Member Spotlight: Judi Lindsley Nath

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? Writing is important because it provides a platform for expressing ideas and knowledge that would otherwise be confined to lecture halls and laboratories. In many ways, it is also therapeutic in the sense that words spilling onto pages free the gray matter of clutter. Writing is an important medium because it has the potential to positively affect world views by changing hearts and minds while exposing people you would never meet to legitimate viewpoints. It is equally valuable to have nonfiction and fiction writers, for the former aids in understanding persistent soundbites while the later provides an escape from them.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? I have never experienced writer’s block for very long. Sure, there are days or times when it is tough to be productive or the words just won’t come. When this happens, I stop, take a deep breath, and remind myself to step away from the computer. Powering through is usually counterproductive. When deadlines are looming it is sometimes tough to remember this. If writing is just really a drag, I shut down for the day and get out of the office. Walking the dog does wonders for refreshing one’s mental state because it shifts your focus. The great outdoors is the natural remedy for erasing cerebral chaos.

What is your favorite time to write? My favorite time to write is the morning. The brain is fresh, and the day’s drama hasn’t had a chance to accumulate.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? When writing, know your audience. That means that content falls into three categories: need to know, nice to know, and nuts to know. Keeping this at the forefront helps me tremendously, especially as I shuffle writing across several books at one time.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? Excited is a strong term for me because I typically operate in slow motion. That said, it can be exciting writing in today’s age because there are so many venues for distributing your work. Moreover, the opportunities for connecting with readers are bountiful – to the extent that communicating with them can take as much time as writing a book. Another note to self: Remember that there may be more people clamoring for your attention than you have opportunity or time to connect with.

Judi Lindsley Nath’s Sins Against Science How Misinformation Affects Our Lives and Laws is out now with McFarland & Co.