Member Spotlight: John C. Derr

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? I believe we all have an innate urge to create. For some, that manifests itself in art or in music. For me, and for everyone reading this, I assume, it is writing. Creating characters and filling them out, seeing them come to life on the page, getting to know them, and making readers care about them is very satisfying. It’s an important medium because it opens up the world to people who might not otherwise have an opportunity to see far-off places or meet interesting people or experience certain feelings or learn about important issues. Good writing and a good story enrich the reader’s soul.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? I think it is important to push through and move the story along, even if you hate what you are writing, even if you know you are going to go back over it and change everything. “The best way out is always through.”

What is your favorite time to write? I like to write early in the morning through mid-morning, or whenever inspiration hits me. If that means climbing out of bed at 3 a.m. and going downstairs with my laptop, so be it.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? Keep writing and trust your own instincts.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? The eagerness and passion of the readers for a good story.

John C. Derr’s Another Christmas Carol: A Modern Sequel to the Charles Dickens Classic is out now with ‎ Trotwood Press.