Beth Barany
Author of Young Adult Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Science Fiction, Mystery; Creativity Coach; Teacher; Speaker for Novelists
Beth Barany is an award-winning novelist, master neurolinguistics programming practitioner, and certified creativity coach for writers.
With over 15 books published, she specializes in helping writers experience clarity, so they can write, revise, and proudly publish their novels to the delight of their readers. She runs an online school for fiction writers, Barany School of Fiction, and a 12-month group coaching program to help them get published. She enjoys writing magical tales of romance, mystery, and adventure that empower women and girls to be heroes of their own lives.
Beth was a presenter at the 2019 San Francisco Writers Conference, presenting “An Exploration of the 21 Senses,” and a master class, “Craft Compelling Characters: Tips for Writing and Editing,” and participated on panels including Tips for Writing and Editing, and Fiction: The Romance Factor.
What inspired you to begin writing?
I’m not entirely sure what inspired me to begin writing. I’ve been writing since I was a kid. My great grandmother was a writer and she set the example for me. Our home was always a creative place, so writing was an extension of all the creative projects we did. I know I wrote a book about our cats with my brother when I was about age eight or nine. What started me writing was my dreams. At age 13, I had an amazing dream and just had to write it down. As soon as I did, I knew I needed and wanted to stick with it. It was so cathartic to write the dream down. I still have those journals.
How did your career evolve from journalism to becoming an author to coaching and educating?
I wanted to write stories from the time I was little, but I didn’t know how. I distinctly remember at age 18 or 19, as a freshman or sophomore in college, thinking I wanted to write novels. But again, I didn’t know how. When I had the chance to start writing more on my own, I gravitated towards journalism because that seemed easier. Later when I didn’t get into journalism school, I realized that my true love was writing fiction, and I had better get started.
About six years into writing fiction I was looking around for a profession that I could really love. I was working in an office at the time and I knew that wasn’t my life’s work. I was introduced to “creativity coaching” by one of the founders when he came to speak to our romance writing community. I knew immediately that was a great shingle for me to hang up. I could do anything with that specialty, and that really appealed to me. I’ve never been someone who could fit into a standard profession.
It didn’t really bother me that I didn’t fit in. But it was challenging to craft this work into a profession, since I had no idea how to create it. So, hearing the term “creativity coaching” excited me. It was such a wide open term, ripe for interpretation.
By then I had already had some experience teaching English to foreigners, so I knew that my work needed to include teaching. Coaching seems like a good skill set to add on. I am still happy with my choice.
Do you have any advice for a young person who is considering a major or career in writing?
Sure! I have lots of advice for a young person who is considering a major or career in writing. First off, try lots of different kinds of writing. You don’t know what you like or what you’re good at until you try it. If you know you love writing but you’re not sure what kind of writing, try fiction, try nonfiction, try different kinds of fiction or nonfiction. Try it all!
In terms of a major in writing, I can’t really speak to that since I don’t have one. What’s important is that you write. What’s important is that you publish. What’s important is that you get feedback on your work. These three things work together - write, publish, get feedback - to help you become a better writer. You don’t need a degree in writing to be a writer. You just need to write, get feedback on your work, and publish. This helps you to continue to grow as a writer.
How did you come about writing women’s fiction and focusing on empowering women and girls to be heroes of their own lives? Do you pull upon your own experiences when you create a plot?
When I was a kid, I loved reading fairytales and folktales. But they were always about boys going off on adventures, unless they were about girls needing rescuing. I hated that. I wanted to go off on adventures, I wanted to read stories about girls going off on adventures. I certainly didn’t think that girls in particular needed rescuing, sometimes boys needed rescuing.
So that was the impetus for me writing my Henrietta The Dragon Slayer series. There’s not enough examples in the world of women doing awesome things. So, I want my stories to be some of those examples.
For my Henrietta stories, since they are fantasy, I didn’t exactly pull upon my own experiences fighting dragons. The story is about a young woman who goes from being a loner to being in a strong community with people she cares about. That mirrored my own journey. But it’s not the story I set out to write consciously. It was there when I was editing it, so I honored it and nurtured it.
You are a certified creativity coach for writers. How do you see creativity impacting the writing, coaching and field of education?
It’s everything. Creativity impacts the writing, the coaching, and education, how people learn.
If you could tell your younger self anything what would it be?
Keep going. Don’t give up. Keep writing. Have fun. Keep exploring.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
No. Thank you so much for doing this interview. I wish you much success!
I met both Beth and her husband at the 2019 San Francisco Writers Conference and attended a presentation on writing romance novels. So interesting!
All art/photos belong to Beth Barany and are used with her permission.