Writing Focus: Commonly Asked Questions
With my collection of poetry’s release last week, I decided to spend this week’s post answering some of my reader’s most commonly asked questions. So without further ado, here are the answers to your most-asked questions.
What is your collection of poetry about?
My collection of poetry, Autumn Leaflets, is a collection of poems covering four main themes: nature, religion, unity, and the releasing of the past. Topics range from the death of a loved one to marital trouble to pollution and false advertisement. I wrote these poems after a lot of reflection upon my own life and relationships and the way in which I view our society.
What inspired you to write your collection?
When writing this collection, I was inspired by Johnny Mercer’s “The Autumn Leaves”. If you’ve never heard the song, I suggest you take a listen. It’s simply beautiful.
I actually sang the song in my college choir at ASU-Beebe a few years ago. It’s just always stuck with me. I tend to get a lot of inspiration from nature; I just think there is a lot that it can teach us if we will just slow down and listen. This is what I think Mercer was trying to point out in this song: a lesson from nature.
When did you start writing?/ What made you want to write?
I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. I actually have “books” that I wrote when I was as young as five. Most of these books are pieces of copy paper stapled together with just a few short sentences under some drawings, but I remember being so proud of them. Writing is just so much a part of me; I don’t know who I am if I can’t write. For me, it’s both an intimate form of disclosure and a vehicle to share life’s deeper meanings with others through entertaining tales.
What inspired you to write your novel, Muted?
I actually began writing Muted while at a writer’s retreat in Piggott. It began as a simple short story that was largely inspired by my uncle who had down syndrome. I remember once we brought him to my brother’s soccer game; my uncle was so excited to come and watch my brother play. But when we got in the parking lot, he refused to get out of van. While I didn’t understand why at the time, as I got older I realized that he was afraid of the crowd, afraid of their stares, comments, and sneers. My goal in writing this book was to give others a peek inside someone with disabilities, to show them that just because someone is different doesn’t make them a spectacle; it doesn’t make them unworthy.
Are any of your stories, poems, etc. based on real life experiences?
Yes and no. While you won’t find any of my stories to be 100% truthful to my life’s experiences, there is always truth to my stories which I have gained through real life experiences. For example, like I said, I found a lot of inspiration for my novel, Muted, from my uncle. However, unlike Kennan Wesley, the novel’s protagonist, my uncle was not locked in an attic for thirty-plus years.
Are you planning to write anything else? If so, what’s next?
Of course, I am. I have tons of ideas. But first and foremost, I will be working on a series of three novels with my husband. These novels detail the lives of three siblings who have unknowingly survived the apocalypse, and needless to say, I am super pumped about telling their story.
Where can I purchase these books?
You can get Autumn Leaflets: A Collection of Poetry and Muted on Amazon, Createspace, and Kindle, or you can order an autographed copy from me by filling out the order form on my books page.
Buy Autumn Leaflets here Buy Muted here Get your autographed copies here
