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Sylvia McClain |
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Sylvia’s 18Q |
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The Eighteen Questions |
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18Q |
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1. Did you choose the writing profession or did it choose you? It chose me. I went into the accounting field for job security reasons but writing was always in the back of my mind to do and at a later stage in my life, I took the leaf of faith and started writing for a living.
2. What is your background? (education, work, etc.) I have a degree in accounting but I also have a degree in general studies. It is for my studies in three areas of focus, art history, communications, and English. I current teach quite a bit at community colleges and different school districts continuing education programs around the state of Michigan.
3. When did you ‘know’ you were a writer? When I wrote my first play in elementary school. It was called Trapped in a Cave.
4. How would you describe your style of writing? I like to think of my writing as a personal conversation between me and my readers.
5. What is your writing process? I have no real writing process. I write when things cross my mind and take notes of ideas I have for writing piece. They come at night, during the day, out at events, watching the news on TV, etc. Other times I don’t get any thoughts. No it is not writer’s block, it’s more like nothing really is on my mind at the time.
6. What was your path to publication? After researching how books became published, I found that the time and sacrifice on my part would not guaranteed me any real results without a lot of work on my part. So I switched to self-publishing. That way all the work I put into publishing a book would result in me getting all the profits and tax deductions for the expenses I would incur.
7. What is your favorite self-marketing idea? The sell sheets by Paulette Ensign. they are simple to put together and they are free advertisement for your books.
8. What are the biggest surprises you’ve encountered as a writer? Each time I get an e-mail from one of my students that participated in a workshop of mine telling me they got their first piece published for money. Yes, I am still amazed at how many times it has proven I know my stuff.
9. How do you inspire yourself? What are your sources of creativity? Sources are anybody and anything anywhere. You would be surprise what brings ideas of a piece to me. A simple conversation with a neighbor can generate article ideas because I write nonfiction. Inspiration? I would have to think on that one because creativity sources keep me with things on my mind most of the time.
10. What is your proudest writer moment? Getting my first column request from a newspaper executive editor whom I didn’t even know knew who I was. My second one was auditioning to be a columnist and getting the column the same day the newspaper got my sample piece and it was published the same week.
11. What’s the best advice you were given about writing? Write what you know and if you don’t know your subject matter, research it and become the expert. I write for Equal Opportunity Publications. It is an engineering and information & technology magazine company. When I first started with them, I knew nothing on the subject. Into my third year now, you can bet I have become an expert on the matter.
12. What is your most embarrassing writer moment? Writing two different pieces for two different publications and mistakenly switching them when e-mailing them out.
13. What business challenges have you faced as a writer? Guess. As a freelance writer getting work into print.
14. What is your writer life philosophy? Having only been in this field for five years now, I have not found any specific philosophy at this time because I still have a lot to learn.
15. When you’re not writing what do you do for fun? Attend art/street fairs and workshops. Spend time with friends and a lot of church activities. I am very much into my spirituality.
16. Who do you like to read? I like mostly nonfiction reader of any type but I am a die hard Stephen King reader. I have every book he has ever written.
17. What’s your advice for new writers? Listen and learn from other writers. Read all you can on the subject of writing. Find your own style in writing. Lose the fear and be optimistic. Robert Frost was turned away 500 times before being accepted as a writer. If he can hang in there so can a true writer.
18. What are you currently working on? Two books and workshop ideas. Also, finding publications to submit freelance work for publication. |
