If You Want To Write, You’ll Do It

Episode #72

Guest Speaker ~ Patti Meredth

“Write that first draft. I think every writing book I have back here says that. Just write it. Don’t edit yourself. Don’t be writing and thinking, ‘I can’t say that,’ or, ‘I shouldn’t do that.‘ Just do it. Do it with the mindset nobody’s ever going to see this; you can worry about people seeing it later.”
– Patti Meredith

Discipline is remembering what you want. When I read the previous sentence on Patti Meredith’s website, a part of me needed to explore it. What did it mean to her? How did it affect her creativity? What did it mean to me, a visitor to her website?

A message weaved throughout our conversation is that we are all gifted the choice to perceive a situation as a blessing or something unwanted. We explored Patti’s choice to take advantage of the period of isolation the pandemic brought forth to finish writing South of Heaven and the lessons she learned along the creative journey.

In this Pen to Paper Press Podcast episode, you will hear:
.:. How the characters conveyed their story to Patti.
.:. Her personal connection to the location her book takes place.
.:. What is flash fiction?
.:. Whether Patti under- or over-estimated how long it really takes to write a book.
.:. The value of not defending yourself to the naysayers while creating.
.:. The power of a writer’s circle.
.:. Does Patti have a fear of failure?
.:. Why it is important to write the first draft without worrying about editing.
.:. Why is there an emu on the cover of her book?
.:. Who are you writing for?
.:. What a means to grant yourself the grace of time to write a memoir.
.:. What does it take to be a successful southern author?

Pour a mug of hot chocolate for yourself and listen to this light-hearted conversation about motivating and making time to write.

Who is Patti Meredith?
Patti Meredith’s debut novel, South of Heaven, takes place in the North Carolina Sandhills where her family’s roots run deep. After graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in horticulture, she was fortunate to cultivate a career in television production. Patti holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Memphis. Her stories have appeared in Appalachian Heritage, Still: The Journal, and Mulberry Fork Review. Discover more at pattimeredith.com