162 – Premee Mohamed Writes Too Much

StoryADay Podcast episode 162 Cover Image Premee Mohamed

Premee Mohamed is an Indo-Caribbean scientist and speculative fiction writer whose first novel, “Beneath The Rising” has just been released. But I discovered her through her wonderful short stories.

In this conversation we talk about what a good writing day looks like (and what to do on those other days), the inspiration for some of her stories, her writing process and how she organizes her ideas, why short stories are like tattoos, and how the phrase “it’s just photons” makes writing easier.

LINKS

Twitter: @premeesaurus
Curious Fictions: https://stada.me/cfpm
Buy Her Book: https://stada.me/bkpm

Ready to write today, not “some day”?

Freeing The Creative Side

An Interview with StoryADay Regular Neha Mediratta

Where were you in your writing journey before your first StoryADay?

I have been exploring different ways of finish writing pieces. Beginning something is not that difficult for me, bringing it to a conclusion is.

And StoryADay May – ever since 2010 – has been helping me see that I can indeed finish what I begin!

Seeing the pool of story drafts at the end of the month is such a boost to one’s writing self. I’m truly grateful that you began this community. It is an honor to have seen you work diligently at making it what it is today. Thank you!

Where are you now?

I have finished story drafts of various sizes in various genres! It feels amazing. I couldn’t have this without signing up for StADa every year.

What do you consider your biggest writing success?

Currently, writing successes are personal milestones of leaping over technique-related obstacles.

I am slowly learning not to dread the blank page, and not to let my logical side crush my creative one by acting like a haughty school teacher.

The StADa format really helps with that because the only goal is to reach the finish and iron out story-kinks later.

Tell Us About The StoryADay Community

Oh it is so good to feel part of a warm, generous and contributive community where everyone’s focus is on helping each other with their writing processes.

Being part of it also increases accountability and in my case, it breaks me out of shyness – which is an important part of learning to share your work with people.

Thanks, Neha! It’s been wonderful having you here since the beginning!

A Solid Writing Practice

An Interview with StoryADay regular, Monique Cuillerier

Where were you in your writing journey before your first StoryADay?

My first StoryADay (in 2011, I looked it up) came a few years after I started to take my writing seriously. I had not yet had anything published.  

Where are you now?

Eight years later, I have had more than a handful of short stories published and I have a novel about ready to send to potential publishers (and am well into another).

My writing practice has greatly matured. I’m very happy about all of that.

(I also still feel very insecure about it and as if I’m not as far along as I “should” be, but that’s life.) 

What do you consider your biggest writing success?

Generally, I feel like establishing a solid writing practice is my biggest success. More particularly, I had a story published last year (Leaving, in the anthology Bikes Not Rockets) that I am really proud of, more than others. 

What has being part of this community done for your writing life?

This community has always felt supportive and welcoming. It has provided me with external accountability, which I rely on. All in all, it’s just a great place. 

You can read more from Monique at notwhereilive.ca

Finishing Made All The Difference

An Interview with Superstar, Tammy L. Breitweiser

Tammy Breitweiser Headshot

Where were you in your writing journey before your first StoryADay?

Before StoryADay, I was writing frequently, but missing a critical component – finishing.

Neil Gaiman has been quoted as saying, “You will learn more from a glorious failure than you ever will from something you never finished.” StoryADay solidified this idea for me.

Read more

101 – Windy Lynn Harris & Short Fiction

Apologies that the audio is a little crackly on this one, but it’s worth sticking with, to hear the infectiously enthusiastic Windy Lynn Harris and me, gabbing about the joy of short fiction.

Windy Lynn Harris is the author of Writing & Selling Short Stories & Personal Essays (Writer’s Digest Books, 2017)

Another new episode of Write Every Day, Not “Some Day”

[Reading Room] The Radium Room by Tony Conaway

This week I’m bringing you an interview with Tony Conaway whose story The Radium Room is in the anthology Spring Into ScFi.

We talk about his inspiration for the story, how his love of detail (he calls it “trivia”) informs his writing, and yes, we talk about homing rats… Continue reading “[Reading Room] The Radium Room by Tony Conaway”