets me know they liked the book or blog post.
Another success I enjoy is when I learn from and share knowledge with fellow authors.
I avoid measuring my success compared to any other author. His or her book sales and reviews and other signs of success are not comparable to mine because we are different people and our books are different. By broad definition one book is like another, but the story—even if it’s a retelling of an age-old fairy tale—every story is unique because no two authors are the same.
When you define your success in terms of things you can control, your joy and satisfaction in what you do will never fade. And that is true success.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I moved 17 times before I graduated from high school. Being the new kid in school made this introvert climb into her shell. I found escape reading books, lots and lots of books in every genre. And I told myself stories. Inexplicably, it rarely occurred to me to write those stories down or to be an author. Instead, I entered a more practical career, pediatric nursing. Fast forward a few years, my desire to tell stories re-emerged. I went to every local how-to-write event and took every course I could. Since I knew and understood children, I started writing stories for children.
My first published piece appeared in a now-defunct children’s magazine. It paid little, but children across the country loved my story and wrote the publisher, who forward the letters to me. Fan mail? I was over the moon! Another of my stories appeared in a magazine for parents and teachers. They published that story in their yearly “best of” anthology.
Shortly after that, a local science fiction author, Rob Chilson (robchilson.name), and I collaborated on a novella about a future medical gadget that didn’t work quite as well as society wished. “Analog: Science Fiction Science Fact Magazine” published that story. We wrote two more in that series, one of which Analog also published. I joke that collaborating with Rob ruined my ability to write short fiction. In reality, I love creating thrilling science fiction stories about women who choose to become heroes.
I also love to blog, particularly about reconnecting people to their inborn creativity. Society has too narrow a definition of creativity and devalues any form of creativity. I believe that if everyone recognized and practiced their creativity (even as a hobby), we’d have a happier and more peaceful world.
My debut novel, My Soul to Keep, takes place thirty years after the first Prophet saved America from the Great World War. It’s the thrilling tale of a young woman of privilege who escapes the restrictive rules of her life only to discover that the America beyond her privilege is a darker, more dangerous place than she ever dreamed.
You can find the first two books of this trilogy and a companion story online at Amazon or your favorite online bookseller. I will release book three in 2024.
I live in the land of Oz. When I’m not procrastinating by avoiding housework and playing with my two Yorkshire Terriers, I’m blogging or writing or researching my next book. You can learn more about me on my website, lynettemburrows.com, on Facebook, Twitter, or one of my author pages (Goodreads, LibraryThing, Bookbub, or Amazon). I love to talk with people about creativity, reading, writing, and about the quirks of their lives and jobs.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
Many people don’t understand the process of creating a story. They often ask writers, “Where do you get your ideas?” Non-writers seem to think fiction writers pull entire stories out of the air. That is rarely how it works. The simplest answer is that it’s not magic. Writers get ideas everywhere.
Some writers have never lost the curiosity or imagination of their childhood self. Others have trained themselves to collect phrases or situations that interest them. Some writers keep physical notes and files of these. Others simply remember these bits and pieces.
The title of a song or a book or an article might catch a writer’s interest. By itself, it’s not a story idea. More things catch the writer’s interest. It might be a bit of history or news of a scientific breakthrough. Some writers also observe a behavior or trait in a known or even a random person. The writer asks questions about these bits and pieces. What would happen if a person who doesn’t believe in Santa Claus must become the next Santa Claus? Another writer might ask what if genetic engineering improves to the point we can manipulate the genes of animals to make them talk? More questions follow. Which animals would we make talk first? A dog? Why? What would be the consequences of a talking dog?
Slowly, the writer gets enough answers to her questions that she has ideas for where the story will take place, who the characters are, and what problems will challenge the protagonist. The creation of a story from those ideas is something each writer does in their own unique way.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
There are many things I find rewarding about being a creative. Creating something that didn’t exist before is far more satisfying to me than working for someone else. The challenge of constantly learning to perfect my craft is also rewarding. And getting a comment or review from someone who enjoyed reading one of my stories is close to but not quite the most rewarding thing. For me, the act of creating a story that satisfies me is not only rewarding but fulfilling. Somehow, the creation of a story makes me feel complete in a way no other job, hobby, or task ever has.
When I cannot write for a day or two, I feel out of sorts, as if a piece of me is missing. I am impatient with myself and anyone around me. The longer I’m not writing, the grumpier I get. The moment I start writing again, I feel like I am whole again. That feeling is priceless.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lynettemburrows.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LynetteMBurrowsAuthor
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/lynette-m-burrows-16a69317
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LynetteMBurrows
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHXNA_rva4h_63mwopmPEAg
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lynette-M.-Burrows/author/ My books: My Soul to Keep – https://www.amazon.com/My-Soul-Keep-Lynette-Burrows-ebook/dp/B07G7RMGJ7 If I Should Die – https://www.amazon.com/If-Should-Die-Fellowship-Dystopia-ebook/dp/B09Z8XDGDH Fellowship – https://www.amazon.com/Fellowship-Lynette-M-Burrows-ebook/dp/B07SJMBTKS