Sue Monk Kidd is one of the world's most beloved writers, occupying a rare intersection of critical and commercial success writers dream of.
Perhaps most recognized for her #1 New York Times Bestsellers, The Secret Life of Bees, which went on to become the basis for a blockbuster movie, and The Invention of Wings, her earlier works, When the Heart Waits, an autobiographical account of a spiritual awakening, and Dance of the Dissident Daughter, a memoir that explores feminist theology, were groundbreaking for millions of seekers too.
And yet, she's still willing to acknowledge how hard it is to start a new project. Sue says that every time she sits down to start a new project, she feels like a beginner. Fortunately, she listens to her soul and her craft, and together, they get here there.
Jen and Sue also discuss:
- How Sue consistently taps into what women are feeling and experiencing
- Recurring themes throughout her body of work
- How writing memoir helped her find courage and freed her to write fiction
- How she pivoted in her spiritual life but maintained her creative beacons
- Writing as an act of courage that serves your soul
- Why Sue believes our salvation is in our imagination
- The importance of writing what you deeply care about
- Creativity as playing with what you love
- The two questions to ask yourself when starting a novel
- Using imagery and collages as part of the writing process
- Why Sue still feels like a beginner
- How she dealt with the staggering success of The Secret Life of Bees
- How perfectionism stymies writing
- Method and mystery, beginning the writing process, and writing rituals
- Doing research for historical fiction
- What Sue would say to her younger self
- Reflecting on her spiritual path
- The importance of the simplicity of being
- Creating as a spiritual act, writing as prayer
- Transitioning between projects
- The tension and energy that goes into writing a book
Get a copy of Sue's books here:
The Secret Life of Bees
Amazon
Bookshop
The Invention of Wings
Amazon
Bookshop
When the Heart Waits
Amazon
Bookshop
Visit jenniferlouden.com/podcastkit to get instant access to a collection of audios that will
- help you with some of the most common struggles we creatives have to manage including fear of choosing,
- falling into compare and despair, managing the inner critic (s),
- and feeling too exposed and vulnerable when you put yourself or your work into the world.