Jersey Shore Scene Featured Author Of The Month: Lucie Dickenson

As we depart the Summer and welcome the Fall, please meet Lucie Dickenson:

Lucie Dickenson

Question 1- When and how did you start writing?

 I began writing when I was young, as a way to get my feelings out. Funny story; I wrote a note to a friend in school one day and it got intercepted by my teacher. I got in trouble for that note, so I thought making my words public was a risk, at least while I was young. I traded in school notes for a diary. It was through the magic of words, even though they were under lock and key, that my love for writing caught fire. My diary evolved to include short stories, observations and reflections. Soon my diary took the form of spiral-bound notebooks. I wrote every day in those “diary archives” as I called them. Volumes of filled Mead one subject journals were stacked in my closet and told stories to all whom I allowed to read them. 

While in college, a trusted teacher told me that she would love to create an independent writing class for me. She knew that I had less than fortunate experiences in childhood and understood that writing was my way of making sense of it all. It was a fascinating semester because someone gave me permission to put pen to paper and allowed me to express myself fully. And I wasn’t going to get in trouble for these words. My love for writing grew from this experience. I changed my college major from Business to English soon after this semester. I devoured books and focused on writing styles. I thought I was going to become a writer straight out of college. Life had other plans, and it took time, but eventually, I was able to come back to what I loved.

 It started with a small email list in 2008. I sent inspirational words to friends; with pictures I had taken around the Jersey Shore.  In time this list grew and I started an inspirational blog. This evolved into writing articles, short stories and then books. 

Writing was not a straight-line process for me, but I am fortunate to have been able to come full circle and come home to what I love; writing. 

 

Question 2- What do you like to write about most?

My writing is a direct reflection of how I feel in the moment.  Always has been. I read James Joyce Ulysses in my junior year, and remember it like it was yesterday. The “stream of consciousness” writing style makes one feel like you are inside the mind of the main character. I loved the idea of writing words to express how the mind is behaving. And because the mind is not static and always chattering, the writing could reflect that. 

I wanted to take what I learned from reading Ulysses and put it in my daily writing. 

Writing has always been a way for me to express myself, and in doing that, the tone the words take (for me) is equivalent to my life in that moment. There is not one subject matter over the other that I like to write about, but mostly it comes from my experiences and how I view the world because of those experiences. 

The books that I have written so far are non-fiction. Both books are about the experience I had with debilitating anxiety and how I was able to overcome this hurdle in my life. The message of both books is triumph over adversity, which is something we can all relate to, as it is a shared experience. The lessons I learned are outlined so everyone can take what resonates with them form my books for their own healing journey.  

 

Question 3-What do you find to be the easiest and hardest thing about writing?

I think the easiest and hardest thing about writing is actually just writing. This answer may seem strange, but let me clarify it. I can sit in front of the computer for hours and not even have a word written. A blank screen. Nothing. As much as I try, there are no words that want to be written. These are the hardest days as you sit and think you may not have anything more to say.  

On another day, I pop open my laptop and I can’t get my fingers to move fast enough on the keyboard to keep up with my brain. These are the days that writing flows. And it is almost effortless to write page after page. 

 

Question 4- What writers do you most admire and why?

I already mentioned one of my favorites, James Joyce. Again, his writing style was so different and beautiful. I would have to put him at the tip of my list because of the “stream of consciousness” genre he so eloquently used.  

Recently, I read When the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I was blown away by her writing. Like literally speechless. (which is hard for me!) Her descriptive writing style was so captivating that I found myself thinking about the characters long after I put the book down. That is great writing! 

I love humorous books. Maria Semple’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette for example. Or even the pulpy Janet Evanovich Plum series books. I love humor in writing because I feel books that can get people to laugh out loud is what life is about. Laughing and enjoying! And to do that through words is beautiful. So, authors that can get people to laugh really hard are some of my favorites. 

On the other hand, I devour any book that have to do with energy and healing. Some of my favorite authors through the years are Dr. Bruce Lipton, Dr. John DeMartini, Don Miguel Ruiz and Dr David Hawkins. I love these authors because they dared to be the pioneers of a new way of holding one’s self-accountable for their own life. They all had a common thread in their writing that states what you put out into the world is what you will get back. It is fascinating and, I believe, so true. 

Question 5- How do you get your ideas for stories and what’s in the future for you in writing?

All of my story ideas (at least so far) have been based on real-life events. However, I have just started a fiction book, which is a new genre for me. It is about loss and grief and I am really loving this new freedom found in fiction writing. I am only a few chapters in and I know this book will really touch many hearts, as we have all had to deal with love and grieving in some form in our lives. I cannot wait to release this one! 

Closing – Can you share a memorable experience you’ve had purely because you are a writer?

This is a great question. I have been fortunate to have so many fabulous experiences due to my writing. To gather many experiences collectively, I love when I get feedback from readers that say my book has literally change their lives. I don’t say this from ego. I say this because I find it amazing that by me sharing my experience, and the way I healed from anxiety, people are healing themselves by reading my books. It is a ripple effect and it is mind-blowing how many private notes, letters and emails I get.  It makes me realize it was not of me, but through me, that God led me to writing these books. So many people out there are dealing with anxiety and mental illness. My books help them and that is such a beautiful chain of events that shows we are all connected and we are all meant to help one another. 

To order your copy to The Anxious Hippie, Click here:https://www.lovealwayslucie.com/

Or from Amazon:https://amzn.to/2Gedffb

The Anxious Hippie

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