A couple of weeks ago, author, artist and mom Suzi Banks Baum (look, it rhymes) invited me to join the “My Writing Process” blog tour. This tour rolls out across three new bloggers each time the bus leaves the station; I’m one of three posting today, and in a couple of weeks down the road, three more bloggers will continue the trip.

So, essentially, I’m charged with answering the four questions below and choosing the three new writers who will follow me. Enjoy, and stay tuned until the end to find out who’s next!

1)     What am I working on?

In addition to the writing I do at my full-time gig (directing PR and Social Media), which currently includes releases about retail options for building professionals and an abominable snowman, I’m participating in the WordxWord Festival’s 30/30 Poetry Challenge. For every day in April, participants are assigned a prompt and given 24 hours to submit a poem. The short time frame takes away the editing, the tinkering, the perfecting… but what’s left is a body of work that appears along with that of hundreds of other writers with completely different interpretations of the word or phrase of the day.

2)     How does my work differ from others of its genre?  

I’ve written in a lot of different genres, both professionally and for fun, but these days a lot of my writing comes in the form of informational releases and strategy proposals, not to mention sentences that are 140 characters or less. There’s just as much discipline and creativity involved in these pursuits as there is writing a magazine article or a short story, but they’re definitely different animals. What I like about the more ‘businessy’ writing I do is it requires a lot of restraint, and I think that’s one of the skills that makes for a better writer.

3)     Why do I write what I do?

In one way or another, I’ve been a writer professionally for my entire career. I chose that path on purpose and if the writing process wasn’t part of my job in some way, I don’t think I’d be very happy. Poetry is my first love, and I’ve been trying to be more diligent about crafting a body of work. Shameless plug: some of my past writing is in the right sidebar, there. —>

4)     How does my writing process work?

Hmmm… I think I’m part of the ‘write drunk, edit sober’ contingent of writers – though not necessarily literally. That’s to say I just start and write what’s in my head, whether it’s dirty and ugly and messy or not. Then some hard editing starts after the bulk is down on paper. I try not to poke and prod too much – a natural stopping point has to come eventually. I work at finding that point.
Now for the next victims! On April 21st, these three intrepid bloggers will take you on their on existential journey:

Christine Parizo

Rob Cushing

Karo Kilfeather

 

…good looking bunch, no?