Meet Diana Kathryn Penn | Author, Editor, Book Formatter, Writing Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Diana Kathryn Penn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Diana Kathryn, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
The Philosophy of Sacred Texts

Since the beginnings of our organized society, the way we have given honor and credence to thoughts, ideas, parables, edicts, and even our own daily history has been to write them down. And, when we wanted to disappear any trace of that history, those same writings were erased, destroyed, and ignored. They were wiped out of our social and intellectual existence.

The term, Sacred Text, does not solely apply to religious doctrines and the selected works of political processes. Indeed, Sacred Texts are the all-inclusive writings of society. Those instructions, parables, and poems guide people through the important crevices of life and living. The recounted stories, testimonies, songs, and decisions deemed worthy of honoring through the immortality of the written word bring meaning to our lives. They have been recorded in a lexicon that should and will survive time immemorial.

We look to our Sacred Texts to learn, to discover, to compare and contrast our thoughts and ideas; and we use them to establish acceptable norms within our society. Still today, we are searching in earnest for the lost writings of cultures long since dead because we are certain that we can learn more from them through the Sacred Texts they have left behind; and perhaps in so doing, learn more about what the future may hold for us.

​Consider the fact that our society now deems it unacceptable to burn books. The acknowledgment that this is an act of desecration, no matter if we agree with the pages or not, reinforces this concept of Sacred Texts. It’s not only religious books that we no longer burn; it’s children’s books, novels, academic texts, political manifestos, and even the personal writings of those who have committed atrocities beyond our scope of understanding. Why don’t we destroy these writings any longer? Because we have discovered that the learning we can garner from them is sacred. The replication of evil can be averted if only we read and remember. To burn, to abolish, and to ignore invites us down a slippery slope of repetitious evil. And, to perpetuate the exclusion of any text based on emotional comfort, propagates the potential for that evil to subsist.

Consider the rule of law. If a word is omitted from the legal record, it is viewed as never having existed, never having been said. Sacred Texts show us how to live; what is acceptable, and what is not. Sacred Texts establish consequences for action; reinforce our societal success stories; and encourage growth and peace through intellectual evolution. Sacred Texts entertain, inform, remind, record, and provide an instructional legacy for those who come after us.

Consider the multitude of stories you read as a child and into your young adulthood; how have they shaped your life? Even though you perceived them as pure entertainment at the time, the writings on those pages held the teachings that, before you read them, or they were read to you, were not a part of your social and intellectual understanding. Through Sacred Texts of every variety, we offer our children the values of friendship, teamwork, acceptable manners, courage, perseverance, imagination, investigation, experimentation, communication, and commitment.

I believe that what you write is Sacred Text. I see it as my calling to ascribe reverence to your written word through the respect of our friendship; and in so doing, support a legacy that will last generations.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As is often stated, variety is the spice of life. One of my goals as an author is to manifest this idea inside my work. My career goal is to write one book in each of 35 major genres. While many authors choose to focus on just one area of concentration, that indulgence of a storytelling style that most appeals to them as a reader, I endeavor to push myself further.

By exploring the styles of several genres, I open myself up to the opportunity to play with situations and characters that would otherwise be limited by commitment to a single form. In focusing my career on this notion of variety, I spend time in the study of all the elements of creative fiction (and non-fiction), stretching my skills, learning new approaches, and taking the risk of rejection to expand my creative evolution. Through this process, I believe my storytelling abilities are enhanced, and I enjoy the surprises of discovering a new appeal (and sometimes disgust) in what I create. There is always tremendous joy in the discovery, even though it can often be a frustrating path to follow. While the wall may be difficult to climb, the view from the top is exquisite, and the adventure that awaits on the other side is invigorating.

As with ice cream, it’s difficult to know which is your favorite flavor until you have first tried them all. Even if you discover that some flavors are distasteful to you, the perspective of that experience enhances your enjoyment of the flavors you love. I find the same to be true of writing and reading books.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The Detroit Metropolitan area is an eclectic community. There are an abundance of museums, natural landscapes, and organizations that make a visit memorable. It can be difficult to choose a single point of focus for the visitor. However, if pressed to choose just one, my best suggestion would be to spend time out on one of our bodies of water.

Whether inland lakes, rivers, streams, or time spent on the big lakes, I can’t imagine a better place spend quality time than on the water. Each offers a different perspective of life, a slower pace, a new view of the surrounding communities, and a spiritual quiet that can’t be found in the city.

As a child of a family of pleasure sailors, I find tremendous comfort and an infusion of creative energy whenever I am on the big waters in a sailboat or paddling gently down an easily flowing river. The silence is rare and majestic. A peaceful repast in the middle of nature acts as a recharge for my social batteries and a refilling of my creative cup.

Spending time on the water also offers a rare opportunity to truly engage with friends in a way society doesn’t always afford. By slowing the pace and focusing only on the words, emotions, and intellect of those in my company, we can experience each other with a creative intimacy that is often maligned. There is no better place to open your brain and share it with another soul than surrounded by the trust of water and supported by the winds of patience.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Andrew Allen Smith is an author of immeasurable imagination. He writes short stories, poetry, self-help, fantasy, and action/adventure novels. Andrew is a strong supporter of other authors, mentoring them through the challenges of writing, marketing, and building trust with readers and the writing community. He has also contributed to several anthologies and supports non-profit organizations with his time, energy, imagination, and enthusiasm. Andrew is a firm believer in the truth of others, the creativity they lend to the world, and the insistence that passion can and should be found in our everyday lives… in even the smallest of places that sometimes we don’t notice. He supports the philosophy that passion in everything we do will result in success, no matter our goals. There can be no better friend to the creative spirit than Andrew Allen Smith.

AndrewAllenSmith.com
29000Sunsets.com

Website: http://www.dkpwriter.com/

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoZ0lgMR0NL0y1D3yDNDLpg

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Image Credits
Dave D. Plopa