For a little bit of something different, this post is part
of a writing process blog tour. It’s a chance for writers to network about the
writing life. I want to send out a big ‘thank you’ to Lisa Vogt, a fellow
ReadWaver for turning me on to this tour and inviting me to participate. I urge
all of you to check out the blogs of the writers I’ve profiled.
First let me answer some questions about how the
process works for me…or how I work for it.
What am I working on?
Warming Up was such a personal story. Writing parts of it
was wrenching. I decided to write something completely different for my second
book. About that time I reconnected with my best friend from childhood who was
the model for the character Rosie in Warming Up. We recalled that, as
children, she wanted to pursue her drawing and painting and I wanted to write. We
always dreamed that one day I would write a story and she would do the illustrations.
We’re working on a children’s book set in the marshes we used to play in as
children.
How does my work differ from others in its genre?
If the genre is literary fiction, I think the one thing we
all have in common is that the stories are personal. It’s the courage to mine
those personal histories and emotions that makes the writing worth reading.
That also means that every story is unique because it comes from the mind and
heart of each writer.
Why do I write what I do?
I’m convinced that we all have stories to tell, and that the
best of them come from family experiences. I’ve talked to people whose family
histories rival anything you’ll ever read in classical or contemporary literature.
I try to mine the stories and experiences I’ve been hearing about since I was a
child. These stories, so grounded in
reality, are the best place to start.
How does my writing process work?
While working on Warming Up I had about four months to write
full time. What a joy! I found the best thing was to wake up early, grab a cup
of coffee and set to work before the ‘inner critic’ woke up. After 3 or 4 hours
I would go for a walk to the center of town and watch the people and traffic go
by. Then I would go back and edit what I had written that morning. That was
ideal but it’s not always possible. Mostly it’s carving out blocks of time and
having the discipline to push everything else out of my mind and write.
And now I'd like to introduce you to some writers I have admired.
Aaliyah Miller is an award-winning screenwriter who believes the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Miller has a passion for storytelling and enjoys writing for theatre, film, and her blog, In the Mix.
Her film credits include After the Headlines, a short film she wrote, directed and produced (official selection of the Kent Film Festival, Action on Film Festival, and the Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival), The Anniversary (short film), and Moonshine (feature film). Her script Finding Patience was the recipient of the Sir Edmond Hillary Award and her short screenplay, After the Headlines won ‘Best Dramatic Scene’ at the Action on Film (AOF) International Film Festival and was an official selection at the Urban Mediamakers Film Festival.
She holds a master in Communications and Leadership from Gonzaga University and a master of fine arts in Professional Writing with a focus in screenwriting and public relations from Western Connecticut State University. She currently works as a communications professional in Connecticut.
Sid Schwab is a native of Portland, Oregon and has lived in
Seattle for the past 32 years. He attended Amherst College, went to medical
school in Cleveland, Ohio and did his surgery training at the University of
California, San Francisco. He is retired from his general surgery practice,
although he still assists on complex cancer surgeries.
He has written a book about his days of surgical training
titled “Cutting Remarks, Insights and Recollections of a Surgeon.” It is
available on Amazon.
His “Surgeonsblog” was mentioned in the New York Times as a
worthy medical blog. He says of the blog, “My aim was to bring the lay reader
into the life of a surgeon, to get a feel for what it’s like to operate on
fellow humans, as well as to provide information on various surgical illnesses,
and to tell a few good stories.” His most recent post is a sampler of sorts,
with links to several of his favorite and representative posts.
He also wrote a year-long column on various issues for a
local newspaper.
He and his wife Judy are expecting their first grandchild
any minute now.
Thanks for reading and special thanks to Aaliyah and Sid for taking part.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please post comments here