Deep Dive in Writing Inspirations
Answers to 11 Questions
Subhi Najar set out these questions for a few to answer. I’m giving it a try! Thanks Subhi!
- When did you start writing? Is there a specific story?
I started writing in grade school, mostly about my sports heroes and the American Civil War.
2. Do you have rituals in writing? If yes, then please share them with us.
My rituals are simple. I like to edit in the morning and write in the afternoon and evening, with plenty of music in the background.
3. The ugliest monster that writers are afraid of is writer’s block. If you have a recipe to deal with it, kindly share it with us.
I take a walk or garden to address writers block, and I also try not to label it as writer’s block. To me, it is a sign that I need a break.
4. Describe the process of finding ideas for your stories. Please elaborate.
I used to use a dream journal for writing ideas. Now I use family stories, news, former experiences, and what is happening in my garden as inspiration.
5. As humans, we suffer without knowing it by choosing not to move outside our comfort zone. Do you have a “comfort zone” in writing ( i.e a topic that you always like to write about)? Have you tried to step outside your comfort zone and write something drastically different?
I try to work in different categories, based on the topic. I write mostly about my garden, but also memoir, screenplays, tv pilots, fictional short stories, and a few topical essays.
6. Besides Medium, do you use other writing platforms? Please share our experiences.
I do not use other platforms, but I am considering it. I have both appreciated and enjoyed people reading my work on Medium. Maybe an additional platform will provide more of those experieinces.
7. Have you published a book? If yes, how and where…etc. Plz, feel free to share your links with us.
I have not published a book, although I have published much of my book The Family Garden through excerpts on Medium. As the author, of course, I think this book merits publication! :)
8. You write because writing provides you with something special. Could you share your experience?
I like telling stories that either demonstrate connections between us, or highlight ways that we suffer disconnections. Getting to either one of these points gives me satisfaction.
9. Do you write a paragraph, a chapter, or a story with the end in mind or not? plz explain
I tend to write with the message in mind, and work the story around it.
10. Every writer has an idol. Who is yours? And what do you find inspiring in her/his trajectory?
This question is tough to answer. There are a few. John Irving exposes men and our biases. Joan Didion was a master of finding big messages in small stories — she was the model essayist. Barry Levinson writes riveting, fast paced dialogue. Saul Bellow told the long story, often including some melancholy. Milan Kundera mixed big and small, political and personal. Plato demonstrated how philosophy can be compelling. And for one great read, Amanda Coplin weaves a special story in The Orchardist.
And check out Brian Throne on Medium.
11. Does being on a writing platform like Medium help your writing plans? Plz, elaborate.
Medium gives me access to readers. I have not succeeded at finding a literary agent or a traditional publisher, so I genuinely appreciate the access. And it gives me a regular source to writers worth reading!
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I am curious about how Brian Throne, Mary Louisa Cappelli, MFA, JD, PhD, Hermione Wilds Writes, David Perlmutter, Tru Sri, Walter Bowne, Elodie, Bunnyteeth Medusa, and others would answer these questions.