Member Spotlight: Hillary Leftwich

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? Writing is a necessary act to our political climate and absolutely impacts our world through people, and people are influenced by what they read. It’s all connected. So, to not consider yourself as actively engaging in politics or our world as a writer, you are, and your words should be regarded as not lightly, but with the thought that words carry power, so what kind of message do you want to send?

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? I do anything that has nothing to do with writing and allow myself to take the pressure off.

What is your favorite time to write? I don’t have a favorite time to write. Mainly it’s when I know I won’t be interrupted and have the space to do so (could be during workshop or a free few hours at night or in the morning).

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? Don’t write for a certain audience. There is plenty of room in the world for your words. Don’t worry about not having space for yours.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? We are watching a world catch on fire, build itself up, beautiful acts of support and kindness, and the worst people trying to destroy everything important to us. And it’s nothing new. But we are new witnesses. So I get to be a witness and write about the world around us so future generations can read about our time, this time now, and observe their own world when it’s time and hopefully write about it.

Hillary Leftwich’s Aura is out July 21 with Future Tense Books.