Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Well, welcome back to the Midlife Happiness project. And I'm Sarah, and I have a really interesting guest that I'm delighted that I can introduce you to today. Her name is Felicity. Hi, Felicity. Welcome to the show.
[00:00:15] Speaker B: Thank you, Sarah. I'm excited to be here. Thank you.
[00:00:20] Speaker A: Absolutely. Okay, so Felicity has had a really colorful, interesting life, and there's many layers to, of what makes her interesting. But when it gets down to that thing, that thing we always talk about on our show, the very thing that you've introduced to your life, that's really added some happiness, what would that thing be?
[00:00:47] Speaker B: Well, the thing that has added a lot of happiness to my life has been writing, and in particular, writing a five book science fiction series that allowed me to do a lot of research and explore areas that I probably would never have explored or researched if I hadn't decided to write science fiction.
[00:01:13] Speaker A: Now, people listening are probably thinking, well, that's fabulous. But I'm guessing she was always a writer, she was always an authorization, and that's kind of what makes your story even more interesting. If you can just introduce yourself, tell us a little bit about what you were doing before you decided to embrace this new identity as an author.
[00:01:35] Speaker B: Well, yes, I'd love to. I was the CEO of something called the World Affairs Council of Connecticut, and that's an organization that does a lot of work in the, the foreign policy area, and we also do a model UN program. So in that role, I really brought a lot of people to Hartford, like Nancy Pelosi, like Vicente Fox, and other people like that, to talk about foreign policy and to have conversations with people around the importance of it and just letting them know more about it. So very different. I had to run the organization. I had to raise quite a bit of money every year, and we did a lot of interface with corporations, so it really spanned a lot of different areas. And being the head of it, I had to do a lot of fundraising and writing. I did write, but it was technical writing.
[00:02:42] Speaker A: Okay, so I guess I've got to ask, how did you go from that to deciding you were going to write? And this is not just any sort of novel, specifically, this is science fiction. So how did this all come about?
[00:03:04] Speaker B: Well, I think that I've always written in my life, but never had the time to seriously write. So with deciding to write science fiction, I had always wanted, always been interested in quantum physics, and I had read Michael Talbot's very famous book called the holographic universe. And when I read that book, I thought to myself, this is amazing.
All these ideas of different realities and quantum entanglement and quantum time and space time, rolling space time together and how you could go through a black hole or all those kinds of things and kind of bring the ends of space and time together and travel very fast. So there were many things I read about, and it was in the holographic universe. And so I thought, gosh, I want to write a novel about this, but I want to make it exciting with really neat characters and all those things that make novels possible. So, yeah, so I started off and I wrote the first novel, the first book. And at that time I didn't know it was going to be a five book series.
I got a really, really good editor because I wanted to publish these books. I think if you want to publish, you really do need an editor. So I got an editor, and he basically said, well, you're going to have to rewrite it because.
Yes, yeah, because, you know, I can. This is not working as a novel. And he wasn't a science fiction writer. He was a very good novelist. And so slowly he worked with me and got me to the stage where I, he felt it was eminently publishable. But there were so many things I had to learn. But, you know, you don't need to write a novel like I did. What you can do is write blogs. You can write for your local newspaper.
We have a great one here, and people write for it, and it's great. I love the articles.
[00:05:23] Speaker A: What you're hitting on right now is an interesting point because we've talked about this in our podcast before, in that when you talk of, you know, the end game for pursuing any interest. And some people have a very specific goal. If they learn a sport, they want to compete. If you take up writing, you want to be published. But what's interesting and you're hitting on is that, hey, it doesn't have to be a novel. It doesn't have to be a book. In fact, you don't even have to be published. There are plenty of people I know who have taken up journaling and writing things down, maybe even poetry. And there is joy and value in the process of it.
[00:06:09] Speaker B: Yes, absolutely. You know, you go into the woods, I say, and you look at the trees and you start to discover those trees are sort of aspects of yourself, and you start to discover the trees. And it's very interesting to do that because you start to realize there are things you have been thinking about or been wanting to say or research. And I like to write poetry, and that's really fun. And you can be in a poetry group, which is really fun to be in, because poetry is easy. It's hard to be in a group. I'm not in writing groups because novels are hard to be in groups about short stories, though, and poetry are great. So you can be in a poetry group and you'll never get published, but you'll write some great poetry and have a lot of fun and maybe do some poetry readings. I was in a poetry group with poets, and many of them never published. And they really wrote about some very interesting and very intense experiences in their lives.
[00:07:16] Speaker A: So there's, like, a therapeutic value there.
[00:07:19] Speaker B: Very therapeutic. I was just going to say, one of my very close friends actually had a rather wayward daughter. And I always remember that her poem, it was, my daughter's a drummer in a rock and roll band, and it was a very wonderful poem because it was full of, you know, the way she was nervous about her daughter being a drummer, but she was also, you know, because this was her career. I mean, this is how she made a living. That wasn't a. A terribly easy way to do so, but she was able to express all kinds of things in it. So, yeah, I think writing is just such fun and such a fun way to share your experiences. I mean, writing letters. You can write letters. I mean, now on the computer, we write them. But, you know, I'll often much prefer to write not an email, but a letter to someone because you just have more space and more thought. Time, I call it, to think about, you know, really what you're saying. Yeah. So.
[00:08:24] Speaker A: So, okay, so we've got people out there listening who are thinking, oh, my gosh, this is exactly what I've always wanted to do. I've always wanted to write something, be it a book or a story. And I'm just terrified because I don't know where to start. When you think of your own experience, can you describe to us what it was like when you finally made the decision, I'm not going to think about this anymore. I'm not going to talk about this anymore. I'm actually going to sit down and do this. Can you describe to us what it was like when you finally sat down and committed to the process and put pen to paper? Or maybe. Maybe people don't actually use pens. Maybe it's always on the computer. I'm old school.
[00:09:18] Speaker B: No, no. Yes. Let me explain. Because the process is always different for the different what you're writing.
For instance, if you want to write a short story, you probably have an idea. You probably think, gosh, this would make an amazing short story. Okay, so the way you do it is, I think you just think you sit down and you outline it. You outline the story. You know, you say, okay, this is the beginning, this is the middle, this is the end. Oh, this is how I did it. And I'm going to write to that.
It was a poem. For me, it always just came. I would just know. I would start to write the poem and it would just emerge. So it was more like the muse coming through Orlando. But I've always loved poetry since I was very young. Even in high school, junior or what you call elementary school, here I was reading and writing.
I was just like simple little poems or poetry. So that's a different process, writing a novel. Some people do know where they're going. They will outline, they will say, this is going to be the story, these are the characters, and this is how I'm going to write it. There's going to be a beginning, a middle, an end, a protagonist, an antagonist, a, you know, this, this the plot, and so on. For me, it's different. I allow my characters to write the story. So sometimes I really don't know where I'm going. And a character will say to me, ah, you can't do that. You got to do this. So, you know, I'll. And, you know, this is all sort of a bit of a silly way of saying it, but it is the absolute truth that characters do drive me. And I'm never quite sure what I want a character to do or how it's going to evolve. So I think there are different ways of writing. However, now, if you're going to write an article that is a different thing, I think you sort of have a beginning, a middle, and an end, and you think, well, what's the theme or an essay of this? And how does this theme evolve over the course of the writing? And how many words am I constricted by? Or am I going to make it a long essay or a short form essay?
All those kinds of things. And I think what a lot of people could write are memoirs. It's something you can write for your family, you know, you can talk about your childhood, and then, you know, how you got into your thinking, how you got married, your children, put some photographs in it. It's a wonderful thing for your family to have when you're still around or when you're not around.
It's a very easy, easy way to write. And you need wire publishing, I'm guessing.
[00:12:17] Speaker A: I've heard this from other people who are writers that, I mean, I guess with anything that you are taking seriously and you want to get the work done, that you have to be very regimented about it. So how does your day look when you are embarking on this? You're in the throes of writing a book. Do you just write when the feeling takes you? Is this a very academic process?
Strict. You know, you sit down at your computer at the same time every day. Can you speak to that?
[00:12:50] Speaker B: Yes, you know, I do.
I usually write when I'm writing a book. I'll generally write for four or 5 hours a day, and I generally start in the morning because I'm more of a morning person. So I'll get up early and I'll start writing and I'll write for quite a long time.
And, you know, the whole process is, you know, first you do the first draft, then you rewrite it, then you rewrite it, then you rewrite it and you're never quite satisfied. And I've published the first in my series, and the second is I feel where I want it.
The third two, I'm still wanting to write a bit on the fourth, and the fifth is where I want it. So being a science fiction writer, I'm always finding little pieces of science that are more advanced than even when I wrote the book six months ago.
And that's sort of the science field. It's always coming out with new things. But, yes, you have to be pretty disciplined if you want to write a book.
And if you don't want to write a book, you can just write when you feel like it. I'm on medium, which is a wonderful magazine for writers, and I read articles every day. And sometimes I think, oh, I'm going to write a response to that. So I always keep my hand in. So I'll write a long response or I'll, you know, think, oh, I want to write a short blog or an article on this subject, and I'll do that, too.
When I'm not writing a book. When I'm writing a book, I don't do that. I just stick to the, stick to writing the book because it's kind of mentally exhausting. But now I'm, I'm not writing my book, I'm publicizing it. So I'm doing a few more articles. I just finished an article and it was on a subject in my book. It was kind of a fun article to write because I write in my book about climate change, which is not a fun subject, but it's how people survive it. And so I was fascinated to learn recently about all these tech bros, as I call them, because they're in my book, you know, Musk, Zuckerberg, you know, and how they're all building these, what you call places underground, massive complexes that they can hide in when something bad happens, like the climate goes down, or there's a. So, you know, Zuckerberg I read recently, and so I just finished this article, has built a massive estate in Hawaii, the whole island, and a whole underground bunker that he can escape to. So this amused me, because in my books, people do have to live underground, but they're more cities, and there is a tech bro who builds a city, a small community that people live in. So it was so it. It was almost like, well, I wrote this five years ago, and now they're writing about it here. And this is really funny. So, as a futurist, you know, you imagine things, and then when you actually read that, there's the factual information about them. It's always interesting.
[00:16:08] Speaker A: So truth is stranger than fiction, as they say.
[00:16:13] Speaker B: This is what I said. This is not fiction. This is the truth.
[00:16:17] Speaker A: So the other thing we like to do on this podcast is share, sort of when things don't go according to plan, because it's all fine. And, well, as I've said before, to bring guests on who are really inspiring and seeming, you know, to have it all worked out. And they've really managed to sort of capitalize on something and really make this such a big part of their. Their happiness.
But we also want to draw attention to the fact that anything worth doing, obviously, it's an investment of your time. It's often quite a bit of work to get there, and things don't necessarily go according to plan in that with embarking on any new adventure, you shouldn't expect that everything will be perfect and everything will work out just as it should. And it's important to recognize that. And we like to have sort of a bit of a sense of humor about it, because that's the truth. So when you delved into this new adventure of yours, of writing, was there anything that you thought you weren't prepared for that may have happened? Any little hiccups along the way that you'd want to share with anybody listening who might be considering writing?
[00:17:43] Speaker B: Well, yes. I mean, I think when you write something and then you read it, you're sort of sometimes not satisfied with it.
Well, I would say often not satisfied with it. So you have to be prepared to sort of trash a lot of what you write if you want it to be a certain way. If you don't, it's fine not to. But as a novelist and a published writer, I can talk to the fact that you've got to be prepared to be edited. And that's often very crushing because you get manuscripts back with pages. I mean, lines and lines and lines of commentary and criticism. So if you want to be published, you have to be prepared for criticism. Also, if you want people to read your work, you have to be brave and be willing to send it out to your friends or wherever it's going. And, you know, then you hold your breath and you go, oh, my gosh, is someone going to tell me, this is dreadful?
[00:18:50] Speaker A: I have to stop you right there, because I'm a painter, and as an artist, a visual artist, what you're saying to me, I mean, this really could not be more true bravery. I love that you use that word. Bravery. Bravery, bravery.
When. Anytime you paint something, and I assume when you write something, even if it's not about you, it is still expressed by you, it is an extension of you. Your thoughts, your feelings, your creativity, the way you see the world. And to put it out there in the world is very frightening. And you must be brave, because people have opinions. And what I find is sometimes people think, oh, they had something critical to say. But what I have to say, and I'm sure you can appreciate this, too, it's. Of course you want your work to be well received. And you might think, oh, the worst that could possibly happen is that it's criticized. That's not the worst. The worst is when there's just no interest, there's no reception. It just falls flat. It's neither here, there. It just.
It's fine. But you don't get any response. And sometimes you have to embrace, I think, the criticism, because, hey, there's. If it's worth criticizing, there is something there. There's room for growth.
But I really had to hone in on your word bravery, because I think that is so important with any creative endeavor, be it literary, visual arts, music, anything like that.
[00:20:46] Speaker B: Exactly. Because you're standing on the stage alone. You know, there's no one else around you, and you know you're there. This is your work, and no one, you know, no one else is. And that's the. That's always the part that makes you have to be brave.
And you also have to be open to disappointment if you want publishing, because you can submit to many places and you get all these, no, thank you. This is not what we want. We're not publishing this now and that kind of thing. So that's always hard. And I remember on medium, I joined a magazine there, and I was writing, and the editor was extremely critical. And not just that, he wanted me to be much more confluent with technology than I really was. And I just wasn't confluent enough.
So that was disheartening. We've actually remained friends.
He's a big Hollywood producer, and he's a writer himself. So it was a bit crushing. But I think you, those are the things you have to do, and you have to be fearless. If you like what you've done and you stand by it. And I understand painters because many of my friends are painters. You have to stand by it. It's your work of art, and it's saying what you want.
But there again, if you just want to write something and you want to give it to your husband or your family or your friends to read, because I think once you. Yeah, you know, you do have to be brave and you have to say, well, maybe they won't like it, but, you know, maybe they'll tell me what they like about it and that kind of thing. So, yes, any creative artist is. But I think also, I say I write for myself, too. If I'm satisfied with a piece of, I think, gosh, did I write this? Did I really do this? That's not too bad.
So, yeah, yeah.
[00:22:58] Speaker A: So I get, and this is, it's, sometimes I feel like I'm putting people on the spot because it's hard sometimes for people to articulate or put into words specifically what makes them happy. But I. Let me ask you, what is it about writing that makes you happiness, that brings happiness into your life?
[00:23:26] Speaker B: That's an interesting question. I think I love words.
I love what words can convey.
And so gives me happiness, is really to paint with words. I mean, you're a painter. I like painting with words. And there is a satisfaction that I get when I produce a piece that I feel is well constructed and does what I want viscerally, which means emotionally does what I want, then I, then I feel very happy. I feel very content. I feel like, oh, yeah, this is good. Like, this makes me feel good. It's like eating a good meal or something. It makes me feel full. It's nice. A nice feeling.
[00:24:20] Speaker A: Would it be fair to say that you're proud of yourself?
[00:24:24] Speaker B: Yes, very much so. You know, in a way, although proud of myself, I would say, am I proud of myself? Probably more proud of my work.
Yes, yes, yes. That's how I would put it. More proud of my work, in that sense. Yes. And it's just fun to read something and say, yeah, that's not bad.
[00:24:49] Speaker A: As I said, well, you really do have an interesting story, and you're certainly not the first person I've met who has been interested in writing, although you may be the only person I know who went ahead and actually did it and then didn't just end it at one book, but then are motivated to continue with it. So I think your story is really interesting. I'm sure you hear this all the time from people that, oh, well, I've always wanted to write a book, or I always had a story in my head. The difference being, of course, that you went ahead and did it. And this is what this program is about, you know, stop talking about it and thinking about it. The last thing you want to do is regret that you never went ahead and did it. And as we said earlier, whether you're published or not, there is satisfaction and happiness and just executing and following through with something you've always wanted to do. Just do it.
[00:25:51] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:25:51] Speaker A: So, yes, you know, that is the.
[00:25:55] Speaker B: That's what I want to say.
Everyone says, you know, everyone I meet says, I want to write a book. I'll be honest. I mean, I would say 90% of people, oh, I want to write, or I always wanted to write. And in my head, I pick up the pen, put the piece of paper, you know, get to the computer, and it doesn't matter what comes out. It doesn't matter. Just do it. Just do it. Yeah.
[00:26:21] Speaker A: Yeah. And we are. You're absolutely. You were right, you know, earlier when you were talking about bravery. We are, we tend to be our own worst critics and so hard on ourselves. And as much as we want to talk ourselves into something before we've even started, that we're already talking ourselves out of it because, oh, maybe I really don't have anything to say. Maybe enough with the maybes. Just do it. What's the worst that can happen? You may not be, you know, on the bestseller list, but once you wrap your head around the intention behind it and just seeing value in the process, I think everything else is just icing on the cake, truly.
[00:27:04] Speaker B: No, that's true. And I would just. For those who really do want to publish a book, I would say, look, there's so many ways you can do it. Now.
The first thing is write it. Do edit it, do get it edited. I would say, if you want to publish very important to get it edited.
Try submitting it to places. But now you can self publish on Amazon, or there's a lot of platforms where you can self publish. I have a friend who has toured the United States in her van, and she wrote all these lovely little sort of pieces about what they were seeing and all their adventures as emails to her friends. And then she compiled them in a book and she created a cover. She had it edited and she published it on Amazon. It's for sale there now. And it's wonderful because, you know, anyone coming to the states who wanted to make a trip like they have done, they've gone to every state, you know, in their, in their rv in, in America. And it's a wonderful guide and amusing, funny, lots of things in it. But it started off as a series of emails to her friends and she self published. So I'm saying that's the way to do it. And she was smart enough to get a good editor.
[00:28:19] Speaker A: Well, thank you so much for this chat today, Felicity. I really enjoyed talking to you. And for those listening who are interested, what is the name of your series?
[00:28:31] Speaker B: My series is called until this last.
[00:28:34] Speaker C: But the actual book is called the burning Years, the first one, and that was published in July and it is available on Amazon.
It's the beginning of a series of a matriarchal family. They're Sophie's. And I chose the word Sophie for female wisdom. And they're scientists and they have a lot of adventures. And their adventures continue over two or 300 years.
You know, in the first book, we do discuss quite seriously climate change because I'm very concerned about it. But it is, it's quite an adventure story. And I, two of my characters are bioengineered humans. And so you can learn about bioengineering and it's actually a real thing. You can, you know, it's Wonder Woman, but you basically replace parts of your body with, you know, like my hip with steel, and it's very strong. So my characters are bioengineered and, but they do sort of give a sense of what has happened to the surface of the planet and how we need to stop doing what we're doing. You know, I really wrote it so that when people read it, they say, oh, gosh, yeah. And in about commentary, yes, you can, you can learn, you know, the organizations you can join and the things you can do. And I've got a whole glossary of all the scientific terms because I do write hard science. So it is then easy for people, you know, to flip back and see what I, you know, what I've written.
[00:30:06] Speaker A: And not only are you writing, then you are the process of writing this particular type of science fiction, it forces you to really learn.
[00:30:18] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:30:19] Speaker A: Which is, I'm sure that adds to your happiness.
[00:30:23] Speaker B: It does. I love it. You're right. The research I absolutely love. Yep.
[00:30:29] Speaker A: Thank you so much for being a guest on our show. So appreciate it. And I encourage our audience. Go check out her books. This is very exciting. And I hope you know, whether it's writing a book or anything for that matter, creative or otherwise, just go start it and face the world bravely. I think that's well put. On that note, thank you again for joining us. Please continue to subscribe to our channel, and we will see you next time on the midlife Happiness project.
[00:31:06] Speaker B: Thank you.
