Guest Post: Knowing Your Story by Kaylin McFarren

Knowing Your Story

Guest Post shared by Kayling McFarren

I’ve come to the conclusion that the only way to write effectively about a subject matter you know very little about is to hit the stacks in the library, conduct interviews, read articles, watch documentaries and utilize the internet for pertinent information.  However, I’ve also discovered the best resource for creating dialogue, drama and memorable places is the environment we live in or just happen to visit. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate in being able to travel and have encountered multitudes of diverse personalities from all walks of life. Some of my vacations have taken me to third world countries where the distinct separation of classes ranged from waterway slums to block-long mansions. I’ve witnessed the birth of a child, the death of a parent and brother, missed opportunities and devastation resulting from unforeseen bankruptcy.In my lifetime, I’ve stood at graves, next to hospital beds, had many close calls and nearly drowned as a child. This is the stuff that makes great stories come to life – that turns them into real, compelling novels.

Recently it’s become my practice to keep a notebook handy as the best conversations occur in the most unlikely places. I might be traveling in a mass transit train, drinking in a pub or or standing in line at Safeway when aremarkable phrase or clever line is dropped, and I realize what a great addition it would make to that story percolating in my brain. When the moment finally presents itself, the scribbled note is right there at the end of my fingertips, begging for the right character to utter those words.  So the best piece of advice for knowing your story is simply to keep your thoughts in books, your ears peeled and your options always open.

About the Author:
As many people know, Kaylin McFarren wasn’t born with a pen in hand like so many of her talented fellow authors. However, she has been involved with business and personal writing projects for many years. Her careers have taken her in all directions, ranging from fashion modeling and interior design to office manager and art gallery director. Yet her love of reading and interest in creative writing has remained ever present. As a result of her tapping into her imagination and utilizing her own life experiences, she has earned more than a dozen literary awards. Her first novel, Flaherty’s Crossing was a 2008 finalist in the prestigious RWA® Golden Heart contest and her second book, Severed Threads, has already garnered two first place awards.
Kaylin is a member of RWA, Rose City Romance Writers, and Willamette Writers. She received her AA in Literature at Highline Community College, which originally sparked her passion for writing. In her free time, she also enjoys giving back to the community through participation and support of various educational organizations in the Pacific Northwest, and is currently the president of the Soulful Giving Foundation – a non-profit she and her husband formed to fund expanded research, and the care and treatment of cancer patients and their families.
Her latest book is a romantic suspense titled Severed Threads.
You can visit Kaylin online at www.KaylinMcFarren.com.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/4kaylin
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kaylin.mcfarren
Blog: http://kaylinmcfarren.wordpress.com/
About the Book:
Believing herself responsible for her father’s fatal diving accident, Rachel Lyons has withdrawn from the world and assumed a safe position at a foundation office. When called upon by a museum director to assist her former love interest with the recovery of a cursed relic from a sunken Chinese merchant ship, she has no intention of cooperating – until her brother is kidnapped by a drug-dealing gangster. In order to save him and gain control over her own life, Rachel must not only overcome her greatest fears, but also relive the circumstances that lead to her father’s death.