Please welcome from The BisMan Writer’s Guild, Emily Vieweg. Emily, can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?
here’s a short bio:
Emily Vieweg is a poet and writer originally from St. Louis, Missouri. Her full-length poetry collection “but the flames” is available through Finishing Line Press. Emily’s work has been published in or is forthcoming in North Dakota Quarterly, Dribble Drabble Review, Soundings Review, Art Young’s Good Morning, and more. She lives in Fargo, North Dakota where she is a mother of two, pet parent, and university program assistant.
How do you make time to write?
I write one sentence per day. I have a daily journal I write in once a day, so there’s something to consider as future inspiration. Just started this practice this week, we’ll see how it goes. Aside from that, I find inspiration in moments, they happen here and there…
Do you believe in writer’s block?
yes – because sometimes we’re just clogged. Our brains are busy with work, home, school, life – and that can cause a block to the creative energy. It’s okay – because it happens to everyone.
Tell us a bit about the genre you write and why you love it.
I write poetry and creative non-fiction essays, flash, and microfiction. I love finding the moments to capture. Jumping right into a scene that is so descriptive and direct, we don’t need back-story.
How are you publishing your recent work and why?
I don’t have any plans to publish a new collection yet – but I will likely publish through an independent press or traditional. I don’t have the patience or expertise to self-publish – that is a HARD job, and I don’t have time or energy to pursue that option.
Are you an Introvert or an Extrovert? How does this affect your work?
I’m what they call an introverted extrovert. I can be “on” in a big group of people, but the serious socializing is exhausting for me. Another aspect of being an introvert is that I am able to sit back and observe – people, situations – and create some pretty interesting worlds from those observations.
What is your favorite motivational phrase?
Do the best you can with what you have.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Criticism should teach, not scold. Take constructive criticism for what it’s worth – it’s an opinion. A good mentor will not be offended if you disagree with them – that said, they’re mentors and leaders for a reason. You will be rejected more than published. Embrace those rejections, and learn from them. Get feedback if you can, and see if you can understand where they’re coming from.
Where can readers find you on the World Wide Web?
Do you have an excerpt you’d like to share with us?
forthcoming in the next edition of North Dakota Quarterly –
A Privacy
When I tell my daughter I need some privacy, her brain hears:
aha! A ‘privacy’ is a thing to hold or have available.
I must retrieve this privacy for my
mother, as quickly as possible!
“Okay, Mama! I get it for you!”
The first time she ventured on her expedition to discover
some privacy, I did not hear her right away, until she reappeared.
Okay, Mama… I get it for you?
She returned to my side in the spare bathroom, and I see It.
…
The Clog Blog 