Member Spotlights Member Spotlight: Ben Adams June 28, 2022 Share on Twitter (opens in a new tab) on Facebook (opens in a new tab) on Linkedin (opens in a new tab) via email Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? For me writing is a way to purge the creative energy that builds up inside me. It’s a release. If I didn’t have it, I’d probably be miserable. As far as the second half of this question, stories are how we as an audience can experience life through someone else. We can learn from their mistakes, share in their suffering, and rejoice with them when they succeed. But most importantly, we can see ourselves in them. This is especially important if these characters are different from us in any way. Stories are how we gain empathy. What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? The only cure I’ve found is to keep writing. It can be anything, usually junk writing to get my hands and brain moving. Just the physical act is often enough to break free from writer’s block. What is your favorite time to write? I usually write in the afternoons. There’s no particular reason for this. It just fits my schedule. What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? Be patient. A lot of writers, myself included, are eager to publish and want to jump straight that step after they’ve completed a first or even second draft without realizing that they have a lot more work to do on their book. That impatience makes them blind to all the flaws in their book. I know, because I’ve been guilty of this myself. So, to writers, especially new writers, be patient; focus on craft. The rest will come. What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? We live in an interesting time for writers. There are now more books being published than ever, as well as more avenues for publishing. Which means that we have a greater variety of stories being published each year. As a writer, this is very exciting because it means that I have the freedom to tell whatever type of story I wish and it will find an audience. Ben Adams’s Relativity is out now with BHC Press.
