Member Spotlight: Nita Sweeney

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? We’ve all been through a thing or two and learned skills to cope. Some of us (me) can’t help but tell the tale in the hope others will suffers less if they try what we’ve learned. Or maybe my father was right. Maybe we (me) just like the sound of our own voices.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? Take a trip. Don’t take a trip. Swear off with and without a solemn oath. Pledge undying loyalty to writing. Set a timer and keep your hand moving. Throw the timer out the window and lean back in the chair until ideas come. Switch genres. Write at home. Book yourself in a hotel. Write in a coffee shop, grocery store, hospital while your mother is dying. Write by hand. Dictate. Write in the morning. Write at night. Write every day. Only write when inspired. Write while the children are at school. Sneak write during your day job which you should not quit. Write blindfolded. But whatever you do, stay off social media until you’ve at least written one sentence.

What is your favorite time to write? When I have a deadline.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? One size does not fit all!

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? I’m in awe of the technology available at our fingertips. When it’s not overwhelming, having so many tools at the ready put writers in a place we’ve never been before. There are challenges (looking at you AI), but those of us willing to learn how to wrangle these new gadgets have the edge.

Nita Sweeney’s A Daily Dose of Now: 365 Mindfulness Meditation Practices for Living in the Moment is out now with Mind, Mood, & Movement.