Member Spotlights Member Spotlight: Jina Bacarr October 3, 2023 Share on Twitter (opens in a new tab) on Facebook (opens in a new tab) on Linkedin (opens in a new tab) via email Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? I’ve always written, having grown up with my Irish grandma who inspired me to write – a fine woman who was never without a story on her lips or a rosary in her hands… blue or white or green beads fastened together by her nimble fingers into a holy circle. I’d sit at her feet, holding my crayons in my left hand and coloring in my ballerina book or playing with my historical paper dolls, all the while making up stories of my own. Everyone has a story. I believe it’s important to share our stories. They touch the heart and feed the soul…. and most important, inspire the mind. What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? Diving into research (I write Forties Fiction) and drinking strong, French coffee. I find that by immersing myself in the time and place I’m writing about (Paris WW2), I enter that world. Like an actor learning their lines, it becomes part of me. What is your favorite time to write? Late at night when the rest of the world is asleep and I’m wide awake… What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? Writing is rewriting. Whether it’s a novel, script, or short story, the key world is development. You can’t rush it. What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? So many things — the vast amount of research available online as well as finding old books in faraway places I can order with a mouseclick. The lovely keyboards that are like magic stepping stones, typing out my stories faster than a frog can jump. And I love connecting with readers and other writers in this digital world across social media. . Jina Bacarr’s Sisters at War is out now with Boldwood Books Ltd.
