Member Spotlight: Kelly Bennett

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? Writing is how I make sense of my life and the world. Through sharing and reading our thoughts we are reminded of our shared humanity.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? Shut off devices and walk away! Get up, get outside, get moving-push away from the desk and get busy with some seemingly-mindless activity. Let my subconscious work.

What is your favorite time to write?
My best time to generate new work: early morning
My best time to revise: after lunch
My best time to write: whatever slot is open on my calendar. I set a schedule and keep it. The key is do it! Write!

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? Choose a person, one specific photo-on-the-wall person, and write the story for them. It will help inform word choices, the tone, pacing, structure…everything about that story.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? Being part of a global reading and writing community!

Kelly Bennett’s Norman: One Amazing Goldfish! illustrated by Noah Z. Jones is out now with Candlewick Press.