Member Spotlight: Shelli Brunswick

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? Writing is important to me because it transforms experience into insight and insight into action. Throughout my career in the U.S. Air Force and space community, I have witnessed how an idea, shared at the right moment, can change someone’s perspective, open a door, or inspire a path forward. Writing allows me to preserve those lessons and make them accessible to people I may never have the opportunity to meet. It also gives me a way to connect ideas that may initially seem worlds apart. In my *What’s Space Got to Do With It?* series, I draw lessons from space exploration and translate them into guidance for personal growth, success, and leadership. Space encourages us to look beyond boundaries, recognize our interconnectedness, and imagine possibilities that once seemed unreachable. Writing enables me to bring that perspective down to Earth and invite readers to apply it in their lives. For the world, writing is one of our enduring forms of connection. It crosses borders, cultures, generations, and disciplines. It can elevate voices that have been overlooked, preserve experiences that might otherwise be lost, challenge assumptions, and build understanding among people with different perspectives. At its best, writing does more than communicate information. It creates a relationship between the writer and the reader. It invites reflection, sparks curiosity, and reminds us that change often begins with a new way of seeing. That is why I write: to help people think bigger, act bolder, and recognize their power to shape the future.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? My most tried-and-tested remedy for writer’s block is to step away from the page. Exercise—especially walking—gives my mind the freedom to wander, make unexpected connections, and work through ideas without forcing them. When I focus on movement, my surroundings, or something unrelated to the piece, the words often take shape naturally. Thinking about other things is equally valuable. Writer’s block can arise when I concentrate too intensely on finding the perfect opening, phrase, or structure. Shifting my attention lets my subconscious keep working in the background. When I return to the page, I often see the subject from a different perspective. I also exchange ideas with trusted friends and fellow authors. Interviews are another important part of my creative process for both books and articles. Listening to people’s experiences and perspectives often reveals unexpected connections, challenges my assumptions, and provides insights that move the writing in a stronger direction. I reconnect with the purpose of the piece by asking, “What does the reader most need from me?” Sometimes I begin with the section that feels clearest instead of insisting on writing from beginning to end. Progress creates momentum, and the missing pieces usually become easier to identify. Finally, I give myself permission to write an imperfect first draft. Editing is easier than facing a blank page. I have learned that walking, reflecting, speaking with others, and temporarily stepping away are not abandoning the work. They are essential and productive parts of my creative process.

What is your favorite time to write? I do not have one favorite time to write because inspiration does not always follow a schedule. Sometimes I wake in the middle of the night with an idea that needs to be captured. Other times, I write best first thing in the morning, when my mind is clear and the day is quiet. When I am deeply engaged with a subject, I can write throughout the entire day. For me, the most important factor is not the hour but whether the ideas are ready. My strongest writing often begins before I sit down at the computer. I may spend hours or days thinking about an article or chapter, considering its purpose, exploring different perspectives, and allowing the central message to become clear. Once those thoughts are well refined in my mind, the writing tends to flow naturally. The structure begins to reveal itself, the connections become clearer, and the words feel ready to be placed on the page. I have learned to recognize and trust that moment rather than force the process before an idea has fully developed. That readiness can arrive during an early morning, a quiet afternoon, or even in the middle of the night. My favorite time to write is whenever an idea has taken shape, the message feels clear, and the words are ready to flow.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? The best writing advice I have received was simple: There are two kinds of writers—those who finish their books and those who do not. Finish the book. That advice stayed with me because writing requires more than inspiration. It requires commitment, perseverance, and the willingness to continue when the words are difficult, the structure is unclear, or self-doubt begins to surface. A book can only reach and influence readers if the writer completes it. Editors and trusted reviewers are invaluable. They can identify gaps, strengthen the message, and help transform a manuscript into its best version. However, every round of feedback can lead to another revision, and it is possible to refine a book forever. It is similar to engineering: there is almost always another adjustment that could make a solution more elegant, efficient, or precise. Yet at some point, the solution must be completed and put to use. Authors must recognize that point as well. Finishing does not mean every sentence is perfect. A completed draft can be revised and polished, but a perfect book that exists only in the writer’s imagination can never be read. Do not allow perfectionism to become the reason your message never reaches the world. Honor your idea by seeing it through. Learn from your editors, make the refinements that strengthen the work, and then be the kind of author who finishes the book. The world cannot be changed by a book that was never completed.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? What excites me most about being a writer today is the ability to connect ideas, experiences, and people across the world. Technology has removed many of the traditional boundaries between writers and readers, allowing a book or article to reach someone on another continent almost instantly. As a global writer, I have the privilege of interviewing leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, scientists, diplomats, and change-makers from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Their experiences broaden my perspective and enrich my work. Through writing, I can bring those voices together, reveal connections among seemingly different fields, and share lessons that might otherwise remain within one community, profession, or region. Today’s writers also have more ways to engage directly with readers. Books, digital publications, podcasts, webinars, and social media can extend a written idea into an ongoing conversation. Readers can respond, share their own experiences, and apply those ideas in ways the author may never have imagined. I am especially excited by the democratization of storytelling. More people can share their knowledge, challenge established assumptions, and contribute perspectives that have historically been overlooked. At the same time, this greater access gives writers a responsibility to be thoughtful, accurate, and intentional about what we contribute. Writing today is not simply about publishing words; it is about building connections and creating impact. The possibility that something I write could inspire a reader anywhere in the world to see differently, think bigger, act bolder, or pursue a new possibility is what excites me most.

Shelli Brunswick’s What’s Space Got To Do With It?: Out of This World Leadership is out now.