Guest Blogger Michelle Dim-St. Pierre |
"The Writing Process from a Spark to a Novel"
Michelle Dim-St. Pierre
Great authors always
make experiencing a story believable. You can taste the character’s food, see
the places they visit—you can feel the wind in your hair and smell the ocean
breeze, almost as if you were actually there.
The final product
might make it seems as though the story flowed effortlessly from the writer’s
pen, but this is far from the writer’s reality. A writer has to choose the
words to bring those experiences to life. Sometimes this is a matter of the
writer using their imagination intensely to create the details that will create
a reality out of fiction. Other times, this requires a great deal of research.
In the end, the writer must determine what stories to share to bring a reader
into their own reality.
In some ways it’s a
process of becoming who your character is meant to be. And in some ways, it’s
about having enough background to be authentic in what you write, painting a
realistic picture of the details in your character’s life.
From the moment
inspiration hits me to the time when I have a complete manuscript, is a long,
winding road. There is a storyline that will change, productive writing time,
writer’s block, research, revisions, revisions, revisions… and more
revisions—it never ends. And, for me, there is a big part when I write away
from the keyboard—it’s all in my mind. This is what I call virtual
writing and it is about 60% of my entire writing process and is not
less satisfying. I didn’t go to school for writing, so I doubt
this virtual writing is the right way to develop a novel. But for me,
it works.
As I write about my
characters, even though they are fictional, a piece of me rubs off in
everything they do. I take personal experiences that were meaningful to me, and
use them to inspire each character I create.
As a nurse, I saw what
transpired between doctors, nurses and patients. My military service added more
dimension. Living and traveling throughout Israel for half of my life has given
me the unique familiarity and intimate knowledge of the culture. As a
woman with a foothold in both America and Israel, I understand the details
well.
Is that why my
characters exist in those intimate settings? Of course. They start out as an
extension of me before taking on a life of their own. I give them the depth of
my knowledge before letting them express themselves through my fingers and onto
the page.
Are any of the
characters me? Never. But do they express themselves with my voice, my training
and my familiarities behind them? All the time. They all have a piece of me
within them. That’s what gives them life. That’s what gives them complexity.
That’s entertainment. I hope you enjoy.
Find Michelle Online:
Goodreads:
Facebook:
LinkedIn:
Website(s):
www.MichelleDimStPierre.com
www.PinnacleLust.com
www.BloodyCoffeeBook.com
Buy the Book:
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bloody-coffee-michelle-dim-st-pierre/1131320894?ean=2940161424711
Apple Store: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1461500705
Trailer:
About
the Book:
A complex, suspenseful,
and engrossing tale of doubts, trust, budding romance, and two bullets.
Eighteen-year-old Leigh arrives at a Tel Aviv hospital, seeking
information about her probable father, Dr. Sloan, who had a cardiac arrest
right after they met for the first time. As she stands next to her father's bed
and watches him, her past, present and future collide. Despite the advice of those
around her, Leigh decides to face the challenges of the legal system in Israel.
She obtains a court order for a paternity test and confronts Sloan. During her
quest to find the truth about her biological father, Leigh is exposed to
violent religious intolerance, faces life in a country where church and state
are not separate, and meets the man who may be her first true love. Will she
change her view of the world she thought she knew? Will she forgive her mother?
Will a gunshot change her attitude towards her probable father? And, what will
she say to Steve, the only father she ever really had?
·
Paperback: 332 pages
·
Publisher: Mountain Abor Press; 1st edition (April
22, 2019)
·
ISBN-10: 163183522X
·
ISBN-13: 978-1631835223
Praise:
“Michelle Dim-St.-Pierre is proving to be a
major
talent in epic romantic drama!”
~Grady Harp, Amazon
Top 50 Hall of Fame Reviewer
“A thrilling and emotional psychological
mystery-thriller.”
~Detroit Free Press
“This book grabbed me at page one and wouldn’t
let me go!”
~Pamela Gossiaux,
award-winning author and journalist.
About
the Author:
Michelle Dim-St. Pierre was born in Tel-Aviv,
Israel, where she spent more than half of her life before relocating to the
United States.
She lived through four wars and served in the Israel Defense Forces for two years. Unlike her first year of service in an armored division in the Golan Heights, she served her second year serving in the medical corps where she interacted directly with the injured soldiers of the Peace of Galilee war and their families. This interaction, along with the exposure to the hospital atmosphere, fascinated Michelle and further touched her heart. She went on to get a BS degree in Nursing in Tel-Aviv, and practiced internationally for 32 years in various positions in the surgical field and quickly advanced into health care administration. During her career she worked in the Operating Room, Recovery Room, and CCU—along with many other duties.
Writing was Michelle’s outlet at first, but it soon became her passion. Now, she is a full-time writer. Her international background, along with her military and nursing experience is always at the tip of her pen. Her first novel, Pinnacle Lust, started the Pinnacle trilogy and won the Beach Book Festival in the Romance category, as well as received several honorable mentions in other book contests. It was published to rave reviews.
Michelle is a world traveler who enjoys cooking epicurean food and creating original recipes. She currently splits her time between Florida and Georgia, where she is at work on her next two books.
She lived through four wars and served in the Israel Defense Forces for two years. Unlike her first year of service in an armored division in the Golan Heights, she served her second year serving in the medical corps where she interacted directly with the injured soldiers of the Peace of Galilee war and their families. This interaction, along with the exposure to the hospital atmosphere, fascinated Michelle and further touched her heart. She went on to get a BS degree in Nursing in Tel-Aviv, and practiced internationally for 32 years in various positions in the surgical field and quickly advanced into health care administration. During her career she worked in the Operating Room, Recovery Room, and CCU—along with many other duties.
Writing was Michelle’s outlet at first, but it soon became her passion. Now, she is a full-time writer. Her international background, along with her military and nursing experience is always at the tip of her pen. Her first novel, Pinnacle Lust, started the Pinnacle trilogy and won the Beach Book Festival in the Romance category, as well as received several honorable mentions in other book contests. It was published to rave reviews.
Michelle is a world traveler who enjoys cooking epicurean food and creating original recipes. She currently splits her time between Florida and Georgia, where she is at work on her next two books.
Find Michelle Online:
Goodreads:
Facebook:
LinkedIn:
Website(s):
Buy the Book:
Barnes &
Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bloody-coffee-michelle-dim-st-pierre/1131320894?ean=2940161424711
Apple Store: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1461500705
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