The biggest emotional challenge of being a writer that I have faced thus far is the
post-partum publication blues.
During the weeks directly after releasing my work into the world, I’m a basket case and feel extremely vulnerable, suffering the extreme highs and lows of birthing a novel.
This is because I work like a fiend during the months before publication, riding a crest of extreme creativity. There is so much work that goes into producing one of my novels, and I revel in each of the steps.
Initially, I’m consumed with brainstorming, outlining and research. After that there is the actual writing of the book, making it flow and hang together, creating believable characters and dialogue. The work is endless, the drafts are numerous, and the characters are in my head all day long for over a year.
Each Book Becomes a Big Part of Me
Once the story is finished, there is the on-going process of editing, proofreading, and last-minute re-writing. And finally, there is the work that goes into formatting the book which involves designing, illustrating, and laying out the interior, as well as making sure all the file formats are correct.
If all that has gone well, then I am ready to publish. But then the promotion work begins—making video trailers, signing books, writing guest posts and conducting interviews…and waiting for the reviews to come in.
Because of this highly creative process, each book becomes such a big part of me.
Is Writing Worth All the Energy Expended?
But people who aren’t writers just don’t know the work that goes into writing and publishing. And once the book is out there in the world they can casually comment on it, praise it, dismiss it, tell you “art” or “Italy” really isn’t their thing and they much prefer a story about a sci-fi-fantasy-fairy-that-saves-planet-Gorgathon…or a bodice ripper with a hunky guy on a beach.
Or simply say after the crushing amount of effort exerted…it was just a fun read, something to take on an airplane or to the beach…or not comment about it all – crickets crickets crickets (not sure which is worse!).
At the end of this long road, I sometimes wonder…is it really worth all the energy expended? But, then I think, Yes. Yes, it is definitely worth it. Because in the final analysis, I am quite pleased with the results—I have told the story I wanted to tell, and I love the children I have created.
And in the vast universe out there where there are lots and lots of other blinking stars as Helen Mirren says…we need to put ourselves in the universe and not as absolutely in the center around which the whole universe rotates.
So how do I deal with post-partum blues? I pull my thoughts together and focus on my next book and start doing it all over again!
Friends, Beagles, and Italian Music Keep Me Going
Having a friend who is my story-boarding editor read and discuss my work in the initial phases of the writing process is absolutely the best thing I have done to help reduce my stress, self-doubt, and anxiety.
My stories are complicated, to say the least, so having someone who relentlessly reads my numerous drafts, who offers instant feedback, grounding and validates my ideas is a terrific confidence booster.
When I get blocked, or think the writing is horrible, or simply get frustrated and tangled up in my own ideas, this friend challenges me to continue. So, I do. I write on…and on…and on…and eventually figure it all out. It is nice to have a muse like that, and when you are sure of where you are going, the path is just a little smoother, and you are a little more fearless.
Also walking my two beagles, listening to Italian music every evening, is my favorite way to relax. It is also a great way to come up with new material, especially when I start to feel blocked. I can’t listen to music when I write—it is far too distracting. But, when I am listening to music at the end of the day, it helps my subconscious thought processes.
And actually, when I’m not actively trying to write or come up with ideas, by the time I return home, the ideas are flowing, and I can’t wait to write them all down.
Writers, Get a Thumb-Friendly Keyboard!
The biggest physical challenge of being a writer for me has been on my eyes and the base of my thumb on my left hand! I spend hours and hours at the keyboard looking at a computer monitor, so hence the reason for both. I work way into the early morning hours, wearing my contacts, so there is a bit of eyestrain and blurriness from time to time.
As for my thumb, this is a recent development, and I think it has to do with an ergonomically challenged flat Mac keyboard. Believe me, I’ve googled it and even asked the doctor about it, and both tell me it is related to Carpal tunnel syndrome. I’ve since upgraded to a more thumb-friendly keyboard, that is slightly elevated to accommodate my writing addiction. I’m happy to report I’ve noticed some improvement.
To combat the long hours spent sitting all day I still try to keep very active. Each morning before anything happens, even before coffee is consumed, I do a 15-minute yoga routine that involves lots of planks, downward dogs and pushups. I also carve out time to go to the gym EVERY SINGLE DAY, where I lift weights and get a cardiovascular workout in. I eat healthy meals and walk the dogs every evening for 40 minutes. There also might be a glass of red wine consumed at the end of the working day!
Italy Holds the Key to My Creativity
The key to my creativity is Italy. When I think about Italy, and when I am traveling there, I am never at a loss for things to say.
I became a writer because I wanted to learn the Italian language and started a blog in Italian and English. The more I discovered about the country during the weeks and months I lived there, the more I wanted to write about it.
Then, after years of publishing non-fictional anecdotes on my blog, I decided to turn all these stories into a series of novels. Since I started writing books based on my personal relationship with Italy, I’ve been hooked. I love weaving plots, creating worlds and inventing people to populate them based on things I know best—Italian culture, art, and history.
But most importantly I want readers to get a glimpse of all the innumerable things that make Italy unique to me: the sights, sounds, tastes, as well as the legends and cultural anecdotes which I can express more intimately and poetically through the pages of my novels.
The thing that ruins my creativity is having to stop the creative process and deal with annoying household details, like cooking, emptying the dishwasher, grocery shopping, filling up the car with gas and cleaning. I resent the time it takes to do such tedious things when I could be off inventing new ideas.
Each Step You Take is for a Reason
I can’t really think of a darkest moment in my career. There have been a few roadblocks, and a couple of unexpected twists and turns, but in the end, I learned something from each bump in the road and then turned them each into an advantage.
I went to grad school to become an art history professor, but then decided to change gears and go into graphic design. But, there are never wrong decisions; each step you take is for a reason and because I studied art history in the end I now write novels seeped in both history and art.
I once got fired from a traditional graphic design job, where they used X-acto knives and pasted up layouts using glue. I never could get the hang of a T-square. But a few weeks later I found an even better job designing on a Mac computer which gave me the skills to go on and eventually begin my own design firm, which I ran for over twenty years.
I’ve moved around a bit, and with each move had to re-establish a clientele, but in the end, I was able to keep old clients and acquire new ones to continue growing my business. And when I pulled back on my design business, to focus writing my Italian blog, that too was a good decision, because as a result, I invented a whole new career of promoting Italy and leading language groups to study in Italy as well as becoming a writer.
It Was a Good Decision to Self-Publish
My first novel was a long drawn out ordeal, I did everything upside down and backwards…and made many mistakes…and originally, I had hoped initially to publish with a small independent press.
When that didn’t work out, I taught myself everything I needed to know to self-publish. I surrounded myself with professionals and started my own independent press—called Matta Press. And in the end, I am earning more money.
It was a good decision, as I am already a marketer, designer, and writer I can fully utilize all my resources as well as have total control over every aspect of the creative process from the first word to the last period. I had acquired so much knowledge I couldn’t let it go to waste…so I decided to write a second book and now a third.
Because of My Decision to Write a Story, I Met Actress Sophia Loren
My first triumph undoubtedly was holding my first published book Dreaming Sophia in my hands. It was a surreal moment. I actually cried and danced around the house for about an hour. Then it happened all over again when I held my second book Waking Isabella, and breathed in the scent of a freshly printed book. It is an amazing accomplishment and I am extremely proud…and every so often I stop and gaze in awe at what I have done.
But, I also have to admit that the biggest thrill of all was meeting Sophia Loren in person. The legendary Italian film actress plays a significant role, in my story Dreaming Sophia, not only as a character but also as a metaphor for Italy.
The premise of the book is: “dreams become reality.” Just as art imitates life, sometimes life also imitates art. Because of my decision to write this story, I met Miss Sophia Loren, backstage after her one-woman show in Las Vegas, kissed her on both of her cheeks and spoke to her in Italian. It was a thrill for me to hear her say, “I believe in dreams, they do become reality. (Credo nei sogni, diventano realtà.)”
More recently, after publishing my second book Waking Isabella, I sent Miss Loren copies of both my book with a letter that I wrote to her thanking her for being such an inspiration. A few weeks later I received a hand-written note in which she thanked me and encouraged me to continue my work. A writer, who writes about Italy needs no more validation that this!
I’m Addicted to Coming Up with New Ideas
The creative process has kept me true to my path. I love it. I thrive on it. I like inventing new things and bringing something to life, where before there existed nothing.
If I am not writing and dreaming up stories, then I am illustrating, painting or designing. If I’m not composing lyrics to music or filming a Youtube Video, I’m creating t-shirts and scarves and taking photographs. I’m continually coming up with new ideas, and it is addictive.
I derive my greatest satisfaction from the creative process, but I am also kept true to my path by the people I meet during my travels and encounter in my daily life. I like hearing their stories, observing mannerisms and how they talk. But, never so much as when I’m traveling in Italy.
I am replenished and have loads of new ideas and stories to tell all based on my first-hand experiences living la vita bella.
Advice for a Young Writer: Find the One Thing that Intrigues You and Focus on That
I would tell a young person who wanted to be an artist or writer to find the thing that intrigues and interests him or her the most and focus on that.
It is so much easier to produce a novel and finish it if you are completely interested and consumed by the subject you are writing or about. The work will be so much more authentic and to the point, as well as flow more smoothly from your pen (or hopefully a thumb-friendly keyboard) and your readers will be more readily drawn into the world you create.
Every writer has a unique story to tell and a distinct voice with which to tell it. But first, you have to find your voice as well as your own individual point of view.
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Melissa Muldoon is the author of Dreaming Sophia and Waking Isabella. She is also an artist, designer, and creator of the Studentessa Matta Dual-language Blog and Youtube Channel. Through her many projects as well as her programs to study in Italy, Melissa promotes Italian language and culture. She has a B.A. in fine arts, art history, and European history and a master’s in art history. She studied painting, language and art history in Florence.
Melissa’s first two books take readers to Florence and Arezzo and are inspired by Melissa’s experiences living and traveling in Italy. Now in another art history adventure, due out Fall 2018 called Avenging Artemisia, readers will go to Tuscany, Montepulciano, and Florence in the sixteenth century and Rome in the 1930s.
For more information about Melissa and her work, please see her website, her dual language blog, her art and artists blog, or her Amazon author page, or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or YouTube.
Author’s Note: “Dreaming Sophia,” “Waking Isabella,“ and “Eternally Artemisia“ are three novels set in Italy that celebrate art and creativity.They tell the stories of three distinct women and their journeys of self-discovery to find love, uncover hidden truths, and follow their destinies to shape a better future.
Dreaming Sophia – Because there is an art to dreaming.
Explores and asks: where does creativity come from? It celebrates the idea of believing in something so passionately and envisioning it so clearly that it becomes a reality.
Waking Isabella – Because beauty can’t sleep forever.
Explores what happens when ideas and art are suppressed. It celebrates the notion that beauty is all around us and no one person should dictate what beauty means for another.
Eternally Artemisia (coming in the fall of 2018) – Some loves, like some women are timeless.
Explores the idea that art is timeless. It celebrates the idea that when we dare to take control of our destinies and find the thing we are most passionate about we are limitless.
Dreaming Sophia: Dreaming Sophia is a magical look into Italy and Art History as seen through the eyes of a young American artist.
Sophia is the daughter of a beautiful free-spirited artist, who studied in Italy in the 1960s during a time when the Mud Angels saved Florence. She is brought up in the Sonoma Valley in California, in a home full of love, laughter, art and Italian dreams. When tragedy strikes she finds herself alone in the world with only her Italian muses for company.
Through dream-like encounters she meets Renaissance artists, Medici Princes, 16th Century Duchesses, Risorgimento Generals and Cinecitta Movie Stars, each who gives her advice and a gift to help put her life back together. Dreaming Sophia is the story a young woman’s love for Italy and how she turns her fantasies into reality, as she follows her muses home to Tuscany.
Available at Amazon.
Waking Isabella: Waking Isabella is a story about uncovering hidden beauty that, over time, has been lost, erased, or suppressed. It also weaves together several love stories as well as a few mysteries.
Nora, an assistant researcher, is a catalyst for resolving the puzzle of a painting that has been missing for decades. Set in Arezzo, a small Tuscan town, the plot unfolds against the backdrop of the city’s antique trade and the fanfare and pageantry of its medieval jousting festival. While filming a documentary about Isabella de’ Medici—the Renaissance princess who was murdered by her husband—Nora begins to connect with the lives of two remarkable women from the past.
Unraveling the stories of Isabella, the daughter of a fifteenth-century Tuscan duke, and Margherita, a young girl trying to survive the war in Nazi-occupied Italy, Nora begins to question the choices that have shaped her own life up to this point. As she does, hidden beauty is awakened deep inside of her, and she discovers the keys to her creativity and happiness. It is a story of love and deceit, forgeries and masterpieces—all held together by the allure and intrigue of a beautiful Tuscan ghost.
Available at Amazon.