Member Spotlight: Deborah Raney

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? Writing is how I express myself. I’ve been an avid reader since I was six years old and a published author for almost 30 years.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? For me, music is great inspiration. I try to choose movie soundtracks that would fit the scene I’m writing. If that fails, a long walk usually gets the ideas and words flowing.

What is your favorite time to write? I usually write in the afternoon after all the non-writing chores of being a writer are finished. I can’t seem to write until the other tasks are off my desk.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? Just write, even if it’s not good. You can always go back and fix bad writing, but the blank page can be paralyzing.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? I really like that there are so many outlets for a novel. It’s fun to see my books become audiobooks. One title even became an award-winning film. Those mediums bring new nuances to my stories.

Deborah Raney’s Playing for Keeps is out now.