Author Podcast: I’m Inspired By Backstories

As host of an author podcast for the Alliance of Independent Authors, I have a fun job. I get to talk to some incredible people. What I enjoy most is hearing their life stories. What made them want to write? What experiences did they bring before they ever began to set their ideas down on paper?

There is a pattern to our interviews. Right out the gate, the authors usually race forward and talk about the ins and outs of various plot points in their books. That’s when I stop them and say, “Hold that thought. We’ll talk about your book later.”

I try to take them back to the moment they decided to become a writer. It takes them a few seconds, then they grow a little more relaxed. The script they had planned is set aside. As we go through their life story, I always get something surprising, or something they hadn’t planned on telling me.

Indie authors usually have lived varied and interesting lives before they ever decided to become authors. They have backstories, themselves, that informed their worldview, writing style, genre choice, and usually a deep well of experience from which to draw. I have selfish reasons for hosting this show, too. These authors inspire me to use my own backstory to become a better writer.

You can listen to my author podcast below.

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