Interview with Fida Abbott – Enthusiasm

What factor plays an important role in your success to pursue your dream? A short answer: ENTHUSIASM.

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

This quote captured my attention when I visited Fida’s blog. I have an opportunity to do an e-mail interview  with Fida Abbott, a published author in United State who wrote a novel book titled  ENTHUSIASM.  Let’s find out from the interview why she choose a career as  a published author,  how enthusiasm can play an important role in  her life, what readers can learn from her novel book and much more.

1.  What made you pursue a career as a published author?

Well, I think before I answer that question, I better explain why I write.  I like writing.  It is not for making money but I want to show up my thought through writing.  That’s why 90% of my writings in some online media don’t make money.  I like sharing my thought and it comes purely from my heart.  Knowing that I have “something” in my writing skill, I believe with the touch and combine of my creativity, I can make more than just writing in some online media.  That is writing a book.  I started from the simple one.  It is an e-Book for children.  I gave its title: “What Prayers Does Mommy Teach Me?” Several months later it continued with another e-Book. It is Poem Anthology and then it continued with cooking book as my own creation 100%.  From three creations I had done, I was sure I could do more than those. Writing Novel was the next step.   So now, I will answer your question honestly that as a published author for me is a pleasure and dream more than pursuing it as a career. I feel satisfied every time I have done with my new creativity and I would love to bring them to the world and it is not only hiding in my flash disc, he, he, …  Also I believe many people think that career is identical with making money.  I don’t make much money from my two e-books and a cooking book before because I focus to donate some of the revenue to support Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Cancer Research and Unreached Children Program.

2. Do you have a mission in your writing?
Yes, I have. Through my writings, my readers can take learning for every story I have written and I hope it can motivate them and give an inspiration in their life. Also for every single of purchased book, I will donate some revenue/royalty to be used for my other books/e-books’ marketing purposes to support Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Cancer Research Program and Unreached Children Program.

3. Do you have any reasons why you choose certain foundations?

I have the reasons why I choose them.
First, I would like to show my deep support and love to my son who is struggling in having Cystic Fibrosis, one of the killer diseases in USA, especially for the children. Through my small donation, I believe every small amount will help CF foundation to keep running their research of this disease and will help many children in the world who have this disease, including my son to live longer.

Second, I have family and friends or my friends’ family who ever had cancer and even some of them passed away. Most of them are women. I believe cancer is the scariest disease for women, including me. I would be very happy to show my support through my small action in Cancer Research Program.

Third, I love children. I ever gave my free private course to two children from two very poor families in Indonesia. I think now they have been as the young men already. From there my heart had been touched deeper to always find a way even small thing to support the poor children. I hope from Unreached Children Program, my small donation will always help to establish their activities.

4. How hard is it to be a published author?
To be a published author is not an easy thing. I must have passion and discipline to realize it. It means there are many challenges to face them.

5. Do you think that marketing efforts from the publisher play a vital role to the success of your book?
Publisher and authors have to work together to market the books.

6. About your latest novel book or  e-book novel “Enthusiasm”, could you brief the story inside your novel?

I narrate the journey of my life and share how enthusiasm played a vital role in pursuing my dream in the writing world—with English as my second language—in my new country, USA. Here, I exemplify my experiences, my family and relationships, my inspirations, and my passage towards my remarkable goals. This novel is a reflection of my own life, how I faced obstacles, how I handled life, how I inspired and touched other people’s lives through my works, and how I achieved the amazing successes of my life and endeavors—a perfect blend of life’s spices.

7. What kind of author do you want to be in the future, a best writing author or a best selling author?
I always have desire to inspire my readers. What I want to be is becoming an inspiring author. If I have to choose which one of those choices for my future–a best writing author or a best selling author–I will let my readers to choose.

8. How supportive is your spouse towards your career?

After this book has been published, he becomes more understand of the life becoming a writer that he has seen in me—his wife. I spent many times in front of the computer screen to write. Sometimes I didn’t write many pages, but reading and searching to complete my story. I left my family times to keep me writing but I am sure I have paid it already. Now, he is proud of me.

9. What was the most life changing experience you wrote in your book Enthusiasm?

The answer is my writing life. When I wrote my two e-books and coobook before are different with this one, “Enthusiasm”. I spent a lot of my time totally to write this book, page by page, chapter by chapter and I could feel the real person becoming as a writer. I really didn’t know why I was so enthusiastic in writing this book. Sometimes I spent several hours but I just only wrote not more than two pages. I did more in reading and searching to complete my story. This effort needs my patience. And as its title itself I had written this “Enthusiasm” as I had been so enthusiastic in writing it. I could feel it and it was–I had written it in my story. So actually this novel is a story about itself.

10. What plan do you have in mind after writing Enthusiasm? What are they?

I have prepared to write my second and third novel. I haven’t written them yet but the themes and stories have been in my mind. The second novel will be a true romance story and the third novel will be as the next Enthusiasm Saga. I’m also planning to write non fiction book in Indonesian in the next upcoming years.

11. Could you give some advices for women who aspire to take up writing as their career path?

If they want to take up writing as their career path or if I may mention as a real writer, don’t ever think that you just want to write because it will give you much money.  Well… I don’t say that you may not make money from writing but don’t put it in the top of your list as a career if you just want to be a writer because you will make much money.  Remember, there are many competitions around you, regionally, nationally or even internationally.  Become a great writer will take long path or journey and it is not easy.  You have to make serious effort to make it happen.  Writing also is a process and passion. You can not become a real writer in just one or several years.  It can be at least five or ten years from the time you want to start to write.  Now my question to them: do they still want to be a writer as their career?

12. What messages did you convey in your book to your readers especially women and moms  so they can learn and benefit from your book?

Whoever you are, a single Mom or Mom with a child or several or some children, or even a single woman, no matter what and how you do, if you have a dream or goal in your life, realize it with great effort and enthusiasm. Though if you even don’t know the end of the result, it will be realized or not, at least you have tried and let God do the rest. Through this way, you will make yourself happy and you won’t be sad or disappointed if there is nothing comes up, even small.

Thank you for your time to answer my questions. It is very honored to have a very nice interview with me. I look forward to read your novel soon. This book will be a memorabilia of you and our friendship. You are poetic and I’m not. But we have something in common. We’re WOMEN and MOMS. I will learn your positive energy and your kind heart from your book.
You’re very welcome, Viviana. I’m impressed and feel honored to have a such supported friend in the blogosphere who is interested to have an interview with me regarding my first published novel.

Her 261 page Novel book ENTHUSIASM is available in e-book, paperback and harback from Xlibris and online stores such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Border. Visit the official website of  Enthusiasm at  Fida Abbot.

Read more Press Release about Enthusiasm published at the following online media:

1. BriefingWire.com, published on March 28, 2010, at 04.30 PM.
2. PRlog.com, published on March 28,2010, at 07.00 PM.
3. PR.com, published on March 30, 2010, at 03.00 AM.
4. KJPRNews.com, published on March 30, 2010, at 12.49 PM.

Please note that there is “Enthusiasm” Giveaway Contest from April 9 to April 25, 2010. Do participate to win free novel book from Fida.

“Enthusiasm” will attend at Book Expo America 2010 in New York (May 25-27, 2010), Beijing International Book Fair (Sept 2-6, 2010), Frankfurt International Book Fair (Oct 6-10, 2010), and London Book Fair 2011.

About Fida Abbott:

Fida R. Abbott was born and raised in Indonesia, married to an American, has a daughter from her marriage and lives in Pennsylvania. Her interest in writing has made her Managing Editor at a daily online Indonesian News, based on the citizen reporter, Kabar Indonesia and also acts as a Director of the Online Writing Course there. She is the author of “What Prayers Does Mommy Teach Me?”, “Dancing in My World”, and “Amerindo Kitchen in Series”. She can be reached at Abbotts Books.

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