Laura Gaddis's journey to becoming a published author is a testament to perseverance and passion. While she always loved writing, she initially pursued a more "practical" career, earning a master's in clinical psychology and working in the field for 14 years. It was after a period of burnout that she decided to pivot back to her true calling, enrolling in an MFA program and reigniting her writing career. A crucial part of this journey was her personal blog, which she started in 2010. Laura believes blogging was instrumental in helping her develop her voice and the discipline of writing for an audience, setting the stage for her future work.The Story Behind Mosaic.Laura's debut memoir, Mosaic, is a powerful and heartfelt account of a five-year period of her life. The book chronicles her journey through immense grief and hope, including pregnancy loss and mental health struggles, ultimately leading to the birth of her daughter. Laura explains that she had to include all these elements to tell a complete story, which is why she named the book Mosaic, as it's a collection of different pieces that come together to form a whole. She discussed the challenging process of turning such personal experiences into a book, highlighting that while writing can be a form of processing trauma, it is not a substitute for therapy.A Life Dedicated to Community and Coaching.Beyond her own writing, Laura is deeply committed to nurturing other writers. She serves as a writing instructor at Miami University and runs a community writing program at the Oxford Community Arts Center. She also works as a writing coach, finding inspiration in her students and clients. Laura's advice to aspiring writers is simple but profound: "just keep going." She believes that true success in writing isn't about external metrics, but about achieving your own personal goals, like publishing a book or helping others with their stories.What's Next for Laura?The interview also provided a sneak peek into Laura's upcoming projects. She is currently working on a historical fiction novel, and she shared her insights on the differences between writing fiction and memoir.Engage and Support The Writing Community.The Writing Community Chat Show is now a registered non-profit, dedicated to supporting authors and sharing their stories. If you enjoy this kind of content, please consider supporting the show through our PayPal link.Don't Miss Out!You can watch the full interview with Laura Gaddis on the Writing Community Chat Show's YouTube channel: We highly encourage you to listen to the podcast, watch the interview, share it with your friends, and engage with the video by liking and commenting. Your support helps like-minded people find our show.A Special Opportunity for WritersThe Writing Community Chat Show is partnered with Amazon for this year's Kindle Storyteller Award 2025. This contest offers a £20,000 prize fund and an Audible audiobook deal for self-published authors. Entries are open until August 31, 2025, and you can find more information and enter at amazon.co.uk/Storyteller. Your story could be the next big winner!

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