May 18 2009
Interview with Author and Speaker Diane L. Wolfe
My special guest today is Diane L. Wolfe, professional speaker and author of the young adult series, Circle of Friends. In this interview, Diane talks about her work, writing life and book promotion. Thanks for being here today, Diane!
About the Author:
Described as “encouragement personified”, Wolfe’s five-book Southern-based series portrays love and friendship overcoming all obstacles. “The Circle of Friends” follows a group of sports-minded couples through relationships, college and into their early careers. Known as “Spunk On A Stick” to her fans, L. Diane Wolfe conducts seminars on promoting, leadership and goal setting. Wolfe’s title, “Overcoming Obstacles With SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership & Goal-Setting”, ties all of her goal-setting and leadership seminar’s information together into one complete, enthusiastic package! Ten years associating with a motivation training system and her experience as a foster parent gave her the in-depth knowledge of relationships, personality traits and success principals. Wolfe averages over one hundred appearances each year, maintains a dozen websites & blogs, manages an online writer’s group, writes articles, does characterization sessions for schools, and speaks to writer’s groups. Originally from Oregon, she now resides in North Carolina. “With a positive attitude, any goal can be achieved!”
The Interview:
Were you an avid reader as a child? What type of books did you enjoy reading?
If we had a book reading challenge at school, I always won! I read everything I could get my hands on. I always enjoyed stories with animals and read a lot of nature books, too. Watership Down was probably my favorite. When I was a teen, I discovered Anne McCaffrey and fell in love with her Dragonrider series. My desire to become an author came from those very books!
Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.
The Circle of Friends, Book I…Lori is the first of five. I’d spent years in a motivation training program and wanted to pass along those principles of success to others. While I do have a non-fiction book on the subject, I felt it was important to show this aspect in a fiction book as well. People learn so much more from storytelling!
I did not originally intend to write a YA series, but young people carry such an energetic spark and tend to view the world with a hopeful attitude! I poured as much optimism and encouragement as possible into Lori’s story with the intension that it would inspire readers to believe in their dreams. I could also see the struggles of the other characters as well, and before I finished, I had outlines for four more books.
Book I is available retail and online –
Barnes & Noble - http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Circle-of-Friends/L-Diane-Wolfe/e/9780981621005/?itm=4
DancingLemurPress.com - http://www.dancinglemurpress.com/id9.html
Do you write non-stop until you have a first draft, or do you edit as you move along?
I am definitely write-edit-write-edit! I always hand write the first draft, as it allows me to get my thoughts down on paper faster. (I’m also a slow typer!) After 10-20 pages, I enter it into the computer, editing as I go, and print out the pages. I continuously go back and edit, every now and then reprinting the pages to make them legible once more. I estimate that each page is edited around 100 times in this manner!
How do you divide your time between taking care of a home and children, and writing? Do you plan your writing sessions in advance?
Around my home, we call it chaotic balance! I’ve learned that balancing my time does not mean every slice of the pie is even – it just means each section receives adequate attention. I spent an enormous amount of time online and working on promotions, plus I do speaking engagements every week. I’m very involved at our church, do professional photography work, own a small business outside of all this, and take care of the husband, two cats and household. (I used to be a foster parent, too!) Needless to say, I’d really love to have 40-hour days!
I’ve never set aside time for writing, which works well with my wacky schedule. Usually it’s fifteen minutes here, thirty minutes there, just whenever I fit it into my day. I do try to write every single day, though. I think that just like everything else, if it really matters to us, we will make the time!
Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? What seems to work for unleashing your creativity?
Okay, all of the other authors & writers will hate me, but… no! I never get writer’s block. I’ve always believed in an outline and I think that helps me avoid writer’s block. If I find a scene is not flowing easily, I simply skip ahead to the next scene and play connect-the-dots later. Or, since I’m continuously editing, I go back and edit the previous scene. Either trick keeps my creativity flowing and the scene that appeared daunting becomes easy.
What type of book promotion seems to work the best for you?
Well, since I’ve done just about everything under the sun… I believe online promotion works the best. It gives authors the opportunity to reach so many more people! Book signings worked well in the past, but times have changed – and the economy hasn’t helped matters. In the physical, I think an author is better served visiting a school or library. I also do a lot of promoting at my seminars and speaking engagements, and those opportunities lead to a lot more than just book sales. Authors really need to network and build up a database of contacts if they want to promote successfully. The bigger the better! (My husband recently saw my massive email address book and about had heart failure…)
Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?
Yes, several! www.thecircleoffriends.net is for my YA series, www.spunkonastick.net is my professional speaker site, and my blog is www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com
As far as community sites, I’m active on Facebook, Deviant Art, and Twitter – look for Spunk on a Stick!
As an author, what is your greatest reward?
The response from readers! Fans will send emails or letters claiming that what I wrote made a difference in their life. (I get a tremendous response at speaking engagements, too.) I need a word of encouragement just like anyone else! Plus, the incredible friends I’ve made along the way – no one can put a price on that. Real success is based on how many lives we touch in a positive manner – that I am making a difference is the ultimate reward!
Thanks for the great interview, Diane, and good luck with your work!
