Meet Desi Stowe

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Desi Stowe a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Desi, thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.

I imagine anyone doing creative endeavors encounters some kind of block. As an author, I’ve been hit with writer’s block more than once. To press through the block, I often go for a walk to clear my head. If that doesn’t work, I’ll give it a few days and work on another project. Perseverance will break nearly any block; sometimes it takes a few minutes, sometimes it takes days.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Everyone has a story to tell. The story inside of me stirred with a restlessness until I wrote my first book in 2022. My writing is contemporary fiction and mirrors life. What I love about fiction writing is that it addresses the difficult things we all face, but in a way that is subtle and more accessible to our minds.

I’m honored by people who’ve chosen to read what I write. There are so many books, great stories to choose from. I can’t speak for other writers, but for me, writing breathes life into my soul. It helps me find comfort in the chaos. It eases my heart and my mind when they’re troubled by the difficulties we all face.

I write because I don’t know how not to write. It’s an innate need inside of me. It took me many, many years to find it. But now that I have, I have no desire to ever leave it behind.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

My background is healthcare, and I have no formal training in creative writing, though I’ve done a considerable amount of informal training. Writing is a skill of persistence. Sometimes writing happens when you don’t want to write or on a day you lack creativity. At times, it seemed doubtful I could pull a story together. And sometimes I can’t. Some things sit on the back burner as I pursue other ideas. But the writing itself always requires perseverance.

Another skill needed is the ability to clear your mind. Completely dissociate from the world and fall into whatever creative world you’ve formed. For me, this is the most challenging, but also the most enjoyable part of writing.

Finally, and most importantly, do what you love. It took me years of trial and error to find writing. Failed hobbies and career pursuits litter the years past, only because they weren’t right for me. But when I found writing, I found my home.

Writing is hard. It stirs difficult emotions to the surface of your soul. It consumes you at times. Pushing through plot holes and writer’s block is no easy task. But if you love it, if it’s a home to you, then keep pushing.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

The first drafts of my first attempts at writing were abysmal at best. I had no idea how to develop characters or progress plots. I ended up doing an independent study on writing, especially character development. In the past few months, I’ve learned how to keep character development at the forefront of my mind, even in the early days of a new project. Because of that, I end up with a much better first draft. It still needs significant work, but I have a better foundation moving forward.

That improvement stems from studying the craft and hours and hours of practice. Because I now know what I typically lack in an early draft, I can correct some of it from the start.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.authordesistowe.com
• Instagram: @desistowe
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551414924964
• Other: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/46625392.Desi_Stowe