Member Spotlight: Ellen Meeropol

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world?
When our world is so broken, so challenged, stories are an important way we can discover our shared humanity and connect with each other.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block?
When I’m having difficulty moving forward, I pick the most troublesome character and write from their first person POV, answering these questions: what haven’t you told me? what are you most ashamed of? what do you really want?

What is your favorite time to write?
First thing in the morning, half asleep and in my pajamas.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers?
That the way to write a novel is to jump off a cliff and develop wings on the way down. (Kurt Vonnegut)

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age?
Two things: First, there are so many challenges, so many broken places where the light might be able to come through. Second, with so many alternative and independent publishers, more voices, particularly marginalized voices, can now be heard.

Ellen Meeropol’s Her Sister’s Tattoo is out now with Red Hen Press.