While fiction is born from imagination and creativity, many authors explain how they came to the stories they create through lived experiences. This is definitely true for Blair Fell, author of The Sign for Home, whose work in the deafblind community taught him about nuances, details and issues facing that community. This debut novel takes readers on a journey through a fascinating community and the lives of compelling characters. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner interviews Blair about his writing process, the importance of research and the value of participating in a writing group. He discusses his background as a playwright and television writer, and how he transitioned into writing novels. Plus, Blair offers advice for writers, emphasizing the need to just write, join a writing group, and prioritize writing amid perpetual other commitments.   In this episode, Lynne and Blair discuss:  Finding inspiration in your work and relationships Researching and interviewing deafblind individuals  Finding an agent and a publisher Writing a second book after a celebrated first book Working through a horrible first draft Motivation from setting deadlines and fear of disappointing others Building a successful writing career Why so many writers have a day job Authors who find success later in life Audiobook opportunities   Links and Resources:  John Lee Clark Protactile movement James Hannaham Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta Doug Stewart Sterling Lord Literistic Cloud Atlas The Silver Linings Playbook American Dirt "Take care of the sense, the sounds will take care of themselves" - Alice in Wonderland Writing group with Marian Fontana & Louise Crawford David Groff PEN/Faulkner  Delicious Foods Simon & Schuster  Where the Crawdads Sing  The City College of New York Woman of Valor by Lynne Golodner   Find Blair Fell: Website Facebook TikTok Instagram If you enjoyed this episode, you'll like these other Make Meaning Podcast episodes: Episode 152 – Ami Irmen – Character-Driven Narratives Episode 150 – Lisa Peers – First Novels & Writing Friendships Episode 145 – CL Walters – Young Adult & New Adult Fiction from Hawaii Episode 143 – Annie Cathryn – Dreams Come True: The Friendship Breakup Episode 139 – Desiree Cooper – Being "Genre Agnostic"

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