# Please introduce yourself and your book!
I’m Chanoa Inez, the author of Dream On: How to create the new life of your dreams after upheaval or loss. I’m also a personal transformation advisor—I help clients tap into more of who they really are so they can develop meaningful, memorable personal brands that keep the opportunities coming.
# What is the real-life story behind your book?
Years after a difficult, sudden loss, I realized every area of my life was still touched by grief from one fateful morning in Montenegro. So I set down a path for change that included challenging hurdles but also lots of awe and incredible opportunities. I couldn’t wait to share the techniques and perspectives that transformed my life for greater health, happiness, and success. That’s when I decided to write Dream On.
In Dream On, I help readers skip years of trial and error. They’re encouraged to explore the paths and tools that resonate with them most to create the new lives of their dreams with far greater speed. It’s nonfiction, actionable, and insightful but it’s a page-turner too!
# What inspires your creativity?
The life I live when I’m away from my computer offers a ton of opportunities to get inspired and experience awe. I’d say the vast majority of my creative insights arrive while I’m deep in meditation, just after meditating, or when I’m going about my day in a state of alignment.
# What are the biggest mistakes you can make in a book?
I’ve been a writer in some capacity or another my entire life. I wrote for my college newspaper, essays, personal projects, and poems. I’ve been a copywriter and strategist for most of my career. While you can self-edit in some forms of writing, I believe that will always be a terrible decision when you’re writing a book.
Invest in a great developmental editor—someone outside of yourself who can see the forest for the trees and spot any structural issues or set-ups that might be confusing to readers (a.k.a. people who live outside of your head)! Invest in professional proofreading too.
Reading is an experience; a book has to flow. What’s the promise of your book? You can’t fulfill that promise if your message is buried beneath errors and distractions.
# Do you have tips on choosing titles and covers?
I believe your personal taste, your personal brand, your brand as a writer are meant to influence the titles of your books as well as their covers. However, that all comes second. Prioritize your reader.
For nonfiction, choose a title that immediately captures attention, explains or alludes to what the book is about, and clearly describes its value/the benefits to be gained. I believe a book cover should be both compelling and mesmerizing but it also has to be relevant to its contents, relevant to the goal of your book, and feature an aesthetic that resonates with your specific population of readers.
# What were the best, worst, and most surprising things you encountered during the entire process of completing your book?
Best: I love writing and I particularly loved writing this book. At times, I would become so enthralled in the process that I’d enter a flow state and lose track of my environment and the time. And throughout much of the writing process (editing aside!), I’d be lit up with extra creativity and alignment that affected other areas of my life. It’s the energy of doing something I love.
Worst: Because I was steeped in the same material for some time, I was surprised at how tackling edits could sometimes feel like an uphill battle.
Surprising: On that note, while I was making my way through edits, I started doubting the future of my manuscript. I guess you can call it the Frankenstein effect! Then when I wrapped my final, final edits, the surprise was that everything felt perfect. Now I know that messy middle is just a stage!
# What role do emotions play in creativity?
The more elevated my emotions, the more creative I feel, and the better results I produce. Throughout the writing process, and even through edits, I tried to leave my manuscript alone if I felt frustrated or whenever I caught myself rushing to meet some arbitrary deadline. For me, it’s quality energy in, quality results out.
# What are your plans for future books?
Oooh, I don’t want to give too much away but my next book lives in the same universe as Dream On. I can share that it will be putting some incredible people and their stories into the spotlight.
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