Today’s Writer Wednesday guest is SD Grady…

What’s the one thing that remains unchanged during your writing process, from one book to another? (ie: Intensive plotting? Music?)

A: The cat.

When I embarked upon my first novel, there was a lot of closet writing. I hunkered down in front of the monstrous desktop and typed away. I put on music, but mostly tried to ignore the goings on in the rest of the house. But there was Betty. My tuxedo kitty who has never accepted the fact she was the “also ran” from the pet store.

Betty would jump on my lap, purr (you would not believe the engine on that cat) and meow. She does that a lot. It can be annoying. She’s got that, “Hey Mom? Mom. Mom? Mooom. Hey Mom!” thing going. Closing doors does not work, she just tries to rip it off its hinges when locked away from me.

One day, she sat on the floor next to my chair and stared up at me, making her usual amounts of noise. Occasionally the paw would fly up and hit my knee, or the seat cushion, maybe my hand. We had discussed writing with her in my lap before. It didn’t work. But clearly she required easy access at least to the human level of the planet.

I spotted my shaker foot stool in the corner and wondered. I brought it over and placed it next to my chair. Betty jumped up, purrrrred, and laid down. That was that.

Ever since, whenever the keys start clicking, she comes running and parks her lazy butt next to me. We’ve moved around the house a bit with the advent of laptops, but there’s always a spot for me, and one for…Betty.

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give a new writer?

A: Find some new friends. Lol Don’t get rid of your current ones, that’s not what I mean. You need fellow writers in your circle. Ones who will tell you when you’ve messed up, who are ready to work with you, and who will understand when you can’t go to sleep because the people in your head won’t shut up.

Writing groups are the reason I’m still doing what I do. Fellow scribes are supportive of this addiction, and tend to IM in complete sentences 😉

What’s the one piece of advice you wish was wiped from the minds of writers everywhere?

A: Absolutely never…

There are no absolutes in writing. A great many rules exist that will help you get to where you want to go, but you can break every single one of them and still succeed. You just need to know why those rules exist in the first place…then have at it! Writing is a creative process, not a mathematical equation.

What’s the one book you think everybody, writer or not, should read?

A: The Cat in the Hat

Before we pick up War and Peace, the planet must first be able to read. Every child and adult needs to be able to read. In order to do so, they need someone who does read to share their joy of reading with them.

I know at this blog, I’m preaching to the choir, but I’m gonna ask the question anyway. Did you read with your child, today?

Even some forty years later when I visit with my parents, we pick up the morning paper and share columns that spark our interest. I do it at work, pointing out articles to those who usually don’t bother with the paper. Others show me links on their phones.

Awareness of politics, news items, sales, health hazards, weather….literacy for every person on the planet is required.

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