Member Spotlight: Sharon B. Buchbinder

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? Writing is permanent–even if you never share your work with the world. You can go back to that well and revisit your thoughts, revise, and share when you’re ready. Written stories are portals to other worlds, other viewpoints, other thinking processes. As a child, I read to escape an abusive environment. As an adult, I write to offer adventures to new places for readers.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? I don’t have writer’s block–I have writer’s logorrhea and not enough time in the day to write everything down. I keep a digital notepad of ideas for stories and go back to them to refresh my memory. I find it helpful to revisit those ideas to see what I’ve accomplished so I don’t feel overwhelmed by not doing “enough’–whatever that might be.

What is your favorite time to write? I have a morning routine that starts with taking care of my dogs, cats, my coffee (LOTS) and my physical exercise. I put in at least 45 minutes of aerobic exercise a day and strength training three times a week. After that, I feel ready to sit at the computer and dive into the story.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? Never grow up. Be curious about the world around you and wonder, “What if?” Grownups (i.e., anyone who is done growing) are boring. Childlike curiosity is not childish. It enables you to see the world with fresh eyes and to bring a new perspective to a story. Look at F. Paul Wilson’s The Keep. Paul is a physician who started writing medical thrillers. Then he had a wild idea: what if Nazi’s encountered vampires in World War II? The result is a cult classic. Keep saying, “What if?”

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? Self-publishing is no longer taboo! After eight textbooks and 17 novels and novellas, I am happy to be in charge of my own publishing company. Yes, it means putting all the parts together and I’m a very demanding boss! I have a professional editor, a spectacular graphic designer, great narrators for audiobooks, and a terrific mentor who has coached me through the technical aspects of the online publishing world. I love being in charge of bringing my stories into the world.

Sharon B. Buchbinder’s Secrets of the Cryptids is out now.