The Author’s Creative Process with Coleman Alderson

Super special episode today!  All of them are special… But for this one, we have our own in-house talent! 

Coleman Alderson, Devani’s dad & LeAura’s husband, joined us to talk about his journey in becoming a writer and published author. Coleman, is the author of the dystopic series Mountain Whispers, and he recently published book 2.

Sometimes the catalyst for creativity comes from events in one’s personal life, both good and bad. Singers right love in-love, love songs and then lost-love songs. For Coleman, events he observed in his native West Virginia, sowed the seeds of what would become the Mountain Whispers trilogy, and launch Coleman into the role of author, where he discovered a love for weaving real life with fiction, into a rich tapestry of “what if” imagination.

A snippet from Coleman’s acknowledgments in the book, on gratitude:

“I am compelled to offer deep appreciation for one of my greatest discoveries in life. It is a part of every faith, and, I’ll wager, everyone who loves the life they’re living knows the power of this influence. It has been clinically proven to positively affect emotions, relationships, jobs, health, and personalities. It’s no big secret, but it works in many wondrous ways. It’s what we call gratitude. Waking each day and journaling about the blessings in my life sets the sails for the rest of the day’s voyage.”

Topics Covered:

• Coleman’s background and own story
• His creative process
• The tipping point that helped him choose to write
• Deep research when portraying facts in fiction
• Developing the layers of a story: characters, scenarios, and plot
• How to remain unbiased and leading people thru story to come to their own conclusions
• Writing about real places and how to keep those descriptions accurate
• Finding your calling or creative gift later in life
• Which came first: The plot or the characters?
• Gratitude and its role in creativity and life
• The most fun character that Colemen wrote in the story
• Character layering
• Growing an audience as an author
• Keeping up with a story timeline and consistency (especially if your story jumps between different years)
• Tributaries for building a brand and marketing, and a great way to expand
• How to connect with prominent people in your topic for collecting pre-release endorsements for your book

Quotes on Creative and Writing:

Part of writing is that you develop great characters, hang them up in a tree, and throw rocks at them.

~Coleman Alderson, author, investor, entrepreneur

Listen on iTunes – Listen on Stitcher

Resources:

• Mountain Whispers website
• Book 1 & 2 on Amazon
• 90 Day Goals Journal
• Sandra Haven – Bristol Services (Coleman’s editor)
• Interview on Coleman’s first book, Mountain Whispers, Days Without Sun

A podcast for creators serious about your art.

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LeAura Alderson

Hello! I’m LeAura, owner and co-creator of iCreateDaily.com®.  As an autodidactic philosopher, generalist, personal development advocate, entrepreneur, writer, editor, author, ideator, media publisher, and podcaster, I’m passionate about helping others achieve their best possible life! Our small family of entrepreneurs, writers, investors, educators and creators own and run websites around topics we enjoy, such as gardening, health and fitness, creativity and pets, with more to come.

While my greatest teacher is Life… my formal training includes certifications in mediation, fitness, and strategic intervention coaching, including marriage and family. Today, the synergy of creating websites, articles and podcasts, brings together all my favorite things: family, learning, growth, creating, connecting and contributing. To share these with you is a privilege, that serves my lifelong aspiration to help others.

My personal areas of creativity are in writing, masterminding, ideation, synthesis and bringing ideas to life through business and entrepreneurship, all with a pervasive spiritual foundation with a focus on elevating the lives of others.