Member Spotlight: Peggy O’Neal Peden

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? I love stories. as long as I’ve been able to read I’ve wanted to write stories down to pass them on. I used to make up stories about my dolls and stuffed animals as a child.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? Sometimes I stand up and walk around. Sometimes I do something seemingly unrelated. I paint, and I’ve been known to start a new painting to smash writer’s block. Painting has a similar issue, and one solution is to turn the canvas upside down.

What is your favorite time to write? Any time of day. When my non-writing demands are done, when the papers are graded, the laundry’s done. I love to write on vacation. When my son was in college and I went to the town where he was in school for football weekends, I got a lot of writing done. I always carry a pen and small notebook. okay

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? Write. Write about what interests you, and keep writing.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? The ease of research and the options for sharing your writing.

Peggy O’Neal Peden’s Gone Missin‘ is out now with Severn House.