Member Spotlight: Jason Tanamor

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? Writing has always been therapeutic for me in the sense that I can put my thoughts or ideas down on quote unquote paper. It’s important because writing can oftentimes be easier than speaking out loud. It’s a way to organize your thoughts into something more than gibberish. Plus, if you continue doing it, the result could be a manuscript.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? I rarely get writer’s block. It’s more about motivation or desire for me. If I don’t feel like writing, then I don’t. I may start reading something or watching a program, and doing this often will spark something inside me that will encourage me to start the process. If I’m on a deadline, as in I owe my editor or publisher a manuscript, then I push through it. Bad writing sometimes is better than no writing. I’ll then slowly get into the mood and am able to return to some of those less than stellar pages while I’m motivated.

What is your favorite time to write? I write first thing in the morning, usually around 4 – 6 am. The morning is when I’m most creative. It’s also the quietest time. I find that building it into my daily routine helps as I look at it like exercising—if I don’t workout the same time every day, I’ll never do it. Writing, although creative, also is a muscle. If you don’t continually use it, you’ll lose it.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? Consider writing like building a house. You first build the walls and then decorate them. I used to write quasi stream of consciousness with a loose outline. But then I’d get too caught up in all the flowery language and then find myself running out of steam. Once I started outlining the story with its appropriate turning points, I found myself more productive. I’m able to finish the manuscript with a beginning, middle, and end.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age?I love that I’m able to play in different genres. Whether it’s mashing them up or writing two completely different stories, I can still be accepted. I write Filipino based stories in all genres, and I’ve been able to find success. I’ve been able to have a voice and readers. I’m not sure how fluid that was years ago.

Jason Tanamor’s The Legend of Sensei Tsinelas is out now with Ooligan Press.