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Erica Miles

Goodreads Author

Born

in Brooklyn, NY, The United States

January 06

Website

http://authorericamilesblog.wordpress.com/feed/

Twitter

Genre

Romance, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Influences

Madeleine L'Engle, C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, Woody Allen, Anne Lam ...more

Member Since

September 2014

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Erica Miles received her B.A. in Theatre from Brooklyn College and her M.A. in Teaching ESL from Teachers College, Columbia University. Her poetry and short stories have been published in The Greenwich Village Literary Review and Void Magazine. Her debut novel, Dazzled by Darkness, was nominated as a Big City Book Club selection for The New York Times.

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Popular Answered Questions

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Erica Miles Don't sweat it. Don't worry about it. Go for a walk and get some fresh air, look at the scenery. Listen to some music or read a good book by another w…moreDon't sweat it. Don't worry about it. Go for a walk and get some fresh air, look at the scenery. Listen to some music or read a good book by another writer. Or call a friend and get what's blocking you out of your system. Or just have a nice chat about something completely different. Just doing something positive will help release you. Put you in a positive frame of mind. Worrying about not writing will never help you. Being patient with yourself and nurturing yourself is the key.(less)

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How do you get inspired to write?

Erica Miles Honestly, I like to get writing assignments, e.g., if I'm given a title. I really like structure and don't like to feel as if I'm floundering. Once, I…moreHonestly, I like to get writing assignments, e.g., if I'm given a title. I really like structure and don't like to feel as if I'm floundering. Once, I attended a class at a library, and the teacher had written the following on the chalk board: The Rhythm of Despair. She told us to write a story on the spot in response. I thought of rhythm--dancing, walking, sexual energy--and its opposite: sexual repression. A lesson that had been drummed into me for years by some churches I attended. I thought of yearning for love and fulfillment, and the loneliness of having that stifled--and the sometimes psychotic rhythms that could lead to. I wrote impulsively about a psychotic experience I'd had in response to such influence. My teacher was caught off guard when I read my work aloud, and didn't know how to respond. Then she dismissed me, or rather, said something dismissive. Which ironically added to the rhythm of despair she'd suggested we write about. Fortunately, many writing teachers know how to create a safe space for students to honestly express themselves. And since writing is often a solitary experience, it's great to get the benefit of a class, a workshop, or some kind of community to share what you've written. It's great to bounce ideas off of other writers and receive affirmation and acceptance. All those lovely A words. But to get back to how to deal with criticism, once I was in a writers' group, where a woman made fun of something I'd written. I suffered over that for a while but finally saw the point to her criticism. I rewrote my scene completely, cutting and tightening, and making it much more dramatic. And I named one of my newly invented characters after the woman who'd been so hard on me, and referred to that character as my protagonist's best friend. It pays to be inventive. And sometimes you can learn more from criticism than from flattery. I still believe in feedback that can be diplomatic. But feedback is essential. No man is an island. Especially, not a writer.(less)

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Combine Editions
Erica Miles’s books

Average rating: 4.44 · 52 ratings · 22 reviews · 8 distinct works

	Dazzled by Darkness: A Story of Art & Desire 4.44 avg rating — 52 ratings — published 2015 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Seafood Recipes: Delicious & Healthy Seafood Recipes with Heart Healthy Nutrition Program 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Minor Threat Epic Coloring Book: A Stress Killing Adult Coloring Book Mixed with Fun and Laughter 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Livre de coloriage Sports d'été: Aventures colorées et divertissement actif pour les enfants de 6 à 8 ans 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Livre de coloriage Sports d'été: Aventures colorées et divertissement actif pour les enfants de 6 à 8 ans 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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19 posts
Erica Miles's Blog

Ellen Schecter reviews Erica Miles' novel, Dazzled by Darkness

Dazzled by Darkness, by Erica Miles, is an exciting, multi-faceted novel that feels as authentic and intimate as a memoir. It brings the reader right back into the tumult of the Sixties, when tensions burned high between the races and abortions were available only in dangerous back alleys or expensive, faraway places like Puerto Rico.

Racism inevitably seeps beneath the skins of the two young lover Read more of this blog post »

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Published on June 20, 2015 21:09

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Erica is Currently Reading

Erica Miles is currently reading

The Brazen Shark (Clockwork Legion #3)

by David Lee Summers (Goodreads Author)

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Nov 13, 2016 02:10PM

Quotes by Erica Miles (?)

“Friendship is above all the art of allowing the soft light of love to fall upon even our darkest sides." —Anne Lamott”
― Erica Miles

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“I met someone," she said after a silence. "Are you telling me you have a boyfriend?" "I think so." "I know this is not your first." "He's the first one who's Black." "How do you feel about that?" "You won't send me to the hospital?" "Why? Because you met a black man? That doesn't mean you're symptomatic.”
― Erica Miles, Dazzled by Darkness: A Story of Art & Desire

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“Though a devout atheist, she had a romantic side to her that did not exclude beautiful religious architecture.”
― Erica Miles, Dazzled by Darkness: A Story of Art & Desire

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Erica’s Quotes

“Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.”
― Mary Oliver

tags: box, darkness, gift, love

4422 likes

“Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.”
― Mary Oliver

tags: life-lessons

2750 likes

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”
― John Muir, The Mountains of California

tags: energy, mountains, nature

1268 likes

“We can use our personal suffering as the path to compassion for all beings.”
― Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

28 likes

“A work of art is never finished, only abandoned."
--Leonardo da Vinci”
― Erica Miles

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Erica’s Friend Comments

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message 1: by Debbie "DJ"

May 08, 2015 04:55PM

Hi Erica, Thanks for the friend invite! Just love all of your quotes. Mary Oliver, and Pema, are two of my favs. Looking forward to chatting books. :)

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