Member Spotlight: Sarah Goehrke

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? Writing is how I think. It’s how I view the world and connect, and analyze my own thoughts. There’s something so human about writing, about reading, about sharing in this way. Storytelling is so ancient that it’s built into everything we are as humans in a society. Myths emerged to explain the world, the universe, everything. Being part of that feels inevitable.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? Walking in the forest or taking a shower are the best for sorting through blocks individually, but there comes a time I need to bounce off people. My writing group, spouse, and publisher are amazing for this, and help me realize what isn’t working and usually laying it out aloud with someone helps me come to a solution.

What is your favorite time to write? Mornings in my office, or early afternoon walks in the forest with a notebook.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? Writing isn’t always writing. I don’t know where or when I first heard that, but it’s shaped my views. A walk in nature is writing, or watching a bird in flight is writing, or playing with a child is writing. Anything that feeds the soul and will come out on a page is writing.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? The ease of connection to other writers and to indie presses and indie bookshops is a delight. Finding like-minded folk who value human-authored art is life-giving.

Sarah Goehrke’s The Keepers is out June 16 with Quills and Cosmos Press.