Member Spotlight: Alexandra J Rogers

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? I use writing to share information with people whom I have never met. In the past, as a psychologist, I shared information with patients or audiences. Now, I share the same information in writing to reach parents who cannot afford or access therapy due to time, financial constraints, or geographical limitations. Video presentations and podcasts are excellent means of relaying information in small chunks. However, trying to remember where you heard a particular bit of information is a challenge. As a writer, you have the chance to review and edit your work. It’s not an option on podcasts. Writing allows you to organize and reorganize your material for the best effect. If the book is well organized, your readers can easily find the passage that inspired them. Writing is an important medium for the world because it is how we pass on stories, inspire others, and share our thoughts. Reading other people’s writing teaches us how to think and reason. Reading teaches us language, not only words, but also how to express ourselves. Popular media focuses on reaching a wide audience, thereby diluting language and simplifying concepts. Writing can be that, or it can be more nuanced, playful, erudite, and thought-provoking.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? Reading is number one. If I’m stuck, I start reading books and articles. Before long, I’m inspired to write about something that excites me and would be helpful to others. The rest of the time, I veer off to promoting my current book. When I tire of the other two, I go through my email to clear the backlog.

What is your favorite time to write? Evening and late into the night.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? “Write from the end.” In writing fiction, decide what lessons you want your main character to learn and what changes you want your character to undergo.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? The fact that I can do it. I used to hate writing in school. Now I realize that it was because it was unfulfilling to regurgitate what I read. I had no imagination for stories even though I was an avid reader. Now, I can do it when I’m ready and inspired. The other things that excite me about being a writer in today’s age is because of word processing, Grammarly, and self-publishing. All of these innovations help me focus on writing without much interference from the outside world.

Alexandra J. Rogers’s Your Journey to Successful Parenting: Ages 2-11 is out now.