Ask the Author: Sheryl Monks
Answered Questions (6)
Sheryl Monks
Writer's block is a bit like the boogeyman to writers, a figment of our own worst fears, a monster of our own fashioning. I don't believe in it much anymore because I know that the power at the tip of my pen is stronger.
Sheryl Monks
I'm working on a novel set in 1960s West Virginia. I'm also working on a few personal essays.
Sheryl Monks
Not to sound too grandiose, but to write is to examine one's own soul. Writing, for me, has always been about making sense of the world, and maybe making peace with it.
Sheryl Monks
Read the best work in your genre. Let it seep deeply into your pores. Study the craft of writing to whatever extent you can. But always trust your intuition above all else. Your deepest intuition knows the story you're meant to tell. Don't get in its way. Put publishing far out of your mind. Allow yourself the gift of time it takes to learn what it is you are meant to write. Don't put the burden of publishing on yourself too early. Luxuriate in the writing itself.
Sheryl Monks
Inspiration is everywhere. My problem is usually how to focus on one thing at a time. I grew up listening to my family tell stories, so that's always the easiest source. I call up my mama and just get her chatting. Sooner or later, she'll start to tell me a story. I've heard most of her stories a million times, but I always hear something new with each telling. I never take stories whole cloth because stories told from literal memory never work. But I do listen for details or conflicts that might shed light on stories I'm working on. Mostly, it's just the mood that's created when I fall under mama's storytelling magic. There's a transference of energy, ideas begin to spark, and then I'm off.
Sometimes I'm inspired by actual dreams I have. I've always had vivid dreams. I can remember many of them, even ones I had as a child. As I've become more experienced as a writer, I've learned to look at my own intuition. There are certain themes I'm always interested in, certain images that recur in dreams or in the other things that capture my interest. I've learned to pay attention to my unconscious mind. More than pay attention; I've learned to let it lead me, guide me, show me the stories that are mine to tell.
Sometimes I'm inspired by actual dreams I have. I've always had vivid dreams. I can remember many of them, even ones I had as a child. As I've become more experienced as a writer, I've learned to look at my own intuition. There are certain themes I'm always interested in, certain images that recur in dreams or in the other things that capture my interest. I've learned to pay attention to my unconscious mind. More than pay attention; I've learned to let it lead me, guide me, show me the stories that are mine to tell.
Sheryl Monks
The stories in my forthcoming collection Monsters in Appalachia came about slowly, over the course of a decade or so when I was learning how to write short stories. I'm still learning, but I had no real idea when I set out what kind of collection I was writing. I thought I was writing a collection of stories about girls, but as I experimented with styles of writing and voices, I found myself wanting to try more stories from different perspectives. Many of the stories are quite moody because I love darker, grittier realism. I spent the formative years of my childhood in rural West Virginia, a place I've always loved for its wild beauty. I now live in North Carolina, but I have lots of fond memories of WV, and I find my mind going back there when I write.
For some reason, my imagination often imbues those WV stories with a darker veil. I think maybe it's because WV has always broken my heart. There's a lot of beauty and good, hardworking people there who seem to get caught up in a failed economy that leaves them few options. It's fertile soil for conflict in storytelling and a way for me to express some of what I feel about the place.
Some of the stories were inspired by crazy dreams I've had, such as the title story, for example, which is about an elderly couple who find themselves living in the end days. There's no deer, no rabbit, no wild game left to hunt. All that's left are monsters.
A lot of the stories touch upon themes of good and evil, right and wrong. Appalachia is often pegged as being backwards, especially in regards to matters of faith. Part of what I hope the collection does is illuminate the complexities of the culture. I wanted to play a bit with some of the stereotypes, ask readers to look again at the people and places. I'm often frustrated when I hear people disparage Appalachians (and others) as lazy, stupid, dangerous, or what have you. People are always so much more than we can see from the surface of their lives. I hope my characters capture some of that in this book.
For some reason, my imagination often imbues those WV stories with a darker veil. I think maybe it's because WV has always broken my heart. There's a lot of beauty and good, hardworking people there who seem to get caught up in a failed economy that leaves them few options. It's fertile soil for conflict in storytelling and a way for me to express some of what I feel about the place.
Some of the stories were inspired by crazy dreams I've had, such as the title story, for example, which is about an elderly couple who find themselves living in the end days. There's no deer, no rabbit, no wild game left to hunt. All that's left are monsters.
A lot of the stories touch upon themes of good and evil, right and wrong. Appalachia is often pegged as being backwards, especially in regards to matters of faith. Part of what I hope the collection does is illuminate the complexities of the culture. I wanted to play a bit with some of the stereotypes, ask readers to look again at the people and places. I'm often frustrated when I hear people disparage Appalachians (and others) as lazy, stupid, dangerous, or what have you. People are always so much more than we can see from the surface of their lives. I hope my characters capture some of that in this book.
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