Ask the Author: Phil Miller
Answered Questions (6)
Phil Miller
Take a walk. Write about something else besides what you thought you were supposed to be working on. Do the laundry. Read. Stare out the window. Write one word, and then another. And then another. Quit evaluating yourself. Who said you had the right to judge?
Phil Miller
It's not about "being a writer," but about writing. Be who you are. Do what you have to do. And write. Don't worry about "being a writer."
Phil Miller
Nancy Reagan said to just say No; Nike said to just do it. My advice is, just write. Write words without worrying if they're any good. Keep going. It will get to be a habit. Once in a while, you may even write something worth asking someone to read. I try not to compare myself to famous or popular writers. I know I'll never improve if I don't keep working at it, so I keep writing, revising, learning the craft from books, workshops, and the critiques of trusted colleagues. Read good writers, but don't compete to outdo them. A field of flowers may have a few dazzling specimens, but every flower in the field has value.
Phil Miller
Now that I'm seeking more readers from From the Lives We Knew, I'm thinking up stories for a second volume of stories about Benjamin and Grandpa, which I expect will be called, Benjamin Among the Wildflowers.
Phil Miller
In the case of my first book, taking walks and seeing the trees, birds, and bugs in our neck of the woods. My camera went to work next, and then available books and web sites, not to mention my childlike imagination. My second book began when a family from Kosovo got in touch with me through Facebook. We had been out of touch for eight years and hadn't seen each other for 16 years. Renewing this friendship reminded me of other relationships with friends who had been displaced from their homes and had somehow survived. The inspiration to write ignited like a field of dry grass and swept me along for five months of work.
Phil Miller
In addition to what I've already said above, my friend Carol Crawford asked whether the people from different backgrounds in my story would meet. I chose to answer yes to this question but needed to make the intersection credible. Sometimes doing this required planning, but in at least one instance, two women in the book met in a way that was utterly surprising to me though quite logical.
Regarding my first book, when I arrived as a newcomer to the Chattahoochee Forest, I was filled with wonder and curiosity. As I thought about how to share my discoveries, the idea of conversations between a little boy and his Grandpa came to mind. The book first took the form of weekly blog posts with 3 or 4 color, digital photos each. I edited these into a format suited for an inexpensive, user-friendly book adults and children can enjoy together.
Regarding my first book, when I arrived as a newcomer to the Chattahoochee Forest, I was filled with wonder and curiosity. As I thought about how to share my discoveries, the idea of conversations between a little boy and his Grandpa came to mind. The book first took the form of weekly blog posts with 3 or 4 color, digital photos each. I edited these into a format suited for an inexpensive, user-friendly book adults and children can enjoy together.
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