A Sense of Place: An Interview with Gwen Goodkin by Jen Michalski
I didn’t realize I was writing a book of stories until very late in the game.
I didn’t realize I was writing a book of stories until very late in the game.
Just because we do not fit the majority, it should not mean we are any lesser.
So much of writing is learning to tolerate the difficulties of the process, and learning to revise.
Many of the stories in Claire did begin as images—though not necessarily the ones you’d think of
Survivor’s Guilt is about recognizing that we are all accountable for our humanity and how we enact socially.
Though I never have a plan, I can feel when the pieces fit and see the mosaic they’re making as it’s built.
Our favorite books are part of what allow us to peel back the layers of our own selfhood, to reflect on our experiences.
I rarely begin a story knowing where it will lead or if a character will hold up against a situation.
I do think it’s important for writers to help other writers. In no way is writing or publishing a zero-sum game or a competition.
“We live in an uncertain and mysterious world, yet we face so many pressures to act with incredible certainty. That tension, and the tension between urges and expectations, societal norms and personal passions, are where many stories are born, for me.”