Maureen Muldoon is the author of The Spiritual Vixen's Guide To An Unapologetic Life. She sat down with She Writes to talk writing every day and penning a love song to her blue jeans.
Maureen Muldoon is a writer, motivational speaker, author, and life coach who spent twenty years working in TV and film as an actress. She lives in La Grange, Illinois and Madeline Island, WI with her trophy husband and their four kids. She is the founder of SpeakEasy Spiritual Community, an incubator of awesomeness, and Voice Box Stories, where people find their voice. She is the author of Giant Love Song and the children’s book The Life of A Sandcastle. Her poetry, personal essay, fiction, and creative nonfiction have appeared in Story Lab, Lit Up, Booby Trap, Story, Actors Access, Voice Box, Risk! and Voyage Chicago. She blogs about creativity, spirituality, and storytelling at MaureenMuldoon.com.
Share your writing routine.
Every day I wake up and grab a pen and a journal and I ask for direction on my day from my higher power. This is where my spiritual practice meets with my writing practice. I start my day off doing group coaching calls so often during the meditation portion of the call, I will use my journal for contemplative writing. This writing usually ends up in my blog or media posts. All of this happens before I even get out of bed.
After coffee and a workout, I return to work on writing my talks and stories. This is the routine. But I have to say that my best writing does not fall within the routine. My best writing comes like vomits and pushes past me in a violent way after I have been triggered or blindsided. This is the type of writing the I long for, I have very little to do with it. I am a witness more than a writer.
Describe your writing style in three words.
Authentic, sassy, transparent
What is the first thing you can remember writing?
The first thing that I remember writing was a love song about my blue jeans. I had dyslexia, so the words on the page did not make sense when I shared it with my older sisters. So I taught them the song by singing it to them. Then we all got on my bed and jumped around singing this love song at the top of our lungs to our jeans.
Hearing my sister’s voices carry my words, made me feel alive.
When did you start to feel like a writer?
After my first play, Booby Trap The Very Breast Show In Town, was produced at the Hudson Theatre in Hollywood, I remember seeing my name in the playbill, written by Maureen Muldoon. Again, it was quite surreal, people are paying attention to my words… mind-blowing.
Was there something about the publishing experience that surprised you?
I often felt like I was a dollar short and a day late, but this is more about me than the experience. Though I am sure that we all carry a subconscious resistance to being seen, and it will present itself as we get closer to the delivery of our words to the public.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Write your content pieces early and don’t be tempted to publish them in your blog. Keep sharing your work. Go to story events. Read.
What do you do to help develop your craft?
I could do more. For now, I write, I read and I share my work. Then I repeat.
What methods are you using to market your book?
I keep a list of actions and do my best to stay focused on the job at hand. I have a list of local bookshops that I have made connections with and I have reached out to friends in other communities to host readings. Additionally. I am doing a one-person show that is touring around to a couple of states. I am a speaker so having a book to sell at my speaking events is part of the marketing plan for my platform.
