In the journey of writing, many authors draw from personal experiences and relationships to shape their characters and stories. Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer Youngblood. In this insightful segment, Jennifer shares how her personal relationship with her husband, Patrick, has influenced her writing, particularly her romance novels.
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The Role of Personal Experience in Writing
Jennifer Youngblood has been a close friend for decades — since she published her first novel, Living in High Cotton. Over the years as I’ve come to know and love Jennifer and her husband, Patrick, I have marveled at their marriage. They’ve been role models for me of what a great marriage can look like.
I decided to ask Jennifer how her real-life relationship with her husband Patrick has infused her writing. Their loving, supportive dynamic often finds its way into Jennifer’s romance novels.
When asked if her personal relationship inspired her romances, Jennifer admitted that pieces of Patrick definitely show up in her characters. She humorously recalled an editor pointing out that the male leads in some of her books were all six feet tall with blue eyes and dark hair—which just so happen to be her husband’s exact features! “He’s got a very strong personality. He’s definitely very kind and loving but also an alpha male, giving me lots of good material,” Jennifer shared with a laugh.
Patrick’s wit and strong personality frequently inspire Jennifer’s characters. “He’ll say something witty, and I’ll think, ‘Ooh, that’s good. I’m going to put that in my book,’” she said. Despite his playful teasing—like telling her, “You’re not funny,” when she writes romantic comedies—Patrick’s influence is undeniably present in her work.
Do you have a book in you? If you feel you might, that’s why I have this series of author interviews and why I created the Spirit-Led Authoring Course.
Balancing Personal Influence and Character Development
Jennifer emphasizes that while her characters might initially draw inspiration from real life, they eventually develop their own distinct personalities. “As I’ve written more books, my characters have developed their own personalities because I don’t want people to feel like it’s the same character over and over again,” she explained.
Writing from personal experience allows authors to create authentic and relatable characters. However, Jennifer ensures her characters aren’t mere replicas of the people in her life but unique individuals with their own arcs and traits.
“I feel blessed to have an amazing husband, and he’s my best friend. As writers, we can only separate ourselves from what we write to a certain extent because we are writing through our experiences,” Jennifer noted. It’s a wonderful reminder that our personal lives, experiences, and relationships inevitably seep into our creative endeavors, enriching the stories we tell.
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Jennifer’s experience highlights the importance of drawing from personal relationships and real-life experiences in writing. If you’re looking to enhance your writing skills and learn how to infuse your stories with authenticity, consider joining my “Spirit-Led Authoring” course. This comprehensive program will guide you through writing, publishing, and marketing your book, aligning with your creative purpose.
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Marnie Pehrson Kuhns is a best-selling author, consultant, musician and Certified SimplyAlign Method™ Practitioner who blends decades of business acumen with spiritual wisdom, nature observation, and music to mentor you past barriers, fears, and doubts to find greater peace, love, joy, and fulfillment in daily life. Her motto is “let it be easy.” Her practical, down-to-earth style helps her clients and students accomplish their goals and aspirations in a graceful, fulfilling way. Whether you’re trying to write and publish a book or stay spiritually connected while you deal with the challenges of life and career, Marnie is a resource to you.
Marnie is a bestselling author with 33+ fiction and non-fiction titles ranging from historical fiction and romance to business and inspirational titles. She blogs about nature, creativity, inner peace, and spiritual topics at www.CreationGirl.com and lives and works alongside her husband Dave at Spirit Tree Farms.