Ask the Author: Wanda Dehaven Pyle
Answered Questions (7)
Wanda Dehaven Pyle
There were lots of stories surrounding the old farm house where I grew up. It was built in the 1860s from native limestone blocks that were foot thick and two foot long. There was a fireplace in the kitchen that had been cemented over but the chimney still stood as a reminder of its original use. There wee relics in the attic that hinted of another century...old bottles, parts of old rifles, an old felt hat. There were holes drilled under the eaves just large enough to put a a rifle barrel through which made sense because the story was that the house had once bee a fortress of some kind against Indian attacks.
I used the house as the basis of my novel, The Stone House Legacy.
Check it out on Amazon and Goodreads.
I used the house as the basis of my novel, The Stone House Legacy.
Check it out on Amazon and Goodreads.
Wanda Dehaven Pyle
There is no simple answer to this question. It depends on where I am with the work and where the block is. It may be a character that just doesn't have the dimension or the motivation I want. It may be a timeline in the plot that just doesn't work, or a dialogue that sounds stilted and unnatural. I have to walk away for a few days or even weeks and then come back to the piece with a different perspective. I may spend time in a shopping mall or other location that fits my story and listen to people talking. I observe the way people walk and interact with each other. I also find that sometimes I can just write through the block. I highlight the "garbage writing" in red and then come back to it later. I often find that there is the kernel of an idea hidden in there somewhere that I can use to help me move forward.
Wanda Dehaven Pyle
I love how writing frees your mind. Whether you're writing fiction or nonfiction, the thoughts and the words are your own. If someone else benefits from your writing, so much the better!
Wanda Dehaven Pyle
Write! Write! Write! Don't be afraid that people will not like what you have written or that you do not understand the publishing and marketing end of it. There are people out there who are eager to assist you and technology has opened the door to a wealth of knowledge. Self-publishing is an excellent way to learn the ropes and get yourself out there.
Wanda Dehaven Pyle
I'm currently working on the first book of a Trilogy that explores our connections to events from the past. The first book focuses on the lives of Simon and Tessa Kingsley as they negotiate the difficult path between activism and passivism during the turbulent days of the early 1960's. Simon is a rising star on the evangelical stage who dreams of establishing an ecumenical retreat on the site of an abandoned utopian community from the 1860's. Tessa is his dutiful wife who struggles to leave her comfort zone to support his ambition when they come under attack from ultra conservative hate groups. Simon and Tessa are thrown into the chaos of the times and must struggle to find their way. The working title is The Stone House Legacy and I'm hoping to release it in early 2015.
Wanda Dehaven Pyle
I am inspired by real-life characters and relationships. The older I get, the more I realize that our journey through life is relatively short and that we all approach certain decision points in our lives that could change the course of events in a variety of ways. I like to speculate on what would have happened if a character had chosen one path over another.
Wanda Dehaven Pyle
The book is based on three generations of women in my family, but it is not a memoir or even a family history. It is fiction. I was intrigued by the patterns of behavior that were passed down through the generations and decided to explore it in the context of the decisions they made and the life partners they chose. It's a book about women that also has appeal to anyone who has looked in the mirror and seen their parent looking back.
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