Episode 10: All the Stories Between the Notes… – Barbara Probst

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:

Website
Facebook
Instagram
Youtube

Enjoy the show, subscribe, and share this please – Episode 10: “All the Stories Between the Notes…”

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

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Website: https://bowingtoelephantspodcast.com

 
You can download this episode’s transcript here.

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Warmly,
Mag