World of Writing - Author Interview
Laura Davis is the author of seven groundbreaking books, including The Courage to Heal and The Burning Light of Two Stars. In addition to writing books that inspire, the work of Laura’s heart is to teach, helping people tell their stories and hone their craft. Laura loves creating supportive, intimate writing communities online, in person, and internationally. Learn about Laura's workshops & books @:
www.lauradavis.net Or drop by FaceBook & Instagram to network with her there.
* As a special gift Laura offers our readers this free ebook: Writing Toward Courage: A 30-Day Practice. Click here to receive this beautiful, thought-provoking creative gift: www.lauradavis.net/courage/
Q: What prompted you to write The Burning Light of Two Stars?
I wrote The Burning Light of Two Stars because it was churning inside me and had to come out. I tried to walk away from the story multiple times, yet it insisted on being told. We all have certain archetypal stories that live inside us, and this mother-daughter epic just happens to be mine.
Although it’s the story of one mother and daughter, one relationship that went from an impossible state of estrangement to a surprising state of reconciliation, it’s a story that will resonate with anyone who struggles with a broken relationship they wish they could heal.
Millions of people with aging parents wrestle with the same questions I faced: Can I caretake a parent who has betrayed me in the past? Should I? Is it possible for me to open my heart when I’ve learned that it’s safer and easier to keep it closed?
Writing The Burning Light of Two Stars helped me explore these questions for myself and I hope that dramatizing my journey will speak to those facing similar challenges.
Q: How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
It took me 12 years to move from idea to publication. In its first iteration, I wrote this story as a play because my mother was an actor and I thought a play would be a great tribute to her, but I literally knew nothing about writing a play.
My friend, a theatre director, read my play and announced that it had no dramatic action, and advised me to toss it and start over.
I was despondent, but a few months later, I picked up the story again.
This time, I wrote it as epistolary memoir using historical correspondence between me and my mother, as well as letters that I composed to her after her death.
My beta readers for that round told me they felt like voyeurs to a private conversation. They reported feeling bored and felt left out.
That draft, too, was composted, providing mulch for the final version.
Finally, I surrendered and wrote our story as a traditional memoir, but it still took years for me to digest the material deeply enough to craft a compelling yet compassionate story with no villains and no heroes, just two deeply flawed human characters struggling to love one another.
Q: Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I’ve been teaching writing for 25 years and this is my seventh book. I was shocked, deeply challenged, and ultimately delighted by how much I had to level up my craft to pull off this book. To succeed in what was a brand-new genre for me, I had to study scene-building, how to create a dramatic arc, and the secrets of creating momentum that keeps readers turning pages. My prior books weren’t dramatic stories; they were how-to nonfiction.
Q: What do you hope readers will get from reading The Burning Light of Two Stars?
I love it when readers tell me that they were entertained, that they laughed and cried on the same page, and that they felt compelled to devour the story—that they stayed up all night reading it and couldn’t put it down. That it’s a memoir that reads like a novel.
Beyond that, I want the book to inspire people to think deeply about their own mothers and daughters, as well as anyone else they may be estranged from. I hope that our imperfect, unlikely love story cracks open some rusty hearts.
One of the best things about writing is that you can keep growing as a writer way past the point when you’ve been “successful.” Don’t coast. Take risks and try something new. It’s thrilling to keep growing and learning in your art form. Nothing is more exciting!
Thank you Laura for this interesting insight into memoir writing, relationships and the courage to heal :)
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