Ask the Author: Jotham Burrello
Answered Questions (4)
Jotham Burrello
Each writer has his or her own remedy for writer's block. A writer friend believes the best remedy is to write... just write anything to get into the groove and practice. Many writers will advise that... just to write each day, to journal. "My next book will start here," Virginia Woolf said of her journal. I find inspiration from other art forms. An afternoon at a art gallery, or watching a good film will ignite my idea engine and send me back to my desk. I might start copying notes I jotted down on a theater program. And if you continue to write, you'll write better. Give to the muse and you'll be rewarded.
Jotham Burrello
I read. I am constantly motivated and inspired by fellow writers. When I sit down to write I usually start by reading favorite passages.
Jotham Burrello
Find a supportive writing community to share pages and comments. If you're writing in isolation find a community online. And there are plenty of online classes and conference to practice the craft, receive feedback, and network. Lastly, be a good literary citizen by attending readings, supporting fellow writers, and purchasing the journals you submit to.
Jotham Burrello
Spindle City is an historical novel about Fall River, MA. In the early 1900s Fall River was a leading producer of cloth and printed textiles in the world. I was born in Fall River and grew up hearing stories about the city's heyday from my grandparents and great aunt. My grandfather was the advertising manager at the Herald Times in the 1950s. In the 1990s I started to conduct research into the history of the mills and became fascinated by the boom and bust of the town. It is the history of manufacturing, and the decline of manufacturing, the US. There are a number of nonfiction books on Fall River and the mills. In the spirit of books like Ragtime I wanted fictional characters to mix with figures like President William Taft. And I wanted to use the events of the period, and the place, as a backdrop for the choices my characters make. Much takes to the folks at the Fall River historical society.
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