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Bowing To Elephants Podcast


Aug 10, 2021

Today's honored guest is Barbara Linn Probst. Barbara is a fellow She Writes Press author and a bit of a Renaissance woman. I've discovered that she's a teacher, a therapist, and a researcher. She's also a serious amateur pianist and a nonprofit organizer. And, on top of that, she’s a phenomenal writer! Join us as we discuss the process of writing a novel, the relationship between novel and memoir, and the effect of music on our lives. 

 

What You Hear/Learn

 

[0:24]  Guest Introduction

[03:00] Barbara talks about the universality of music and the difficulty in writing about music.

[12:50] Barbara answers the question, “How would you compare playing the piano to writing a book?”

[18:30] Mag and Barbara discuss the importance of having a mentor who encourages you to push past your limitations.

[22:01]  Mag and Barbara talk about how artists of all types borrow from one another’s work.

[24:15]  Barbara talks about the driving force behind the protagonist in her novel, The Sound Between The Notes.

[27:58]  Barbara explains how her writing has developed and what she's learned along the way.

[32:31]  Find out why Barbara feels you have to let go of control to let your characters unfold.

[35:27] Mag and Barbara discuss the benefits of a hybrid publishing house.

 

Quotes 

 

On Music:

“Every culture has music. Every era has music. Sound is one of the first things that a newborn responds to. I mean, it's just so universal.”

 

On Writing:

 

“What I've learned at this stage is that if you dwell with your characters … that it unfolds along the way. The more you kind of dwell, learn, and let your characters sort of breathe … the middle keeps unfolding.”

 

“Often you have to give up a plan or give up a scene that's not working. Give it up [even though] you've invested in it. You know, it's the whole thing when you have the car and you keep putting more and more money into repairing it, so you can't get rid of it … But, [eventually] you just have to let it go.”

 

Resources

 

Barbara’s books:

Queen of the Owls

The Sound Between The Notes

 

shewritespress.com

Seymour: An Introduction

 

Connect with Barbara Linn Probst

 

Website: www.barbaralinnprobst.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/barbara_linn_probst 

Facebook: facebook.com/barbaralinnprobst

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqT4f95REYKgYJPFzpU_84g

 

Appreciation

 

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for being here. If you haven’t already, come join the party over on:

 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/magdimondauthor

Website: https://bowingtoelephantspodcast.com

 

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