Author Heather Dixon Shares the Power of Persistence & Universal Experiences

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Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:00:00

Welcome to Author Express. Thanks for checking us out. This is the podcast where you give us 15 minutes of your time, and we give you a chance to hear the voice behind the pages and get to know your new favorite author in a new light. I'm Shawna Rodrigues, one of your hosts, a fellow author, host of The Grit Show and Authenticity Amplified Podcast, and the founder of Authentic Connections Podcast Network, which makes this podcast possible. Let me tell you a little about today's guest.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:00:33

Heather Dixon writes upmarket women's fiction, filled with family drama, friendships, motherhood, and long held secrets. Her contemporary debut, Burlington, published in August of 2023, and her next two titles, Last Summer at the Lake House and The Summerville Sisters, published in October 2023 and January 2024. She lives just outside of Toronto, Ontario with her husband, 3 daughters, and her 90-pound Bouvier, Zoey. And we get to chat with her today about her books. Thank you so much for being here.

Heather Dixon [: 00:01:06

Thank you for having me.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:01:08

I am impressed with how quickly you went from 1 book to 3 books.

Heather Dixon [: 00:01:12

Yeah. It was because I found 2 different publishers, and the books came out in not the order that I wrote them, so.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:01:20

Yes. That's definitely a sign that you kept with the writing, which is what we're supposed to do. Right? You keep doing what you love and let the other pieces fall into place, so that when things finally come together, they finally come together.

Heather Dixon [: 00:01:33

Yes. Exactly. Persistence is the only thing that I think works for me, is just to keep going.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:01:39

I think that's the only thing that works in writing and publishing, period. I think it's an important quality to have. You think it's about skills writing, but, really, it's about being able to stick with it, believe in yourself, and be persistent, I feel like.

Heather Dixon [: 00:01:52

Yes. 100%.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:01:54

Tell us the most interesting thing about where you are from.

Heather Dixon [: 00:01:57

So, I live in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. And my debut novel is actually called Burlington, but it's set in Burlington, Vermont. So, an interesting thing about Burlington that I found out when I was researching for my novel is that there are over 30 cities named Burlington between US, the United States, and Canada. So, when I learned that, I kind of saw it as a metaphor for some of the themes I was exploring in my novel because I talk about universal experiences that I think women go through and, you know, I started to see that, like, this Burlington could be any one of those Burlingtons because there are women across both countries feeling these same things and going through the same things as the main character goes through.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:02:44

That is incredible. And when I first saw the title, I went to Burlington, Vermont, and then saw you're from Canada, so I went to that. But I didn't realize there was 30. That is really impressive.

Heather Dixon [: 00:02:54

Yeah. Yeah. I was really surprised.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:02:57

And it does make it for something that does put that universal theme. That is exciting. So, what is the most interesting vacation you've ever been on?

Heather Dixon [: 00:03:05

Oh, okay. I actually this is kind of strange, but I won a trip to Africa.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:03:14

Wow.

Heather Dixon [: 00:03:14

So, yeah. So, I went, gosh. It must have been maybe 5 or 6 years ago now. And just with one friend that I knew, and it was on a tour with a company that was there to, you know, like, help build schools.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:03:30

Yeah.

Heather Dixon [: 00:03:30

But we went on safaris. We slept in these awesome tents. And it was 10 days and it was, like, the coolest thing I've ever seen. It's beautiful.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:03:41

That is so exciting. And would you have chosen like, if somebody gave you, like, will take you on a trip anywhere, would you have chosen Africa, or was it because you won it, you got it, and then it was amazing?

Heather Dixon [: 00:03:52

I would have definitely chosen it. My husband and I wanted to go there. I think it was around when we were first married, but there was some reason why we couldn't go. So instead, we went to the Galapagos Islands, which was kind of like a different form of Africa where you're seeing all these incredible animals that you would never, you know, normally see in day-to-day life. So, yes, I would have chosen Africa for sure. It was amazing.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:04:17

And you won it. That makes it even more fun. I love that we got that story. You're going to have to work that into one of your books now. You know that. Right?

Heather Dixon [: 00:04:24

Oh, yeah.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:04:26

Somehow, somehow. It's going to work in there.

Heather Dixon [: 00:04:28

Yeah.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:04:28

So, tell us about your latest book in a couple of sentences.

Heather Dixon [: 00:04:33

So, The Summerville Sisters is about what happens when 2 women uncover a shocking family secret and then they embark on this journey towards healing and forgiveness together. And it's also a story about sisterhood and secrecy and betrayal and the power of a mother's love.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:04:52

Oh, that's wonderful. Yes. And how you've built it all together. Do we get to find out where it takes place?

Heather Dixon [: 00:04:58

So, I create a fictional town called Summerville, and it is based on a place that I used to visit with my family and with my husband and my daughters. So, like, a little lake town, cottage town that is fictional, but based on a real place.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:05:15

Very cool. There's a Somerville in Massachusetts, which is right by where I used to live, so I was just curious if it was based on a real place or if it was an imagined place when I heard the name of it. So, that was curious, because and I love the Burlington piece that you did, so just had to ask. Just had to ask.

Heather Dixon [: 00:05:32

Yeah.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:05:34

Yes. And so, what order did you actually write your books in? Because you said that the 3 books, so Burlington, The Summerville Sisters, and then the other one you have is The Lake House. So, what order did you actually write them in?

Heather Dixon [: 00:05:46

So, Last Summer at The Lake House was the second book I've ever written. And then I had queried it, and it had some interest. But when I didn't receive an offer, I set it aside, and I started writing my 3rd book, which was Burlington. So, that one also had a lot of interest, and I actually participated in PitMad on Twitter and an editor from a small Canadian publisher saw it and offered. So, that became my debut and they were not really looking for Last Summer at the Lake House was in terms of, you know, types of manuscripts. So, I sent it to another publisher that I had heard about, and that became my second book. And The Summerville Sisters was my 3rd book that came out with them, with that publisher. So, I wrote that last.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:06:38

Oh, very exciting. That is fun. So, the second book to come out was the second book you wrote, but there was a third one that, like, popped up first. Yeah. Because it is such a journey. So, what would your advice be for people that are working on writing and trying to get their manuscripts out there? Like, what do you feel like your advice for them would be?

Heather Dixon [: 00:07:00

I think, for me, I got advice from an author that was, you know, just keep going, keep writing, keep learning your craft, keep writing those manuscripts. And I remember her telling me that it took her 3 books, 3 manuscripts written before she got one published. And at the time I thought that sounds terrible. That sounds like so much work.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:07:23

Yes.

Heather Dixon [: 00:07:23

That sounds like so much work. But what I realized is with my second book that I wrote, I had set it aside and shelved it and thought it was done, but it came back. So, no writing we ever do is wasted. Even if it doesn't come back, it's practice, and it's making you a better writer. And I think the fact that when I would stop querying or when I would start querying a book, I would then immediately go to start writing the next one to take my mind off of querying. And I think the fact that I can just keep going, keep exploring new ideas, and writing new manuscripts is one of the reasons why I was eventually successful in getting a book published.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:08:04

Yeah. Same. Focus on the parts you love, I think, is the best way to do it. Because you focus on, I love the writing, and I love having these ideas and bringing this to life. And if I focus on this, and then just let that take its path. Because to some extent, the publishing piece is out of your control. Right? Like, you can write the good query letter, you can do your best part, but what people are looking for, where they're at, like, you can't always control that as much. So, it's kind of, it's an excellent way of looking at it.

Heather Dixon [: 00:08:32

Yeah. Yeah. And I've actually learned even after your book comes out, that's completely out of your control. How people receive it is out of your control as well. And I do really like to go back to the part that I love which is the writing. And then you have to let the parts out that are out of your control just be out of your control.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:08:51

Yes. And writing is this hard piece because it's somewhere between painting and building a house. Like, when you build a house, you expect it to sell. Because you're building a house to sell it, because it takes so much work, and it's so much effort, and so much is put into it. But when you learn to paint, and you finish a painting, most artists don't expect their first painting to sell, because it's just a practice and it's part of the process. But when you write an entire book, it's like building a house, and you expect to sell it. And you expect it to, you know. So, it's hard to keep that in mind that no, this is kind of like your first painting. That it might not be the first one. It might be the second or the third, and you just keep doing what you love until it goes into and finds its home and finds its place. And it's okay that it takes more than 1. And it's the process that you love, and you keep doing, and growing, and getting better, and finding your way, and doing those pieces. And that even if it is a house that you might still need to go, and knock out another wall, and put in new windows, and redo the floors before it's going to fit just what it needs to be. Because it's a long process to write a novel, but you're still learning, so.

Heather Dixon [: 00:09:56

Definitely. Yeah. And I think someone also once asked me if I didn't get published, would I still write? And the answer was yes. So, I know we all 100% want to get published. That's the goal. And it's amazing and incredible. But if that all went away, I would still write. So, I have to focus on the love of the writing to manage all the other hard parts that come along with it.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:10:18

Yes. And that's the perfect perspective. I have a friend of mine who's an actor in New York, and I remember that he once explained to me that going to auditions, he gets to act every single day, and he loves that he gets to act every single day. And he doesn't remember telling me that, but when he told me that, I was probably in my early twenties, mid-twenties, and it blew my mind to be like, that is how you need to look at it. That's how you need to see it, is that I get to write. I have the privilege of writing every day of coming up with these worlds and imagining this and doing this, and I get to do what I love, and I need to focus on that piece and not focus on the other parts of it. Because it can be, it's a lot. Like, trying to build a platform, trying to connect, trying to like, all those different things that come with being an author are a lot.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:11:03

So, focus on what you love and give that your energy, so.

Heather Dixon [: 00:11:07

Absolutely.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:11:08

That's exciting. So, you get to be in Canada, and yet you're connected with a lot of American authors. Have you seen any differences between the way it works in Canada and in the US with the writing process?

Heather Dixon [: 00:11:23

Not so far. That's been the surprising part is that I feel like a lot of the process between US and Canada and small publisher, and I have friends who are published with big publishers. A lot of the steps are very similar, you know, leading up to publication. So, getting the edit letter and doing revisions and working with editors and all of that, it's been very similar, which was surprising to me, but great.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:11:48

Yeah. I love that. I love that there's so much connection there with that process that we can have those similarities in our journeys that we're all doing as authors and writers. That's so exciting. Thank you so much for taking time to chat with us today. What is the best way for folks to find you and connect with you?

Heather Dixon [: 00:12:06

So, I am on Instagram and on threads at Heather Dixon writer, and I'm also on Twitter at H Dison writer. And because I'm in Canada, my website is heatherdixon.ca.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:12:21

Very good. It's Dixon, DIXON. So, we can make sure we find, yes. Which is actually a little easier than if there's an SE, SO. It's no. It's an x, and that makes it a little easier. XON.

Heather Dixon [: 00:12:33

Yep. Yep.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:12:35

Very good. So, what book or story do you find most inspirational?

Heather Dixon [: 00:12:40

I have 2 if that's okay.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:12:42

Yes.

Heather Dixon [: 00:12:42

So, growing up, I read Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood, and it was this exploration of female friendships when you're growing up in, like, at that really important time in your life when you're a kid and developing friendships and the complexities of it and how it's not so simple. And I just thought I felt so connected to that book because I felt so seen. And I just it's a theme that has stayed with me forever that exploring female friendships and female relationships and, like, mothers and daughters and sisters and friends. And it's just, you know, something that's so important to me. So, that was the first book where I was like, oh my gosh. I am seen in this book, and I love it so much. And the other one would be Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. Because I read it and I thought her writing is so beautiful. I can't imagine ever being able to write this well. And I just I read her work over and over slowly just to enjoy the beautiful writing. I really love her books as well.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:13:47

Yes. And when I read that one, I'd heard so much more about Little Fires Everywhere and one of her other books. And yet, when I read that one, I was so taken in with it, and felt, like, the complexities of it so much more, and really enjoyed it. Because Little Fires Everywhere was also very good. But that was the one that I was so taken with. I was surprised I hadn't heard more about it. And it might just have been a time that I didn't hear as much, but that's a really good book. And I hadn't heard of the Margaret Atwood one. I'm excited about that. I love hearing about new books.

Heather Dixon [: 00:14:16

Yeah. That one, yeah, came out, like, in the 70s, I think. But when I read it in the 90s, I was, like, this is incredible. It's one of those books that, you know, you read as a kid and you just remember for the rest of your life.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:14:29

Those are the best. And I wish, yeah. Those are the ones you need to share, and people need to learn about because that's the ones you can pass on to other generations and stuff too. The ones that are more timeless and that have that ability to kind of hit with where you're at in life and not with a certain time. So, that's very powerful. Thank you so much for joining us today, Heather, and for sharing about your exciting work that you're doing and the stories that you have out that we can go learn more about.

Heather Dixon [: 00:14:55

Thank you so much for having me. This has been great.

Shawna Rodrigues [: 00:14:59

Thank you for joining us. I hope you take a second to give us stars or a review on your favorite podcasting platform. It really makes a difference in folks being able to find us. We'll be here again next Wednesday. Follow us on Instagram at Author Express Podcast to see who's coming up next. And don't forget, keep it express, but keep it interesting.