Member Spotlight: Laura Segal Stegman

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world?
Writing gives me an opportunity to understand myself in a way that speaking or thinking does not. I love having a story unfold as I write, before my very eyes. Setting my imagination free to go where it wants is, for me, the joy of fiction writing. Without writing, as a writer or especially a reader, the world would be a dark, lonely place.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block?
When I get stuck in one part of a work in progress, I move to another for revisions or review of input from my critique partners.

What is your favorite time to write?
7 to 10 pm

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers?
Aside from a craft tip like “avoid dialog tags,” my favorite piece of writing advice came from Lady Gaga’s Oscars speech when she said, “What it’s about is not giving up. If you have a dream, fight for it. There’s a discipline for passion. And it’s not about how many times you get rejected or you fall down or you’re beaten up. It’s about how many times you stand up and are brave and you keep going.”

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age?
I love the idea that in this digital world there are so many ways for writers to directly reach readers, and so many ways for readers to reach us!

Laura Segal Stegman’s Summer of L.U.C.K. is out today with Intense Publications.