And it's the First Wednesday of the Month, which means time to connect with a wonderful community of writers who share their thoughts, hopes, doubts, and dreams in a monthly blog hop as part of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Check out this link and try to visit/comment on at least 12 writers' posts . . . You can do it!
The awesome co-hosts for the January 6 posting of the IWSG are Ronel Janse van Vuuren , J Lenni Dorner, Gwen Gardner Sandra Cox, and Louise - Fundy Blue!
Before we 'plunge' into Liesbet's interview, here's IWSG's question for January 6th: Being a writer, when you're reading someone else's work, what stops you from finishing a book/throws you out of the story/frustrates you the most about other people's books?
Before we 'plunge' into Liesbet's interview, here's IWSG's question for January 6th: Being a writer, when you're reading someone else's work, what stops you from finishing a book/throws you out of the story/frustrates you the most about other people's books?
I almost hate to admit this but . . . missing punctuation and incorrect grammar on the first page are a serious distraction. Once I'm caught up in the story, I'm more forgiving. But that first page? Oofta!
What else makes me stop reading? If the characters (yep, either male or female) are insensitive, exploitive, and brutal, I just don't want them in my head. Bad guys can be bad guys, but rape? Torturing children? Not going to read that. I don't expect HEA every time. Isn't that true to life? We don't always catch that golden ring. But I want to celebrate with my characters when they are successful, surmount obstacles, and create new and better worlds. Especially as we face into this second and challenging year of the pandemic, writing that affirms hope is important to me.
And now for that wonderful interview with Liesbet Collaert who so kindly and thoughtfully answered my questions about how she came to write her memoir, Plunge. How did I meet her? Right here on IWSG!
And now for that wonderful interview with Liesbet Collaert who so kindly and thoughtfully answered my questions about how she came to write her memoir, Plunge. How did I meet her? Right here on IWSG!
When I returned to the US from a year-long RV trip in Mexico and Central America in 2007, I actually considered writing a travel memoir, came up with a structure, and jotted down ideas and notes. Nothing came of that project, because three months later, my husband and I were head-deep into sailing a new-to-us catamaran. This change of lifestyles turned into an eight-year sea journey during which I kept track of our experiences in blogs, diaries, and Word documents.
Once we finished our wanderings in the Caribbean and South Pacific and opted for a relatively settled life in the United States, I did get serious and determined about actually creating my debut memoir. It took five years of work – on and off depending on the logistics – before Plunge was published! I was most productive while we house- and pet-sat for months in other people’s homes. Barely anything got done when we were on the road in our camper van.
I never took writing classes or English literature (Dutch is my native language). I just followed my guts and cranked out the first draft, utilizing my memory, notes, and blog posts. This version was way too long! About twice as what I had in mind for the end product, an intense page-turner. Editing the manuscript required many takes and huge cuts. The final version – which I sent to a substantial editor for review – is a mostly chronological account of my tumultuous thirties with the previously mentioned elements intertwined.
How did you know when your memoir was “done”? As a perfectionist, I had the most difficult time to “let go” and call it quits. I can reread something forever, tinkering and polishing and improving! “Perfect doesn’t exist,” I had to tell myself. A friend’s advice helped as well: “Perfect is the enemy of good.”
To be honest, I promised myself to publish Plunge in 2020 and made that my main focus of the year. This project had taken long enough. There was no time for anything else and still, I barely succeeded, as my travel memoir published on November 28th, my 45th birthday! Hiring a professional editor and cover designer caused unexpected delays. Writing the book is one thing, self-publishing it quite the other. It was extremely hard work, time consuming, and seemingly never-ending (as that perfectionist popped its head up again) with a steep learning curve.
Is your wonderful blog your primary connection with your readers? I’m a debut author, and my life consists of much more than writing. When I produced my sailing blog – It’s Irie – Sailing the World the Way It Is – from 2007 to 2015, comments weren’t much of a thing and I documented our travels for myself, my friends, and my family. My readership was benign and interactions rare.
Once my husband and I quit the cruising life and I started a new blog (Roaming About – A Life Less Ordinary) about our lifestyle, I also reported on my progress as an aspiring author, once a month. Because of all these reasons, yes, my blog is the only thing that connects me with my readers as my readers so far are my blog readers. And my writing updates could act as a newsletter.
I appreciate and respect the readers of my blog tremendously. They make efforts effort to catch up on what’s going on, read what I have to share, and often comment. They dedicate some of their precious time to connect with me. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to me to reply to every single comment I receive. I enjoy the connections, conversations, and even real-life encounters that have ensued this way!
How do you come up with topics for your blog? This is easy. My subjects emerge from life. Unlike others, who attempt to break into a niche or monetize their blog, I don’t care about that. This allows me to write about whatever I want. It’s my blog. Topics come easy because of our exciting, alternative lifestyle, my (undesired) tendency to get in trouble, my never-ending thoughts and ideas, and my openness to chat about anything. Just like I will never get bored in my life, I will never run out of topics for my blog. 😊 Plus, there are always photo challenges or writing prompt challenges to participate in, if the mood strikes or the well threatens to dry up.
Do you belong to a community of writers? I envy writers who belong to an in-person writing or critique group. That would be so awesome and helpful. But, because I am a nomad, this will never be possible. Luckily, there is the internet and the ability to be a part of online groups. That being said, due to our non-stable resources, I am only a member of three non-committing Facebook groups – the Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG), the We Love Memoirs Author Group, and the Women Who Sail Who Write group – and participate in the monthly IWSG blog-hop.
By following other blogs, sometimes started by someone visiting my blog first, I have become acquainted with many fantastic, knowledgeable writers and maintain a good relationship with them. They are a helpful bunch and posing a question or inquiry by email or on a Facebook group often provides an answer.
Do you work with beta readers? Yes! When you read about the writing craft, you soon learn some important lessons. One of them – besides hiring a professional editor and utilizing proofreaders at the end – is working with beta readers. As a new author, it was hard for me to decide exactly when to do this. On hindsight, I should have waited before engaging them. The version my eight beta readers (from different backgrounds, relationship angles, and nationalities) received was too long. But, one of the main things I struggled with in year two of the writing process was what to leave in and what to take out. My beta readers were a tremendous help with so much more than tightening the prose and I am eternally grateful for all their feedback.
What is your biggest challenge ahead as a writer? Good question! Because I am a free-spirited, flexible, and frugal person, I actually possess a lot of freedom – to write or to pursue other pursuits. But there is one challenge, and this has always been the same challenge: my preferred lifestyle. Being a perpetual nomad, living, traveling, and working on the water or on the road is challenging and exhausting. Adding a writing schedule to that is impossible. It is no surprise or secret that I am most productive when settled somewhere with running water, unlimited electricity, and reliable internet for periods of time. Yet, often to my companions’ and my own frustration, I keep trying to combine my two passions. I am faced with a question that has repeatedly haunted me: do I keep traveling, or do I focus on my writing? How do I find a healthy balance?
Links for Plunge!
Tropical waters turn tumultuous in this travel memoir as a free-spirited woman jumps headfirst into a sailing adventure with a new man and his two dogs.
Join Liesbet as she faces a decision that sends her into a whirlwind of love, loss, and living in the moment. When she swaps life as she knows it for an uncertain future on a sailboat, she succumbs to seasickness and a growing desire to be alone.
Guided by impulsiveness and the joys of an alternative lifestyle, she must navigate personal storms, trouble with US immigration, adverse weather conditions, and doubts about her newfound love.
Does Liesbet find happiness? Will the dogs outlast the man? Or is this just another reality check on a dream to live at sea?
How did you know when your memoir was “done”? As a perfectionist, I had the most difficult time to “let go” and call it quits. I can reread something forever, tinkering and polishing and improving! “Perfect doesn’t exist,” I had to tell myself. A friend’s advice helped as well: “Perfect is the enemy of good.”
To be honest, I promised myself to publish Plunge in 2020 and made that my main focus of the year. This project had taken long enough. There was no time for anything else and still, I barely succeeded, as my travel memoir published on November 28th, my 45th birthday! Hiring a professional editor and cover designer caused unexpected delays. Writing the book is one thing, self-publishing it quite the other. It was extremely hard work, time consuming, and seemingly never-ending (as that perfectionist popped its head up again) with a steep learning curve.
Is your wonderful blog your primary connection with your readers? I’m a debut author, and my life consists of much more than writing. When I produced my sailing blog – It’s Irie – Sailing the World the Way It Is – from 2007 to 2015, comments weren’t much of a thing and I documented our travels for myself, my friends, and my family. My readership was benign and interactions rare.
Once my husband and I quit the cruising life and I started a new blog (Roaming About – A Life Less Ordinary) about our lifestyle, I also reported on my progress as an aspiring author, once a month. Because of all these reasons, yes, my blog is the only thing that connects me with my readers as my readers so far are my blog readers. And my writing updates could act as a newsletter.
I appreciate and respect the readers of my blog tremendously. They make efforts effort to catch up on what’s going on, read what I have to share, and often comment. They dedicate some of their precious time to connect with me. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to me to reply to every single comment I receive. I enjoy the connections, conversations, and even real-life encounters that have ensued this way!
How do you come up with topics for your blog? This is easy. My subjects emerge from life. Unlike others, who attempt to break into a niche or monetize their blog, I don’t care about that. This allows me to write about whatever I want. It’s my blog. Topics come easy because of our exciting, alternative lifestyle, my (undesired) tendency to get in trouble, my never-ending thoughts and ideas, and my openness to chat about anything. Just like I will never get bored in my life, I will never run out of topics for my blog. 😊 Plus, there are always photo challenges or writing prompt challenges to participate in, if the mood strikes or the well threatens to dry up.
Do you belong to a community of writers? I envy writers who belong to an in-person writing or critique group. That would be so awesome and helpful. But, because I am a nomad, this will never be possible. Luckily, there is the internet and the ability to be a part of online groups. That being said, due to our non-stable resources, I am only a member of three non-committing Facebook groups – the Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG), the We Love Memoirs Author Group, and the Women Who Sail Who Write group – and participate in the monthly IWSG blog-hop.
By following other blogs, sometimes started by someone visiting my blog first, I have become acquainted with many fantastic, knowledgeable writers and maintain a good relationship with them. They are a helpful bunch and posing a question or inquiry by email or on a Facebook group often provides an answer.
Do you work with beta readers? Yes! When you read about the writing craft, you soon learn some important lessons. One of them – besides hiring a professional editor and utilizing proofreaders at the end – is working with beta readers. As a new author, it was hard for me to decide exactly when to do this. On hindsight, I should have waited before engaging them. The version my eight beta readers (from different backgrounds, relationship angles, and nationalities) received was too long. But, one of the main things I struggled with in year two of the writing process was what to leave in and what to take out. My beta readers were a tremendous help with so much more than tightening the prose and I am eternally grateful for all their feedback.
What is your biggest challenge ahead as a writer? Good question! Because I am a free-spirited, flexible, and frugal person, I actually possess a lot of freedom – to write or to pursue other pursuits. But there is one challenge, and this has always been the same challenge: my preferred lifestyle. Being a perpetual nomad, living, traveling, and working on the water or on the road is challenging and exhausting. Adding a writing schedule to that is impossible. It is no surprise or secret that I am most productive when settled somewhere with running water, unlimited electricity, and reliable internet for periods of time. Yet, often to my companions’ and my own frustration, I keep trying to combine my two passions. I am faced with a question that has repeatedly haunted me: do I keep traveling, or do I focus on my writing? How do I find a healthy balance?
Links for Plunge!
- For general info including purchase links: https://www.roamingabout.com/about-plunge/
- To buy on Amazon (global): www.amzn.com/B08NHP3NHC
- For eBook versions worldwide: https://books2read.com/plungememoir
- For paperback distributors worldwide: https://www.ingramspark.com/how-it-works/distribute
- For reviews on Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/55848458-plunge-one-woman-s-pursuit-of-a-life-less-ordinary
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liesbet.collaert/ & https://www.facebook.com/roamingsabout
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roaming.about/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LiesbetCollaert
- BLOGS: www.roamingabout.com and www.itsirie.com
- Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Liesbet-Collaert/e/B073C9F8TW
Tropical waters turn tumultuous in this travel memoir as a free-spirited woman jumps headfirst into a sailing adventure with a new man and his two dogs.
Join Liesbet as she faces a decision that sends her into a whirlwind of love, loss, and living in the moment. When she swaps life as she knows it for an uncertain future on a sailboat, she succumbs to seasickness and a growing desire to be alone.
Guided by impulsiveness and the joys of an alternative lifestyle, she must navigate personal storms, trouble with US immigration, adverse weather conditions, and doubts about her newfound love.
Does Liesbet find happiness? Will the dogs outlast the man? Or is this just another reality check on a dream to live at sea?
Thank you, Liesbet, for sharing your thoughts about writing your wonderful and inspirational memoir. May this New Year bring you -- and all of us -- good health, happiness, a sense of peace, many more adventures, and many more opportunities to write!
Nice to get to know you a bit better, Liesbet. Good luck on your next book.... hehehe Never stop writing. ;-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
Thanks, Anna! We will see how that goes. :-)
DeleteI'm with you, emaginette! Liesbet, please keep writing!
DeleteLiesbet, knowing when to let go, especially for us perfectionists, is the most difficult. But you did it!
ReplyDeleteBeth, I read a lot of fantasy, which seems to have grown more graphic over the years, but rape and stuff like that I don't want to read.
Alex, thanks for stopping by. I like fantasy/sf as well and am excited about IWSG's new anthology. Kudos to you, as usual, for this wonderful community you nurture.
DeleteThanks, Alex! Happy to know a fellow perfectionist! I wonder how many authors actually are...
DeleteGreat interview. I think it's great that you had clear goals before you wrote your memoir, Liesbet. And it's great that you've connected with other writing groups.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading Liesbet's interview. I think she offers very helpful advice for writers as well as sharing her adventurous life.
DeleteThanks, Natalie! As a debut author, it’s difficult to know where to start, what to focus on, and where to attribute most of your energy. Luckily, we have people like you and Beth, who show us the way and help out! :-)
ReplyDeleteGood interview. It's very true that grammar and spelling are big things that can result in a book being put down.
ReplyDeleteI hope your New Year is going well. I only read and reviewed 23 books last year, but my goal for this year is 30. My other goals are to publish another fiction book in 2021, do the Blogging from A to Z Challenge in April, and increase the number of authors helped by Operation Awesome.
Good morning, J Lenni. Thank you for stopping by and for sharing your New Year's goals. Between coping with the pandemic and this most upsetting political chaos, I still haven't focused my goals for 2021, so your list is helpful. I read about 20 books a month but review only 1-2. My goals are to finish two writing projects and to continue participating in two poetry writing challenges in the coming year. I'm going to look up your Operation Awesome and wish you (actually, all of us), a more peaceful, healthy, and productive/creative New Year! Best, Beth
DeleteHi J Lenni! You have some beautiful and big goals for 2021! Thank you for reading our interview and for allowing me to be featured on Operation Awesome soon as well. Support from people like you and Beth is indispensable and so appreciated!
DeleteI once picked up a book to consider a purchase and the first sentence not only had a dangling modifier, but the punctuation was wrong. Now that was inexcusable to my way of thinking. As you probably can guess, I didn't buy the book.
ReplyDeleteI admire anyone who can master the memoir. I love reading them, but I can't imagine writing one.
Thanks for the great interview with Liesbet. It was very interesting.
Happy New Year!
Thanks for reading the interview, C. Lee! I’m with you about linguistic issues in books. They bug me heaps. I’ve made it my answer to this month’s IWSG question on my blog as well. :-)
DeleteYour comment made me laugh, C. Lee. I really don't understand why at least the first few pages cannot be error free! Later, I may forgive the writer if I'm caught up in the story. Once I wrote an author to ask if she had uploaded a draft version because there were so many errors. She replied, "Oh, no. You have the right version. My readers don't care about proofreading." Maybe poets are more forgiving. Have a good new year, please!
DeleteThanks for a great read over my morning coffee Liesbet. As someone who has read your book, it was very interesting to get this backstory. I can't imagine what trying to write must be like as a nomad.
ReplyDeleteNot easy. :-) I have another interview coming up in a couple of weeks and that is one of the three questions! Thank you for hopping over here and leaving a comment, Simon!
DeleteWow! This book sounds amazing. I was inspired that Liesbet actually didn't start writing ideas down till later. And I loved learning a little bit about her very unique lifestyle. Thanks for a fascinating interview, Beth!
ReplyDeleteGrammar mistakes and over the top bad characters are my pet peeves too.
Hi Jenni! I'm glad you liked the interview and were intrigued by my lifestyle. I promise you won't find too many grammar mistakes in Plunge. :-)
Delete