Member Spotlight: Julie Liddell Whitehead

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? Writing is magic. I type letters into a computer, and the reader looks at the artfully-arranged words on another screen or on paper made from trees and imagines their version of my story–I create an infinite number of stories out of the raw material of my mind because no two people will imagine the story the same. It’s just amazing.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? Forgetting about everything except answering the question “What happens next?” as best you can.

What is your favorite time to write? Night. I got in that habit when my kids were young, and it’s stuck all this time.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? Always finish projects. Finished projects have the best chance of becoming published projects.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? The democratization of the market place. Blogging, self-publishing, and zine culture increases the chances of all voices to be heard.

Julie Liddell Whitehead’s Hurricane Baby is out now with Madville Publishing.