Lynda Faye Schmidt is a storyteller who writes from the heart. Her novels are emotionally impacting and character-driven. A huge part of her writing journey has been her daily journaling practice, and she has also written a guided journal.
Before becoming a writer, Lynda earned a Bachelor of Education. She taught in a variety of settings, sharing her love of reading, writing and creating with children.
After her move to the Middle East in 2015, Lynda kicked off her writing career with her blog, Musings of an Emotional Creature. She was also a contributor for DQ Living magazine.
Lynda has published two novels based on real life as a series, The Healing and The Holding. She launched her guided journal, The Holding & The Healing Companion Journal on October 23, 2022. Lynda’s third novel, The Rogue Scorpion, is set to be released on April 23, 2023.
Lynda is a Canadian expat. She lives in Panama with her husband, David and her furry companion, Lola. She believes solid routines are the foundation for her wellness and spends her days writing, practicing yoga, exercising in her home gym, spending time in nature and connecting with the people she loves.
The Rogue Scorpion book summary
The Rogue Scorpion is the story of Isabella Ricci, an artist with an adventurous spirit and a deep desire to uncover her purpose. Her resilience is challenged after a traumatic event in Thailand. Later, she finds out her father is unwell and returns home to Winnipeg, but it isn’t long before her searching takes her to Vancouver Island. There, a dysfunctional relationship stifles her dreams and Isabella takes flight once again.
In Panama, Isabella learns to trust her intuition. Her life begins to shift, from a constant series of battles, into flow. She discovers the spiritual depth she yearns for and finds love where she never expected it.
An interview with Lynda Faye Schmidt
Why do you write in the genre(s) that you do?
I don’t choose to write in a genre; the books I write choose me. Inspiration comes to me, to write character-driven novels with strong themes and messages.
I’ve written two novels as a series that were based on real life experiences. The Healing was a women’s fiction, while The Holding was a family drama. To go with that series, I wrote a non-fiction, The Holding & The Healing Companion Journal. My next book, The Rogue Scorpion, which launches this April, is a women’s fiction. Currently I’m writing my fifth book, which is a psychological drama.
Do you keep a notebook of ideas?
I don’t keep a notebook, but I do write in a journal every day and if inspiration strikes, I will definitely jot down some ideas there, or in my daily agenda. Scenes, dialogue, and ideas for character development can pop into my head while I’m sleeping, on the treadmill, or preparing dinner. I jot these down on random scraps of whatever is available as soon as possible.
Do you have a muse?
I call my blog Musings of an Emotional Creature, so I suppose the answer to that question is yes. My inspiration for writing is usually drawn from life experiences that have an emotional impact me or spark my intellectual curiosity.
Fill in the blank: People will like your book if they like stories about…”
Readers who are drawn to stories about quests and adventures will enjoy Isabella’s globe-trotting in my next novel, The Rogue Scorpion. People who like character-driven novels that explore themes of resilience, purpose, and love will be satisfied by my books. Each of my main characters embark on an inward journey as they navigate the tribulations and celebrate the triumphs that life brings.
Would you rather own a bookstore or run a library?
Neither! I can lose myself for hours on end in both bookstores and libraries, but I wouldn’t want to own or manage one. When I’m not reading books, I’m at my desk, writing.
How do you name your characters? Or, if you write non-fiction and had to change names, how did you change the names?
Choosing the right names for characters can manifest in a range of processes. With my main protagonist, I choose a name that I have a positive association with. My decision takes into consideration their ethnicity, where they live, their family of origin, and the time they were born. With minor characters, names tend to be plucked from a random list of names that seem to fit their personality or role in the story.
What is your favorite social media platform?
To be perfectly honest, I don’t love the marketing part of being a writer and using social media can be challenging for me at times. I have no patience with Twitter and don’t use “newer” platforms like TikTok, reels, and stories. I suppose if I had to choose, Facebook is my favourite space to share personal posts and LinkedIn is my choice as a professional forum.
If Hollywood bought the rights to your book, would you want it to be turned into a movie or series?
If Hollywood bought the rights to my books I’d be in a state of total euphoria, pinch-me-I’m-dreaming bliss. I doubt I would quibble about which direction would suit best. I would trust the people with the experience who were interested in the project to guide that decision.
How many words or pages do you typically write in one writing session?
The answer to that question has a huge range of variables. I sit down to write every day for anywhere from one to six hours. But I’ve never been able to keep up a creative pace for more than a two-hour block at a time. The words turn to drivel at that point. The word count will vary by what stage I’m at in the writing process too.
During the first draft, more words are written because I’m not editing or filtering. When editing, it takes longer. I can spend a lot of time without significant word count increase to show for my effort.
Do you have any writing rituals?
I don’t have rituals, but I have strong routines and practices. I start every day, along with my first coffee of the morning, writing in my journal. That process gets my creative juices ripe and ready. After breakfast, I head into my office. The first hour is dedicated to pure, creative writing; a book in progress. After that, there’s more wiggle room, depending which projects I have on the go and what else is on my schedule.
What do you like to read? How often do you read?
I enjoy reading all kinds of books. I like both fiction and non-fiction and as well as a wide variety of genres. Themes that grab my attention change as I change and as new authors come into my awareness. I have many favourite authors that I follow. Often it is the book cover that will catch my eye. Sometimes it’s a recommendation from a friend or a platform like Goodreads.
My list of must-reads is well over 200 right now. I’m so busy writing, I don’t have as much time to read as I used to. But I believe reading a variety of books is vital to my growth as a writer and a human being, so I set aside time for reading every day.
Have you made any public appearances to promote your book?
Yes! I’m not the stereotypical introverted, eccentric author. I love engaging in conversations and speaking with followers online and in person. My first novel launched in the height of Covid, so I wasn’t able to arrange public appearances.
With my second novel, restrictions were lifting, and I embarked on an ambitious X-Canada book tour. Six cities in five weeks, with author signing events at seven Chapters-Indigo locations. When I launched my guided journal last October, I orchestrated a launch party at a popular local restaurant where there was a special menu and I read passages from all three of my published books. I absolutely loved it and I’m looking forward to more public speaking events in the future.
Who would you most want to read your book?
In my dream world, Oprah is sitting on her couch with a cup of tea, her dogs cozied up beside her, totally engaged in reading my novels. It would be incredible if all the big influencers wanted to read my books and they ended up in their book clubs.
Truthfully, I want people of all ages, ethnicities, education, gender, and socio-economic backgrounds to read my books. People who are interested in self-growth and who value introspection. People who ponder the big questions, of what it means to be a human being in our world.
Who is an author who you love to follow on social media or read about in interviews?
I’ve been following Margaret Atwood since I was a young, single mother, earning a degree in education at university. I also love everything I’ve read by Miriam Toews, Rohinton Mistry, Celeste Ng, Lawrence Hill, Anne Marie MacDonald, Anthony Doerr, Eckhart Tolle, Khaled Hosseini, and Wally Lamb. I’m probably forgetting some, because I’ve read a lot of amazing books by many talented authors.
Is there a book that somebody gave to you that helped you pave the way to becoming a writer, or is there a book on writing that you recommend all writers read?
The Artist’s Way by Julie Cameron is a book that changed things for me. The morning pages were transformative. I wrote the first five pages and had the idea for the rest of my first book, The Healing, while I worked through the 12-week writing course.
During the mentoring process with my editor, she recommended Stephen King’s, On Writing. I would highly recommend it to all writers as a practical guide to developing and refining their writing process.
Do you like to physically write on paper?
Yes! Emphatically yes! I’m of the generation before computers. I learned how to use a typewriter in grade nine. The transition to using my laptop to write “from scratch” was painful and long-lived. I still find writing on paper helpful at times, to get into my flow, but from a practical point of view, most of my writing happens on my MacBook.
What is your ideal writing space?
I’m fortunate to have a purpose-built office, complete with a cherry-red leather wing back writer’s chair and a fairly new MacBook Pro. I also have a stack of journals, a stack of lined note pads, piles of sticky notes, and a gorgeous silver ballpoint pen that was a gift from my husband. My home office is my ideal writing space.
Have you ever gone away to work on a piece of writing? If not, where would you go if you could?
I didn’t go to Boquete only to write the scenes that take place there in my soon to be released novel, The Rogue Scorpion, but that was a factor in our choice to visit that area of Panama while on vacation last January. The coffee farm scene is based, with permission, on our real-life, fabulous tour of Finca Casanga.
What is an annoying thing that a non-writer has assumed about writers or the act of writing?
Annoying is a little strong for how I feel. After all, I have a ton of misperceptions about careers and life experiences that I’m not familiar with. But I do feel frustrated when non-writers assume my net profit from book sales is the price they pay.
And it does get under my skin when people purchase an e-copy on a 99-cent promotion and then return it for a refund. That’s like asking for a free meal at a restaurant, claiming it didn’t suit your tastes, after you consume the entire meal.
How do you measure the success of your book?
That’s a great question. In my opinion, the merit of all creative works, whether you’re talking about books, art or music, is extremely subjective. We all value and appreciate differently.
That said, there are “industry” or “expert” standards which usually have merit. I consider each book I manage to manifest into the world a success at some level. It isn’t easy to create something from nothing and to follow through to the finish line.
I like to celebrate all the small successes along the way. The completed edits. The book cover design. When a reviewer or reader shares that my writing impacted them in a meaningful way, that’s when I feel the greatest gratitude for my journey as a storyteller who writes from the heart.
Author links
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Rock of Resilience – Lynda’s guest post on Laura’s Books and Blogs
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I loved reading this fun interview, especially Lynda’s thoughts on writing physically on paper. That is how I started writing and it has always felt write (😉) to me.
Thank you so much for leaving a comment Layla! I wish you all the success with your writing and related projects and hope to work together again soon. ❤️😊
Great point! Writing on paper is a great way to start any project.