Life as a Writer

Life as a writer has its high and low moments.

‘The pen is mightier than the sword’ is a figure of speech penned in 1839 by Edward Bullwer-Lytton a well-known writer. The focus was that the written language or the press should be independent and was a better alternative to violence. Ahiqar the Assyrian sage based in the 7th century BC stated that ‘The word is mightier than the sword’.  Euripides the Greek playwright and writer in his wisdom posited that ‘The tongue is mightier than the blade’. The Book of Hebrews talks about ‘The word….is sharper than any two-edged sword’. Finally, the maestro Shakespeare in his sarcastic wit talks about ‘Many wearing rapiers are afraid of goosequills’.

Anna Politkovskaya, Hugo Bettauer, Giordano Bruno, Isaac Babel, and Daphne Caruana refused to be people pleasers and paid the price with their lives for their words as writers.

I love talking to writers. There are lots of ideas and concepts that are shared. The challenge is also to be sensitive and at the same time talk about what is happening during our times. I talk to Sarah, about her life as a writer.

Sarah, a pleasure to have you on my blog. Tell me a little about you?

A pleasure to be on your blog. I’m a writer and an aspiring author of young adult science fiction and fantasy who dreams of traveling the world and dabbles in a little art when I’m not completely distracted by books or writing. And I’m not the artist who draws, but the artist who makes things I will later wonder what to do with, like a clay sculpture that won 2nd place in a statewide high school competition or retractable wings with an eleven-foot wingspan. Basically, I’m very ambitious and I stubbornly pursue my dreams.

You are a digital archivist by day and a writer by night. Please explain?

I work in the Special Collections department at the Brigham Young University library where I scan and photograph old and rare books and documents then upload them to the Digital Archive. It’s amazing how much history goes through that library. I’ve had the opportunity to hold a few Oscars and even a prayer journal that Queen Victoria gave to her grandson, so it’s hands down the best job I’ve ever had. Too bad I’ll have to find another job when I graduate this December. I’m a little late in finishing my undergrad degree, but that’s life.
At the end of the day, I write. Or I edit what I’ve written. But you could say I’m a bit obsessive with my writing and I treat it like a part-time job. Hopefully, it will become a full-time job one of these days. I’m not published yet, but hopefully soon.

Talk to me about your book? What is it about? Why should we read it?

My current work in progress is part of a young adult science fiction series that will go out to literary agents once again after extensive revisions. Here’s the pitch I have so far, and you can decide if it’s something you want to read.

High school senior Jenna Waters never expected a boating accident would land her on a foreign planet. Now all she wants is to go home. While the World Council is perfectly capable of sending her back to Earth, they won’t. There’s a spy in their midst and her unexplained arrival just made her their top suspect.

Jenna tries to gain their trust, but she has a secret. She is a listener who can eavesdrop on private telepathic conversations. Listeners make the best spies and her staying in a World Council member’s home complicates things. If her ability doesn’t land her in prison, she may end up drafted into a war she wants nothing to do with.

However, when the dictator Kael asks Jenna to join him, she finds she may not have a choice.

How did you come up with the idea for the book?

I came up with the idea during a summer break in high school. My friends were on vacation with their families and I was out of books to read. That’s when I pictured a girl standing on a dock, looking down into the lake below her feet. Only, instead of seeing her reflection in that lake, she sees another world. So I asked myself, what would happen if she fell into that lake? Would she go to that world? And with each question, the world in my mind grew until it became what it is today. However, the first draft of that book is long gone. I lost it when I forgot my flash drive to one of the computers at school. I never saw it again and didn’t consistently work on the story again until several years later.

I find writing cathartic. What does it do for you as a writer?

Writing is my escape from the world. I didn’t realize it until much later, but it is also how I combat depression and anxiety.

Talk to me about the city you live in? What is the food scene and tell me about some good restaurants?

I currently live in Provo, Utah as a student at Brigham Young University. I actually grew up in Georgia, but since I’m currently in Utah, I’ll talk about some of the things I discovered while living here. My first discovery was fry sauce. Seriously, I can’t understand why this isn’t a thing in other states. I’ll never put ketchup on my fries again. Also, a local favorite is a restaurant called Sodalicious. Basically, instead of serving liquor, it serves a wide variety of sodas. Another popular restaurant in town is called JDawgs. It’s pretty good, and the JDawgs sauce is amazing. I just wish they had more options. And my personal favorite is CupBop, which started out as a food truck selling Korean BBQ and has expanded into several restaurants throughout the state.

Help me understand what women empowerment means to you as a writer?

I’ve found with a lot of today’s movements and views that women are more and more pressured to be just as capable as any man. But I find that a bit ironic. Why should we try to be more like men? We aren’t men and I feel like women should be proud to be who they are no matter if they are mothers or career women or both. I find the best empowerment you can give to a woman is respect. Don’t underestimate her or talk down to her or assume she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Listen to her and don’t try to change or fix her. And if she decides to chop her hair off, don’t ask if it’s because she recently broke up with a guy or assume she’s rebelling. Maybe she just wants short hair. Give her the freedom to become whatever she desires. She may surprise you with what she can do.

Name me some authors that have influenced your style of writing?

Every author I’ve read has influenced my writing. The author that inspired me to read was J.K. Rowling and I guess I’d have to say my writing style has been heavily influenced by Suzanne Collins and Brandon Sanderson. At first, I didn’t really like Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games, but her writing style drew me in and I ended up loving the book the second time I read it. Brandon Sanderson is another major influence. I’ve taken his lecture class multiple times and managed to get into his fifteen-student writing critique class. After taking his classes and reading his books, I can say the man is a genius.

What is your idea of romance?

As far as I can tell, the stuff you get in books and movies is mostly fake or overly dramatic. It also sets up a lot of impossible expectations in teens. When I see it in a book or movie, I have to roll my eyes about 80% of the time because the romance is only skin deep. Give me a relationship where the couple has to work together and overcome their differences. Give me a relationship that is the purest form of friendship. I think that’s why my favorite movie couple is Carl and Ellie from the movie Up.

Give yourself some advice when you were 15 and 25 (I’m 28)?

This is a fun question. When I was little, I often had imaginary interviews with my adult self. I asked myself where I was, what I was doing, what I looked like, and if I was happy. Now that I’m an adult, I’ve continued my interviews, just with both my younger and older self. I still ask my older self what I’m doing and if I’m happy with the way things have turned out. And when I think of my younger self, I just want to give her a hug and tell her to never stop dreaming. I’d tell her that life comes with its ups and downs and to not be afraid of the future. Yes, it’s hard and comes with responsibilities. Growth is never easy, but it’s always worth it.