
When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
I have been writing since I was a little kid, sitting out in my backyard with chocolate and a notebook and writing fantasy stories for hours. I developed a dream in those early years of BEING A WRITER: getting published, being famous, living this fabulous life where I was enjoying the fruits of what I was created. But as I held on to that ideal, somewhere along the way I ran out of time to write. I wrote a few angst-ridden poems in high school and worked on a novel in tiny increments in college, but my academic life and career goals got in the way of time to actually write. So I had the idea of wanting to BE A WRITER but without any meaningful writing practice. This lasted until the Spring of 2017 when two things happened: first, my school implemented semester-long choice-based English for 11th and 12th grade, and I won the privilege of designing a poetry course. And second, I went through a really tough break-up. I started writing poems every day because I needed to reconnect with my heart, and I realized that it would be impossible to teach the poetry course I wanted to teach unless I was an actual practicing poet. So I decided to try. Now with my first publication around the corner, I can call myself an author, but I can call myself a WRITER because I write.
What draws you to your particular genre?
Poetry brings me so much joy! I am fascinated by what people can do with language, and the way that poetry is at once challenging and liberating. You can write anything you want, break the rules, invent love languages, burden objects with emotions, and shout! But it also takes so much intense skill to pull off a poem that is truly great.
My second favorite genre to write in is nonfiction. Like poetry, writing essays requires a willingness to notice things about the world around us; to read into culture, memory, language, history, and politics. I find that my nonfiction writing is a way to work out the things that puzzle and bother me. It also helps me draw connections between myself and my world, and to ask challenging questions about life and society and answer them.
What can the readers of The Aspiring Author Blog expect to gain from your posts?
As I've explained above, my writing journey took the conscious choice to write often and to create a space for writing in my life. If you're looking for ideas about creating or revitalizing your own writing practice, I can help with that. I'll write about internalizing reflection and where poetry comes from, about the struggle of revising and listening to oneself, and about the ways that poetry surprises me every day. I believe writing is such a personally enriching thing that it's worth doing just for yourself. I also think that writing wants an audience to complete the cycle, so I'll have advice on making your writing the best it can be so that you can share it with the universe.
What is one tip you have for aspiring authors in your genre?
You become a writer by writing-- so write a lot! I didn't know I could really write poetry until I wrote a poem every single day for a month. And I didn't come into my own as an essayist until I had a topic that engaged my entire heart (school shootings), and I just had to write about it night after night. It takes time and, like any art, practice!
On the other hand, you become an author by saying boldly, "here is my work, and I love it; do you love it, too?" It's going to take a lot more submissions for me to get published consistently. Especially with poetry, there are so many journals out there that might want to read what you have, and it's really about volume and bravery. I think persistence is an underrated virtue. So if you are aspiring and not calling yourself an author yet, just keep going.
You can read Nora's Poetry and Non-Fiction posts on the fourth Thursday of the month!
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