Member Spotlight: Barb Hopkins

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? I’ve always loved escaping into a book. As a child, I could shut out all the noises and distractions around me and lose myself in a story. My love of reading and a book’s ability to whisk me away into another world fueled my desire to start writing my own stories. I want to create worlds, characters, and stories that I like to read and that I can share with others; especially kids. A well-written story can stick with you for a lifetime. For me, writing and reading are inextricably intertwined. There certainly would be less joy in this world if we didn’t have books.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? If I’m blocked by one sentence or a paragraph, but I know the general direction it should take, I’ll open a blank page and start writing bullet points of whatever comes to my mind. Often it’s nonsense and unusable, but simply getting words down seems to help and gets me unblocked. I may also chat with my critique partner and bounce ideas to break through the block. For larger scale writer’s block, my tried and tested remedy is to walk away. I’ll go do a few household chores, cook a meal, walk on the treadmill, or even sit down with whatever book I’m currently reading—anything to clear my head. This usually helps reset my brain.

What is your favorite time to write? Most days I prefer to write in the morning because I like to drink coffee when I’m writing, and morning is my favorite time to have my coffee.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? It’s okay to set a project aside for whatever reason, even if it’s one that’s been given a lot of time and energy. Write something new, and then keep writing. We evolve as writers with each story or project we create. You may be ready to tackle that shelved project in a few months, or it may be several years. I heard this advice during one of the first conferences I ever attended. I was skeptical. But it stuck with me, and I’ve used it. My advice? Don’t be afraid to push pause and come back to it with a new perspective, skills, and fresh energy.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? At this moment in history writers have so many options for publication and sharing their stories, and to me that is incredibly exciting. If traditional publishing isn’t the route you want to take, you can go indie. But it doesn’t stop at those two options. Maybe a small press, hybrid, or serialized fiction on a platform is more for you? I love that we have options, and I think it’s important to explore what may be best for you as a writer.

Barb Hopkins’s Odila and the Stones of Power, written under her pen name Barb Matysik-Hopkins, is out now.