Ask the Author: Brenda S. Anderson
Answered Questions (5)
Brenda S. Anderson
Good question! Where I get my ideas really varies. Sometimes it comes from something I see in life, other times from events in the news, others, it's something God impresses on me.
For example, my daughter and I stopped in this cute candy store in northern Minnesota one time, and this young, Paul Bunyan-like person waited on us. Definitely not who we expected, so naturally I had to come up with a story, and Planting Hope was born.
For my upcoming release, BROKEN TOGETHER, the inspiration came from an interview. My husband and I were watching a late night interview with a woman who'd fought for years to free her wrongly-incarcerated husband from prison, and they won! The interviewer asked her how they were doing now, and she replied that they were divorced. It surprised me that she'd fought so hard for his release, but then couldn't hold their marriage together, so I had to explore that through fiction. That exploration really opened my eyes.
I could tell you about more, but you get the idea. :)
Thanks for the question, Ruth!
For example, my daughter and I stopped in this cute candy store in northern Minnesota one time, and this young, Paul Bunyan-like person waited on us. Definitely not who we expected, so naturally I had to come up with a story, and Planting Hope was born.
For my upcoming release, BROKEN TOGETHER, the inspiration came from an interview. My husband and I were watching a late night interview with a woman who'd fought for years to free her wrongly-incarcerated husband from prison, and they won! The interviewer asked her how they were doing now, and she replied that they were divorced. It surprised me that she'd fought so hard for his release, but then couldn't hold their marriage together, so I had to explore that through fiction. That exploration really opened my eyes.
I could tell you about more, but you get the idea. :)
Thanks for the question, Ruth!
Brenda S. Anderson
Oh, good question, Nancy! And welcome to my book booster team!
I call them gritty because my stories deal with a messy, tough side of life with very broken people. Some topics include abortion, parental abandonment, teen homelessness, bullying, emotional abuse. While my stories are clean, they're also raw & real. But it's through that grittiness, it's through those messy lives, that God's light breaks through. I love seeing how He can piece messy, broken lives together!
I call them gritty because my stories deal with a messy, tough side of life with very broken people. Some topics include abortion, parental abandonment, teen homelessness, bullying, emotional abuse. While my stories are clean, they're also raw & real. But it's through that grittiness, it's through those messy lives, that God's light breaks through. I love seeing how He can piece messy, broken lives together!
Brenda S. Anderson
Hi Stefaunia - very good question, one most authors struggle with, indie or not. I'm certainly not an expert, but I'll point to a couple of authors who've done quite well with their indie releases: Heather Day Gilbert and Sally Bradley. Also, Michael Hyatt is an expert on platform building. His book Platform: Get Noticed in a Busy World is an excellent resource.
Some basic things authors recommend are first of all, write a great book and package it with quality. That means have it edited, create an eye-catching cover, and format the interior professionally. While you're doing that, You can start a blog & post regularly, utilize social media (Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc). The trick is in deciding which forums work best for you and not letting them monopolize your time.
I wish you the best on this journey!
Some basic things authors recommend are first of all, write a great book and package it with quality. That means have it edited, create an eye-catching cover, and format the interior professionally. While you're doing that, You can start a blog & post regularly, utilize social media (Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc). The trick is in deciding which forums work best for you and not letting them monopolize your time.
I wish you the best on this journey!
Brenda S. Anderson
Hi Anne - Nice to meet you, too! I've been writing all my life, but it wasn't until 2005 that I decided to pursue my dream and write a novel, and I've since completed 5 more. That first novel eventually, after many, many drafts, turned into my debut release, Chain of Mercy.
How long have you been writing, Anne?
Brenda
How long have you been writing, Anne?
Brenda
Brenda S. Anderson
Hi J.Z. -
Thanks for connecting with me. Love that you write gritty, inspirational stories too!
I'm part of a Christian writers group in the metro area, American Christian Fiction Writers Minnesota Chapter. We'd love to have you join us! We meet once per month, usually on the 4th Sunday of the month. Here's a link to our site--our meetings are listed in the left hand sidebar. It's a great way to network with area authors! Would love to see you at a meeting.
Thanks for connecting with me. Love that you write gritty, inspirational stories too!
I'm part of a Christian writers group in the metro area, American Christian Fiction Writers Minnesota Chapter. We'd love to have you join us! We meet once per month, usually on the 4th Sunday of the month. Here's a link to our site--our meetings are listed in the left hand sidebar. It's a great way to network with area authors! Would love to see you at a meeting.
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