by Bethany | Jan 2, 2019 | Courage to Create, Podcast
Welcome back listeners from our brief holiday break. Hope you had a wonderful New Year. Thanks for tuning in, we’ve got more of The Porchlight for you to ring in 2019 with some literary love and support.
In episode four of The Porchlight’s new Courage to Create series with Bethany Hegedus, Bethany talks about the power of believing stories and books into being. Courage is a crucial component of that belief, and Bethany discusses how you can find your own courage to create and why she chose to give the series that title. She comments on finding time for your work and saving energy for your creativity even while living your daily life filled with job, family, and friends. Bethany explains how boredom can be a major feeder for creativity and how in our busy lives, we often need to schedule boredom so we have time for long walks and unplugging and focusing on our work.
Also, Bethany and The Writing Barn want to hear from you, our listeners and students! How can we help you live your best literary life? Where are you feeling courage these days? Where are you feeling fear? Comment on any of our social media and start a dialogue with us about your literary life. Remember, we are navigating this creative journey together!
by Bethany | Dec 19, 2018 | Courage to Create, Podcast
In this live Words and Wine event at The Writing Barn, Bethany Hegedus interviews her own literary agent, Alexandra Penfold, who is the author of five picture books plus NEW YORK A LA CART, which spotlights the best of the Big Apple’s food-on-the-go. Alex’s newest picture book, ALL ARE WELCOME, spent a month on the New York Times bestseller list, and Alex brings her experiences in marketing, editing, and now as an agent and writer to her own work as well as to the work of her clients.
During the event, Bethany and Alex discuss working with illustrators and Alex’s passion for wanting children to see themselves in books so they will in turn be inspired to tell their own stories and draw their own pictures. Alex also delves into how she approaches her stories whether they’re in verse or not, and she talks about the importance of understanding picture book structure and page turns. Together, Bethany and Alex share information on what elements create a mutually beneficial agent/client relationship. They discuss the trust, respect, and belief in the work both parties must have in their shared experience of partnering to help writers attain the highest standards in their work. For more info on Alex’s books, go to https://www.alexpenfoldbooks.com. For information on Upstart Crow Literary, see http://www.upstartcrowliterary.com.
by Bethany | Dec 12, 2018 | Courage to Create, Podcast
In episode three of the new Courage to Create series, Bethany Hegedus takes us through the agent/client relationship, including what it should and should not be, how to make sure it’s a fitting partnership on both sides, and how to be your own boss.
How can you know yourself first as a client before entering the relationship? How can you be wary of “schmagents” who are not in it to be your advocate? What do you need and want from an agent? Bethany answers these questions and more on how you can find the right agent and build a professional relationship based on communication and conversations, even those about the tough stuff. Plus she reminds us that continuing to do the work and study the craft and seek our own approval matter more than awards and reviews. Learn and be inspired by Bethany’s wisdom and guidance as you navigate your own literary life path.
by Bethany | Dec 5, 2018 | Courage to Create, Podcast
On episode 35 of The Porchlight, Bethany Hegedus speaks with debut author Lucia DiStefano about her YA novel BORROWED, a genre-bending book about the mysteries of cellular memory in a teen girl who receives a heart transplant. Lucia is a first generation Sicilian and the daughter of an olive farmer. She grew up in Connecticut and now lives near Austin, TX. A former high school English teacher, Lucia now not only writes fiction, but she also works as an editor, ghost writer, and writing coach.
Bethany calls this episode a master class in creativity as she and Lucia delve into what Norman Mailer calls “the spooky art” of writing and the magic and mystery of the creative process. They discuss how the seeds of ideas are first planted in a writer’s mind as well as the many iterations ideas can go through as they evolve into a book. Lucia talks about how much she loves to ask the big questions, the ones that don’t have easy answers, and how she explores that in her work along with the question: how much control do we truly have over who we are? She and Bethany also ruminate on the importance of feeling excited over a good day’s work and remembering to enjoy the process of writing. Find out more about BORROWED at https://elephantrockbooks.com/ya-contest/ and find Lucia on Twitter @LuciaDiStef
Check out Lucia’s recent Blog Tour , which includes interviews, essays, review and more all about her debut novel.
Lucia DiStefano: A former high school English teacher, Lucia DiStefano currently works as an editor, ghostwriter, and writing coach. First-generation Sicilian-American and daughter of an olive farmer, she admits to having recurring pasta dreams. Hailing from central Connecticut, Lucia lives near Austin, Texas with her husband and an old bloodhound named Waffle.
by Bethany | Nov 28, 2018 | Courage to Create, Podcast
In episode two of The Porchlight’s new series, Courage to Create, Writing Barn founder and author Bethany Hegedus asks listeners to answer the question why were you called to live this literary life? Bethany was called because she wants to be heard and believes we all deserve to be heard.
She discusses the importance of finding your community, not just those who will read your work but also those who are living their own literary life and will support you on your journey. Why is it we want an audience and how do we find one? How do we keep going even when that ugly internal editor voice tells us to quit? Bethany gives listeners tips, tools, and inspiration on how to answer these questions and more as we become” literary lifers” who are fully committed to our creativity.
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