Natalie Farrell: 5 Things You Need to Know to Become a Great Author

Use nature as your guide; When we are outside our senses are naturally being stimulated this in turn brings our immune system into a state of balance making it the perfect environment for you to write from. You can also use the environment as an inspiration for your writing.

As part of my interview series on the five things you need to know to become a great author, I had the pleasure of interviewing Natalie Farrell.

Natalie Farrell is an author and radio presenter. Through her work as a writer, presenter, and intuitive coach, she empowers women to push to their edges: to embrace their wild, honor their inner goddess and to begin truly dancing with life.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you share a story about what brought you to this particular career path?

Turning 40! In August 2020 I turned 40 and as a gift to myself I decided to dedicate time to writing my first book.

Can you share the most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your career?

I started playing piano at the age of 8. I remember reading music for the first time and feeling a huge sense of relief. I had found a language which I totally connected with.

I discovered at 10 I had a natural talent for singing. This led to many years of performing and using my voice as an expressive tool to share stories and help others to connect with their feelings. I was a natural born storyteller.

I would often have people laughing or in tears as I expressed the sentiment of each song in a captivating way. A story teller’s job is to move the listener beyond their thoughts and into a visceral experience. To create new sensations and allow the listener or reader time to be transported through feeling.

I would receive letters from my audience members sharing their experience from my performances. This moved me to teras too. Because to know you have touched the heart of another is a wonder-full achievement.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in your journey to becoming an author? How did you overcome it? Can you share a story about that that other aspiring writers can learn from?

The biggest challenge really was making the decision to dedicate the time to write the book and finding the right publisher. I was introduced to The Unbound Press from a fellow radio presenter and loved their values and it felt like the perfect match. This tipped me over the edge to sign the publishing deal and I could begin dedicating the time to writing the book.

I wrote the book over a period of 6 months. Some can write a book in 2 weeks. Yet I wanted to do it differently. I had always put pressure on myself to reach deadlines and this took the pleasure out of the process. I wanted to write from pleasure and be fully open to injecting real life stories and experiences into my writing. Knowing that there is no set way to write a book really released me from pressure into pleasure.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

It turns out I love making up words! There were certain words which kept coming to me and when I looked them up they didn’t exist. So, I embraced these mistakes as a new form of expression; a new language being formed to expand the concept of storytelling and connecting with my readers.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I am currently looking for a composer to start creating a song cycle from the poems I wrote that appear in my book.

I have two chapters being published in collaboration books later in 2021.

And I am writing various articles for online publications all relating to relationships and guidance on taking the unconventional approach to life and business.

Can you share the most interesting story that you shared in your book?

The most interesting story is at the end. It is also the saddest too. I talk about losing hope. How I lost the most important thing in my life and how it lifted me to new heights. This story is one that is repeated many times in humanity — the bitter sweetness experienced when the world gives you something meaningful and then takes it away again.

I offer a vulnerable look into loss and how it can be our greatest teacher. It is a realistic look at life too. As life always comes with challenge’s — it’s how we choose to react to them which holds the key to our self-growth and happiness.

What is the main empowering lesson you want your readers to take away after finishing your book?

There is no prescribed formula to life. It is ok to explore the edges of your desires and wishes even if it feels unsafe; the more you are willing to navigate the unknown the more opportunities you invite in; turning life into an ever unfolding experience as opposed to something you have to endure.

Based on your experience, what are the “5 Things You Need to Know to Become a Great Author”? Please share a story or example for each.

1. Use nature as your guide; When we are outside our senses are naturally being stimulated this in turn brings our immune system into a state of balance making it the perfect environment for you to write from. You can also use the environment as an inspiration for your writing. Natalie saw it at first from the corner of her eye…her heart skipped a beat could it possibly be? Her eyes closed shut for one second in disbelief peeling the light back into her open eyes she…
2. Breathe into the page: Before you start to write create a conscious breathing ritual. Box breathing is amazing and so simple to remember! Breathe in for 4 counts. Hold for 4 counts. Breathe out for 4 counts. Hold for 4 counts. Repeat 4–6 times. Breathing Bonus: Use the way you feel after this breathe work to create a springboard sentence for your writing, for example Her lungs felt replenished and for the first time that day her whole body began to relax…
3. Use your life experiences; Journaling can be a healthy way to get your feelings out onto paper allowing you to write in a free-flowing way or you may find you can use snippets or whole pieces from the journals to start to create content for your book.
4. Research is fun: Life is full of stories. Everywhere you look you have an opportunity to observe and tell a story from the scene happening in front of you. Whilst I was writing my book, I would take myself to coffee shops and observe the scenes and conversations happening around me! This would help me to dig deeper into the philosophies and principles I was exploring.
5. Edit as you flow: exercising and yoga really helped me to edit my work off the page. Whilst I was moving my body, ideas and concepts would start to filter in and this helped me to edit the content as I went along. I could see the book from a new perspective and visually edit the parts which weren’t working, I also found myself formulating the structure of the book in this way. Writing on the move. The writing process isn’t just sitting at a computer and writing it is a multi-layered experience — you can find motivation and inspiration from all around you. This is what makes it such fun.

What is the one habit you believe contributed the most to you becoming a great writer? (i.e. perseverance, discipline, play, craft study) Can you share a story or example?

Moving and Play. Just as I explained in point 5 above moving allowed me to shift and sieve through ideas and concepts. It made me feel better too. If I wasn’t in the mood for writing, walking with my dog or visiting the beach would bring me into a heighted state of receptivity.

Which literature do you draw inspiration from? Why?

As a child I was in love with Roald Dahl. I love the ability to mix the child like essence with important life lessons.

I draw inspiration from poets such as Nikita Gill. I love word graffiti too those unexpected messages that pop up along your journeys. I love this freedom of expression and how words can connect strangers and provoke us into action.

Whilst I was traveling in Bhutan and Bali I was moved often by the messages and writings on walls. This would then move me to write a poem. Or create a thought-full conversation that I would share with my community.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-) Dancing in the streets. Setting a chain reaction of movements to pass along and invite people to join in. Anything like this which helps people to let go, stand out of their own way and begin to dance with life, take themselves less seriously and open up new conversations to lead to change.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

I am on Instagram @natalierfarrell

Thank you so much for this. This was very inspiring!