Member Spotlight: Dominique Murray

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? Writing, for me, is both an act of creation and an act of survival. It’s how I make sense of the chaos of the world—by shaping it into stories that reflect both the darkness and the light of the human condition. Through writing, I can build new worlds, challenge old ideas, and give voice to characters and truths that might otherwise remain silent. I believe writing is an essential medium for the world because it transcends time and place. Stories have the power to outlive us, to ignite empathy, and to unite people across cultures and generations. In a world that often feels fragmented, writing is a bridge—a way of exploring what it means to be human, to wrestle with our flaws, our fears, and our hopes. It’s not just important—it’s necessary.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? Writer’s block, for me, usually means I’ve stopped listening to the story. When I feel that wall, my first remedy is to step back and immerse myself in the world I’ve built—rereading character notes, revisiting maps, or even writing small scenes that will never see the page but help me reconnect with my characters’ voices. Sometimes I need to stop writing and start imagining again. I also believe movement is a cure—long walks, music, or even a good workout often untangle the knots in my head. And when all else fails, I give myself permission to write badly, to spill words without judgment. Writer’s block is often perfectionism in disguise, and the only way through it is to let the story breathe, even if the first draft is messy.

What is your favorite time to write? My favorite time to write is when the world is quiet—late at night or in the early hours of the morning, when it feels like time has slowed and the rest of the world has fallen away. There’s something almost sacred about those hours, when the only sounds are the scratch of a pen or the soft hum of keys, and I can step fully into the world of Dominion: Ascension without distraction. Those moments feel like crossing a threshold into another realm, where the characters are more alive, the air feels charged, and the story speaks louder than anything else. It’s as if the universe is holding its breath, waiting for the next line to be written.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? The best advice I ever received—and the one I return to often—is simple: “Write the story that won’t let you go.” Trends fade, markets shift, but the story that haunts you, the one you can’t stop thinking about, is the story worth bleeding onto the page for. I’d tell any writer this: Don’t wait for permission. Don’t wait for perfect conditions or for the words to feel flawless as they land. Write boldly, even when you’re terrified. Especially when you’re terrified. The truest stories often come from that place of fear and longing. The world doesn’t need safe writing—it needs writing that’s alive, that risks something.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? What excites me most about being a writer today is the limitless way stories can reach people. We’re living in an age where a single voice can resonate across the globe in seconds, where readers from completely different worlds can come together and connect over a single line, a single character, a single truth. There’s something powerful about writing in this moment—when stories can exist not just on the page, but through immersive experiences, digital platforms, and communities that thrive around them. It feels like writers aren’t just creating books anymore; we’re building living, breathing worlds that readers can step into and carry with them. That connection—instant, electric, and boundless—is what thrills me.

Dominique Murray’s Dominion: Ascension, written under her pen name D.A. Murray, is out now with Koehler Books.