Member Spotlight: Connie di Marco

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? Writing is a creative outlet like no other, a unique and solitary experience requiring only thoughts, fantasies, dreams and of course, discipline. Simple words can create a universe of sights, sounds and emotions, peopled with characters who come to life and continue to exist in readers’ psyches. Most importantly, the written word has the ability to touch hearts and minds, allowing us to recognize our common humanity. A story can change the world — for the better.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? I’ve been very lucky, I guess. My first book was written under a hard deadline. There was no time for delay and that sense of urgency has remained with me.

What is your favorite time to write? In the late evening when the house settles, the family is asleep, even the cat, and the phone stops ringing.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? I once read an interview of an author who said her mantra was — A-B-C-D — Apply Butt to Chair Daily. I’ve always remembered that and try to follow it, in spite of distractions and procrastination. It’s good advice. How can you not reach for the keyboard or a pad of paper if you’re applying to your ‘writing chair’ daily?

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? The ability to easily connect with readers. There’s nothing more thrilling than knowing your work has touched and delighted a complete stranger, someone you may never meet in life, but who will remember your stories and cherish them.

Connie di Marco’s Serpent’s Doom is out April 26 with Suspense Publishing.