Member Spotlight: Chris Kauzlarich

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? Writing is my outlet. It helps me process emotions and also allows me to communicate with the world around me, often breaking down walls that are built in response to our biases. I honestly don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t write; I would probably be a duller and more stressed person, I suppose.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? Taking a walk, rowing, and lifting weights; in other words, exercise. Every time, physical activity seems to stimulate my mind. There is a caveat to this: I have to do it in silence, that is to say, without headphones blaring some kind of media. Often when I work out, I am listening to an audiobook, podcast, or occasionally, music, but this also stifles my creativity as the voices of my characters can’t break through the noise. So, in the case of writer’s block, I need to give them the floor and let them pick fights or have conversations in my head. With all of this said, taking a walk outside in the sunshine is the most curative.

What is your favorite time to write? First thing in the morning with my cup of coffee in hand, before the day’s stressors can cloud my mind. I do write later in the day as well, but I am often less productive and more distracted.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? To show up. Writing isn’t easy, but a million different stray thoughts or distractions will pop up throughout the day, veering you off course, making it so easy to say “I don’t have time today” or “maybe tomorrow.” But no matter what, open that computer, journal, or pop the sheet of paper in the typewriter, and give yourself the opportunity to write. I know many professionals tell writers to build a routine of writing 1,000 words a day or some variation, but that doesn’t work for everyone. Only wrote 35 words? Great, you tried! Try again tomorrow, and maybe it will be 40. The point is, the only way to create something is to try, no matter what. The consistency should be in the action, not the word count, because if you show up, the words will come!

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? The options writers have to get their work published are one of the most exciting aspects of writing today. Finding an agent and getting published by a major publisher is daunting, especially with the sheer volume of submissions they receive, so with indie publishing routes, writers’ voices can still be heard. Now, that’s not to say that isn’t also a difficult road because we all know that just because a book is published, it doesn’t mean anyone will read it, but it still offers more opportunities for discovery. As a side note, AI is the most annoying part of this day and age, but the genie is already out of the bottle, so we have to adapt.

Chris Kauzlarich’s Menagerie in the Dark is out August 26 with Phantom Quill Press.