Become Intimate with your Readers

Nicole Seitz, artist and author of the The Spirit of Sweetgrass and Trouble the Water[releases in March 08] stops by Christian Fiction today to participate in our 1Question Author Interview Series.

The question: What did you do for your spiritual life in '07 that also improved your writing?

I allowed myself to fully connect with others in 2007. This writing business is often a solitary undertaking. Hours and hours behind a screen, talking to no one, seeing no one. My debut novel, The Spirit of Sweetgrass, came out in 2007, and I found myself promoting the book at signings, conferences, festivals. With each talk, I became more open. With each new reader, I realized the impact my writing had. With each new author I met, I connected on an intimate level. Oftentimes perfect strangers touched me in a profound spiritual way by the words they said about the words God wrote through me. In essence, in 2007 I opened myself up to allow others to come into my heart, something I've guarded for much of my life. This new openness of spirit has made me a more empathetic writer, one who truly cares about her readers, about her fellow man, about her characters. I can only be a better writer by feeding my heart in such a way.

Don't want to miss your favorite author's response, subscribe to CFB. If you are an author and would love to participate in this series, please contact me.