Member Spotlight: Laura Segal Stegman

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? As a writer who turned to fiction after a career writing as a PR consultant, I’ve found a joy in storytelling that drives me to write on a daily basis. And I write middle grade fiction because it’s set at a time of life when kids are developing a sense of who they are, which means you can tell extraordinary stories. I love the idea that middle grade readers can see themselves in the books they read and perhaps even come up with solutions to their problems.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? Work the New York Times Spelling Bee and/or a digital jigsaw puzzle (these are also great tools for procrastinating!). Or wait for a day or two then return to writing. Or, keep a notebook of thoughts and ideas, which is what I did until the idea for my fourth book was clear and I was ready to start writing it in June 2022. I’m nearing the end a year later, so anything’s possible!

What is your favorite time to write? Evenings, just after dinner when I’m free of any of the days obligations or distractions.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? It came from a writer on social media who was celebrating publication of her first novel: “There is no age limit to my dreams.” Also, and avoid dialog tags.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? Aside from the joy of seeing Summer of L.U.C.K. and its sequel Ready or Not, my first two books, published (with The Chambered Nautilus, third in the series, coming in 2024, I thrive on the relationships I’ve built with other writers, particularly those in my middle grade genre. Having these relationships, especially those in my writers’ group, to brainstorm with, to laugh and to cry with, and to celebrate with, is gold.

Laura Segal Stegman’s Ready or Not is out August 29 with Young Dragons Press.