Member Spotlight: Michael McGarrity

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? I don’t know how to answer the first half of this question other than to say it’s an artistic compulsion I have no control over. Also, when I’m not writing, I’m a much less interesting person. When done right, regardless of genre, writing explores and frequently enlarges truth for both the writer and the reader, no matter if it be small or large truths. And that’s simply grand.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? I’ve yet to fall victim to writer’s block, although I’ve occasionally learned to let a work in progress rest.

What is your favorite time to write? If by writing you mean thinking, observing, researching, as well as putting words down, any time is good. More specifically, I’m an early morning person. Sometimes I have to hurry my little dog along on its after-breakfast walk to get back to my home office.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? Don’t fall in love with your words. It may seem enigmatic, but you can apply it idiosyncratically.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? The written word has become truly global and diverse, creating a new international flavor filled with emerging voices that command our attention about issues of significance and importance. Narrative, setting and perspective have been stretched and broadened. I’m glad to be still hanging around during the current renaissance.

Michael McGarrity’s The Long Ago is out now with ‎W. W. Norton & Company.