The Power of Story - Guest Post with Wendy Paine Miller

There’s a scene in my latest release, THE FLOWER GIRLS, when thirty-year-old Poppy reflects upon when she used to “story” her twin sister, Daisy, to sleep.

~*~

“Tell me a story.”
The moon poured a milky light onto her bed. Daisy curled her body into a fetal position and yawned so wide I could see the back of her throat. We were about to be nine and I remember thinking I could make everything right with the world. I’d become infatuated with reading. My imagination ballooned inside of me waiting to share all kinds of stories. I snuggled up to her and breathed in her orangey scent.
“Witches or monsters this time?”
“Neither.”
I grew quiet. A shiver crept over my summer-warmed skin. I could handle her fear of witches and monsters. I knew exactly what to say to get her mind off those. But neither? I’d have to invent a good story this time.

*from THE FLOWER GIRLS, by Wendy Paine Miller

~*~

I don’t think anyone would argue with me when I assert stories possess great power. An article entitled “Your Brain on Fiction” in The New York Times explores this further. Click here for full article. “Brain scans are revealing what happens in our heads when we read a detailed description, an evocative metaphor or an emotional exchange between characters. Stories, this research is showing, stimulate the brain and even change how we act in life.”

Stories can change us. Poppy seemed to get this as she worked hard to allay her sister’s fears. She wanted to create another world for Daisy to go to when this world proved too overwhelming or confusing. I get this. I’ve been known to pick up a book a time or two for the same reason.

And when I contemplate the following from The New York Times article I quoted earlier, I even more deeply appreciate the intrinsic value of reading fiction.

“Individuals who frequently read fiction seem to be better able to understand other people, empathize with them and see the world from their perspective.”

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Do you ever think about how stories influence your life? How much impact and power do you think fiction possesses?

CHECK OUT WENDY'S NEW BOOK!

Imagine staring into the face of a loved one with no recollection of who they are. Every person a stranger. Daisy O’Reilly's inability to recognize faces, a cognitive disorder resulting from a childhood accident, causes her to rely heavily upon her twin sister, Poppy. Perhaps too much so.

Overwhelmed by Daisy’s needs, Poppy anticipates the freedom her upcoming wedding will bring—a chance to relinquish her obsessive worries about Daisy and escape the clutches of guilt from one hazy day when the girls were seven. When they were still invincible.

With a thriving floral photography career but a floundering love life, Daisy questions how strong she will be on her own. And who she might become without Poppy living down the hall or offering a deluge of reminders during each social interaction.

But for the O’Reilly sisters to properly let go, they must first understand what they’re holding on to.




Wendy Paine Miller is a native New Englander who feels most alive when she’s laughing, reading, writing or taking risks. She’s authored ten novels and recently released her novella, THE DISAPPEARING KEY. She’s currently writing what she hopes will be your future book club pick. Wendy lives with her husband, their three girls, and a nocturnal Samoyed pup in a home bursting with imagination and hilarity. She’s represented by Rachelle Gardener of Books & Such Literary Agency.
~~~

A Wise Man Will Hear....

*gulp*

I'm stepping out on a bit of a new journey for myself.

I always swore I would never self-publish. I didn't have anything against it, I just had ZERO aspirations to be a publisher. I just wanted to write a story.

But I'm stepping over to the other side this year.

I'm SUPER new to this journey, so I thought it'd be fun to take you all along with me. So my next few posts will include things that I have learned (and probably more like, WILL learn over the next few months!) My hope is that I can share the FUN and the NERVES and the CHALLENGES and the LEARNING CURVES that come along with it.

I'll make lots of mistakes. I'm 100% confident of that.

But sometimes God calls us out of our comfort zone, and this is definitely it.

My first bit of advice for my first post on this is a simple one:

SEEK WISE COUNCIL.

We're told this as writers anyway, but I think it is just as important if not more so when considering publishing on your own.

I've chatted with a few self-pubbed authors, including former Alleycat Wendy Paine Miller who just released her first full-length independently published novel, The Flower Girls. She was one of my go-to advisors, and oh-my-goodness, I'm so thankful for her friendship and words of advice!

I also talked with some members who had gone down that path before me in a local writer's group as well, including one of my favorite authors, Tamara Leigh.

So yes. That's my advice.

Talk to those who have gone before. Find out the cost, the pitfalls, the dangers, the rewards. Comb through Google and read articles until you can't stand Google anymore. The more AWARE you are at the front means you will have realistic expectations and can make GOOD realistic (yet HIGH) goals for yourself.

Discussion: How has learning from those who have gone before helped you? Anyone specific come along to help you in your writing journey, whether toward independent publishing or traditional?

Five Ways Committing to a Career in Writing Will Change Your Life

In honor of her debut e-book The Disappearing Key, we have the lovely Wendy Paine Miller back on the Alley this week for a sneak peek into her new book, and her dazzling mind.

Here's Wendy:

Ah, the life of a writer. The best job in the world. But did you know the second you align yourself with a writing career you’re signing up for life transformation? How you say? I’m about to tell you.

Humble Pie

You’ll taste it, you’ll swallow it. Heck, you’ll probably even roll in humble pie a time or two if you remain with your BIC (butt in chair) long enough. And although it will feel like it, this is never a bad thing. Because you’ll remember the days of rolling in humble pie when you’re making millions on all twelve of your books. It’ll protect you from getting an Oz-head.

Devotion Meter

There’ll be moments you’ll pound the keyboard out of frustration, moments tears will stream down your face as you challenge yourself to come up with a single answer for why you give homage to the craft. Nothing measures your level of investment better than being tested. If it were easy everyone would do it. But not everyone is called. The called stand out from those who dabble when words begin to hide, rejections stack up, and online reviews keep shining a faint solo star. The called don’t quit.

Clarity of Intentions

As a writer, you’ll think more. About words. About how you spend your time. And then you’ll have to make some decisions. Commitment to the craft of writing has a way of sharpening your outlook. Ask anyone who has gone through their manuscript over seven times and they’ll tell you. Whether it’s word selection, discernment learning to say no, carving out midnight hours to plot, or a grueling editing session, allegiance to this vocation forces you to clarify your goals, your words, your time. . .

Spike in Resourcefulness

You’ll begin to scratch your head in wonder at the realization story ideas can spring from anywhere. A doctor’s visit. People-watching at the park. Witnessing an exchange at the zoo. You’ll grow scrappy and eager. No interaction is wasted. No relationship is safe from your writer brain massaging it into malleable material. Oh, and you’ll ask more questions. Don’t ask me, it’s just part of it. Trust me, if it you haven’t begun to pepper strangers with questions yet, you will.

Perspective 

Writers get something. Not even going to try to guess chicken or egg on this one? Do writers write because they see beneath the surface 24/7 or because writers spend copious hours crafting stories are they more prone to notice small nuances?

Either way, you’ll begin to see a story in every person. Experiences will be imbued with greater meaning.

Who knows, you might even begin to judge less and empathize more.

Ah, the life of a writer. The best job in the world.

Have you noticed any specific (perhaps unexpected) ways your life has changed since becoming a writer?

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Check out Wendy's book!

Gabrielle Bivane never expected parenting a teenager would be this hard, but she never expected stillborn Oriana to live to see fourteen, either. The night of Oriana's birth, Gabrielle and her husband Roy fused their genetic and engineering geniuses to bring back all that was lost to them—at a cost.

The secret must be kept.

Oriana Bivane senses she’s not like the other girls her age, but the time has come for her to change all that. She’s tired of secrets, but does she confide in the wrong person?

The life-giving key, suddenly missing, must be found.

Wendy is a native New Englander who feels most alive when she’s laughing, reading, writing or taking risks. She’s authored nine novels and is currently writing what she hopes will be your future book club pick. Her work has been published in numerous anthologies and online sites. Wendy lives with her husband and their three girls in a home bursting with imagination and hilarity.