Member Spotlights Member Spotlight: Dani James January 21, 2025 Share on Twitter (opens in a new tab) on Facebook (opens in a new tab) on Linkedin (opens in a new tab) via email Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? Books (and all derivatives and other versions of pieces of writing) continue to be a joy to read. They transport us to parts of the world and people we may never get exposed to in real life. They educate us, they build empathy, they enable us to think beyond the boundaries of our own imagination, beyond what we were raised to believe. They allow us to put words to experiences we may not know are shared. Without writers, there are no books, and while books are certainly not the only reflection of why writing is important to the world, they are what inspired me to write. What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? Keep writing. As challenging as it may seem. Even if I’m just writing a few words, at least I’m writing a few words. Inspiration will return, and I will get to a place of flow again, in time. I’ve learned that the more consistent I am with my writing practice, the less writer’s block I experience. What is your favorite time to write? Late at night, when life around me quiets and I have uninterrupted time to dive deeply into a piece, or shortly after waking up, when the mind is still blurred. I tend to underestimate what can pour out when I’ve just woken up and am not yet thinking straight. My morning writing is done by longhand in a notebook, while any other time of the day I write on a laptop. When I type out my morning writing, I tend to be pleasantly surprised at how much I was able to generate and then forget as the day takes over, and how consistent my storyline remains over multiple sessions of writing somewhat still in slumber. What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? When you get to a place of writing where you want to pull back and stop, that is the place to go deeper. It requires us to be vulnerable, with the potential to feel exposed, but this is where the strong, relatable parts emerge. After I initially received this advice, years ago from a writing mentor, I’ve noticed how the parts where I push are typically the parts that resonate deeply with readers, the parts they bring up when discussing my work. I incorporate this practice into my writing, and now pass on this advice to others as well. What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? As writers, we continue to be attuned to details. We must take in our surroundings, pay attention to what some people might find minute, and be able to perceive the motions of the world we live in. In this distraction economy, this is a skill I am grateful to have cultivated, and I enjoy continuing to cultivate. Dani James’s translation of Tobias Schiff’s Return to the Place I Never Left is out now with Wayne State University Press.