Welcome, Donna Fawcett! Tell us, How did you get your start as an author?
It began in high school when an English teacher told me that if I did nothing else in life, I should write. I shrugged that off until I was in the midst of raising my children. I wrote a story about our dog who rescued our daughter. It was published. I didn’t know that this was unusual. I sent a few other stories out and they, too, were published. As the empty nest loomed, I took university courses in writing. I highly recommend anyone wanting to write to get a formal education first.
Why is that?
Too many raw writers submit their stories before they are ready. They make many mistakes and end up blowing their chances of being published. It could have easily gone that way for me but God really wanted me in this industry so he walked me through those first years.
If you could give one piece of advice what would it be?
Shut down emotion when it is time to submit to an editor. Too many writers ruin opportunities because they are too in love with their writing. Yes, there are times when editors go too far but for the most part, they know the market, they know their readers and they know what will sell. I draw the line when the writing no longer sounds like my writing or when I am asked to compromise my beliefs.
What is the key to getting known?
There are two keys to becoming a known author. I’m still working at both of them. One is exposure. Get involved in writing guilds but also get involved in volunteer organizations. People want to read your work if they know you. Speak at events. The second is patience. There are a handful of one-shot wonders out there but they are rare. Most writers become known because they are patient. They work at it continually.
What is the underlying purpose for your writing?
I ultimately want to bring glory to God. There are so many amazing things in the Bible that, when God reveals them to me, I just want to write about. I have seen (and done it myself once) writers compromise their faith in small increments in hopes that they will catch the attention of the masses. Trust me. If God wants our writing out there, He will put it there. If he has one person in mind who will come to faith in Jesus through my writing, that is enough. My gift belongs to him in whatever way he desires to use it.
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Thank you for joining us Donna! If you want to learn more about Donna Fawcett’s books or purchase them, you can find them below:
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