Midnight Brew Presents: Bev Walton-Porter

Powered by lattes, motivated by Milanos and inspired by the view of Pikes Peak outside her window, Bev Walton-Porter has managed to churn out hundreds of published pieces since she tried her hand at full-time freelancing in 1997. Bev's work has appeared in numerous publications, both online and offline. Her first piece was published in 1982 before the age of 18. Her article on online promotion appears in The Online Guide To Writer's Markets (Writer's Digest Books), edited by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. She is featured in Going Solo: How to Survive and Thrive as a Freelancer by Bobbi Linkemer. Her book, Sun Signs for Writers, is published by F & W Publications and was released this August. She is a client of the Meredith Bernstein Literary Agency in New York City. She lives with her family and three cats in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. A confirmed workaholic who is nocturnal by nature, she keeps vampire's hours and finds the call of the Muse in the dark of night. Her favorite author is the inimitable Stephen King. Bev enjoys reading, cinema, music, counted cross-stitch and camping/exploring with her children in the Colorado wilderness. The Midnight Moon Café is proud to welcome Ms. Bev Walton-Porter! Cass: Who influenced you the most in your writing? Bev: My sixth grade teacher, Leo C. Walton, Sr., who was my adopted dad (deceased) and Stephen King. They all contributed to my love of reading and writing from an early age. Cass: How did you come up with the idea for Sun Signs for Writers? Bev: This sounds unexciting, but I was in the shower one day just thinking about much of nothing. All of a sudden it occurred to me that zodiac signs would make great templates for characters. Then I thought, "Hmmm…surely a Leo writer isn't like a Pisces writer - there must be some personality differences!" So A led to B, so to speak, and I wondered if anyone had done a book addressing those subjects. Got out of the shower, researched through online booksellers and stores, then discovered nobody had written a book like that. So I wrote up a proposal on those ideas! Cass: When did you first become interested in astrology? Bev: When I was about nine years old. I'd spend hours in the library after school and I was an avid reader, always gravitating toward the Occult section of the library. Linda Goodman's books had a huge effect on me as well. She wrote well and she was a talented astrologer as well. Interestingly, she used to live in Cripple Creek, Colorado, which isn't too far from where I live. How cool would it be to grow up and be like Linda Goodman, I wondered? An astrologer who was a writer, too? Nothing could be cooler. Cass: Does it take a long time to learn and understand astrology? Bev: Yes. You never stop learning. I'm only an Associate Astrologer and I have a way to go to get to the level I intend to qualify for. You never reach a point where you know everything. But then again, that's what life is about anyway! Also, it's my view that you can study and learn all that's out there (or a good portion of it), but I believe astrology is also about intuition and channeling information that may not readily be set out in front of you in black and white. Again, I believe there's an art as well as a science to astrology. Cass: How does Sun Suns for Writers help a beginning writer understand their strengths or weaknesses? Bev: Quite often, beginning writers know that they want to write, but they don't know where to begin, how to get where they want, or who to turn to for advice. In my book, I discuss how certain personality types found in the sun signs may respond to certain challenges in writing -- such as writer's block. There are profiles for each sun sign and I concentrate on ways to help each sign break writer's block, deal with rejection and boost creativity. The exercises and tidbits I provide are tailored to each sign as I see it. Writing the book, I took what I knew about the sun signs and then tried to allow information to grow out of that knowledge. In addition, sometimes I had a feeling or intuition of some things to add in certain sections and I just listened to that inner voice and trusted it. Cass: Can readers immediately apply what they learn from reading your book? Bev: Yes, immediately. Within minutes of reading the book, or even one section of the book, writers of all experience levels will discover tips and information they can apply to their writing lives. The book is fun, but it's more practical and informative than anything else. People are surprised because they don't expect the amount of useful information it provides. It's not just a fluffy book on astrology that entertains and does little else. In fact, the book is useful even if you know nothing about astrology or you are skeptical over astrology. The tips inside are geared for writers, period. Cass: Who are some of the famous writers you give as examples in your book? Bev: Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Tom Clancy, Neil Gaiman, Anne Rice and quite a few others. Each sign lists famous authors born under each sun sign as well as quotes from them. I also wrote author profiles for each sign using certain authors, but that is bonus material that does not appear in the book. Cass: What is your sun sign? Bev: Sagittarius. I was born December 17, 1964. :-) Cass: Although your book focuses on sun signs, how big a part do other planets play in our strengths and weaknesses as writers? Bev: Here's the thing: as human beings, you have free will. I see the natal chart for a person as a template or map of what was going on at the time of the person's birth. You'll find out the prevailing influences and possibilities, but nothing is set in stone…and you have free will to act or not act in accordance with that information you know. Also, just because you have a weakness as a writer, that doesn't mean you throw in the towel; instead, use that knowledge to improve and overcome those obstacles. My book can help in that regard by offering suggestions that speak to certain weaknesses. See those as challenges that offer an opportunity for growth, and not merely an excuse to give up or give in. The planets do play a part in our lives, but we are not solely bound by those influences and helpless in that regard. Like anything else, use that information as a tool or resource to become wiser and grow as a person and a writer as you walk your path. Cass: In your research, did you find that writers of certain genres tend toward being a certain sign? Bev: It's a bit more complicated than that; writers of all signs write in all genres. You'd have to look at the whole chart to get a complete picture. It would be a daunting task, but I'd love to launch a research project that compares the charts of famous writers to see which astrological influences/aspects may show up in their charts, as well as statistical results from such a research project. Cass: Can you give an example from one of your writing exercises in Sun Signs for Writers? Bev: Sure thing! Here's a sample one for Libra writers: 1. Find beauty in an everyday object. Nobody does a better job of discovering hidden beauty than Libra. You instinctively know what’s tasteful and cultured. Now it’s time to take a different tack with beauty—or your perception of it. Find an everyday object that you and others would usually describe as anything other than beautiful. How about a withering plant? Is there an old, bald tire out in your garage? After you’ve selected your item, find a quiet place (perhaps outside on the porch or inside at a work table) and fully examine the item. Make a note of the basic appearance of the article, noting any irregularities or worn spots. Once you’ve described the basic attributes of the item, shift your mind and set out to find the inherent beauty of the object, however ugly or rough you might think it is at first glance. Again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Use your imagination and writing skills to unearth the hidden charm of the object. Write about your discovery. Cass: What do you know now you wished you'd known "then"? Bev: To be discerning about the advice and criticism you receive from others. Everyone is a critic and there are a lot of armchair quarterbacks out there. You have to know which advice is applicable to your methods as a writer and which advice doesn't necessarily apply to you. In addition, don't surround yourself with negative people who only dole out hurtful, non-constructive criticism. Seek out opinions and advice from people who are doing what you want to do. If you want to write a novel, don't take advice from someone who's never done it before. It's best to strike a balance between the rational and intuitive sides of yourself. When they work in tandem, it's my feeling writers produce their best work. Cass: Do you have a newsletter, blog, or website where folks can read about you and your books? Bev: Yes, I sure do. I've been publishing Scribe & Quill, an e-zine for writers, for nine years at http://www.scribequill.com. In addition, my author site is located at: http://www.bevwaltonporter.com. Cass: Thanks for stopping by to chat with our readers! Bev: Thanks for having me as a guest! I'm honored. Sun Signs for Writers (Writer’s Digest Books) is the first book to harness the power of the zodiac to improve writing! This one-of-a-kind writing resource reveals your unique writing personality using astrology, then combines it with practical writing instruction. By helping you discover your writing strengths and weaknesses based on your astrological sign, this unique and fun guide brings together the creative worlds of astrology and writing for an instructive guide that any writer can benefit from. Packed with exercises designed for each sign's tendencies, as well as examples of famous writers and literary characters and their signs, you'll gain key insights into your unique writing process, and have fun assigning a sun sign to your characters. Now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and bookstores across the globe! ISBN: 1582974039 ISBN-13: 9781582974033 Publisher: Writer's Digest Books Here are a couple of excerpts from the book readers can access at these URLs: http://www.wdeditors.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/sunsignsintro.pdf http://www.wdeditors.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/libra.pdf For more information, visit: http://www.wdeditors.com/wordpress/fall-2006-titles/sun-signs-for-writers/ The Midnight Moon Café will be giving away a copy of Ms. Walton-Porter's book, Sun Signs For Writers. Email us at: midnightmooncafe@gmail.com with your answer to the following question: Name at least two famous authors used as examples in her book. Hint: several author's names are mentioned (as examples in the interview) that she uses in her book. Please remember to include your snail mail address along with your answer, so we can send you the prize if you're our winner! Winner will be chosen at random from all completed and correct answers, and announced later tonight, here at the Café. Good Luck!