Member Spotlight: Kinyel Friday

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? Writing is a way to escape the daily grind, and a way to creatively express myself. It’s also important to get on paper and share the stories I have to tell. I think writing is an important medium for the world for the same reasons–creativity, escape, and also to improve your (and the reader’s) knowledge.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? A lot of times, I’ve been watching and listening to TV and will get an idea after a drought. I try to listen for something that would lure me back to my computer.

What is your favorite time to write? My favorite time to write is after I wake up. I feel like I can really get the juices flowing when I have a rested mind.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? One of the best pieces of advice was, “know your followers.” This applies to writing and marketing, since your book is not for everyone.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? What excites me the most is being able to share, what I believe is my gift, with the world. For my children’s books, I love to share uplifting stories to encourage children of color to love themselves and you can only fail by giving up. For my adult fiction books, I strive to not only entertain, but to leave them guessing what’s next.

Kinyel Friday’s Swim Like the Fishes, illustrated by Robert Roberson, and Troubled Minds, are both out today with KinYori Books.