Member Spotlight: Sheri T. Joseph

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? The importance of writing has changed with the phases of my life. Initially, it was an escape, to capture the wild entertaining stories in my head instead of studying chemistry. Next, legal writing, to give order and logic to thoughts and persuade others that of course I was right. Then the actual study of creative writing and poetry for the sheer freewheeling beauty of language. The pieces finally came together in writing my novel – a sharing of inner worlds with others, an expression of opinion and occasional outrage, a play date with words, and an effort to entertain. Humans are the most social of beings, putting bees and bonobos to shame, and the need to communicate is primal in us. I love movies, TikTok, and U-tube, but the most brilliant actor or visual can’t communicate a complex thought without a written narrative that’s spoken or read. Writing remains the portal to a mind. It establishes our human commonality across time and culture. Many thanks to the Authors Guild for keeping it alive in the AI era!

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? I alternate between rewards (chocolate ice cream eaten from the carton over the sink), bribes (related to suede shoes), and threats (no ice cream, no suede shoes.) Best remedies involve getting out for a hike or sail, sending terrible puns on the family thread, and picking up any passage of a Jennifer Egan book for inspiration.

What is your favorite time to write? The best creative flow is morning. After that, I’m most productive editing and writing non-fiction pieces and articles (like about affordable housing or homelessness, for work).

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? The best advice was that writing is a commitment and everyday work, not just sitting down when moved by inspiration. As to craft, the best advice was to touch all five senses — color, sound, touch, smell, taste – every few pages. Advice I would love: when to accept or push back on an fine editor who is messing with your vision.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? I’m excited to witness this era of bewildering, light speed advances in science and tech, and to explore the ongoing fallout on our hyperconnected world and lives.

Sheri T. Joseph’s Edge of the Known World is out now with SparkPress.