Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shonda Sorrells. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Shonda , appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
I find that there is inspiration all around us, things happening that are just stories waiting to be told.
For example, my book Jeffrey is about a young man’s journey into depravity at a funeral home. It was inspired by news articles I read about things happening like that. I then posed the question to my husband “What if it happened this way and because of this and from their point of view? And a story was born.
I read a lot of other authors and articles and newspaper clippings and I am always influenced in some type of way by them.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am an independently published author. I mainly write thriller/horror but sometimes dabble in lighter topics.
I love creating stories that haven’t been told yet and I’m often inspired by questions I have about things that I feel haven’t been answered.
What’s special about my writing is that it isn’t generic. I tend to stray from certain topics and away from what seems to be popular at the moment; I want my work to stand out and be recognized for its differences. I have three books published and I’m currently working on my fourth.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I feel like grammar is either your friend or your enemy. You have to have a working knowledge of it to string together sentences that will make sense to the reader but will also flow nicely. It’s not always going to be about how big of a word you can use but how well you can incorporate those words into meaningful sentences.
Being able to recognize something for what it actually is, has made a huge difference for me. When writing a book I can appreciate that it’s going to be what it’s going to be and I’m just the conveyor of the message.
My brain tends to run on weird thoughts and it helps me with my writing. I like dark and taboo facts and questions and it allows me to expand on that when I’m creating stories.
The best advice I could ever give anyone new to writing, is to write for yourself. Not everyone will love what you write and that’s ok; that’s not your audience. Many people will dislike your books but many more will love them.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
The book “Billy Summers” by Stephen King really got me. I love all of his works but there was a part in it that really hit home.
“He thinks writing is also a kind of war, one you fight with yourself. The story is what you carry and every time you add to it, it gets heavier.”
He really nailed it with that because the story DOES get heavier. Each time you add to a story it’s that much more that you have to carry, that much more that you have to expand on and you have to make it enjoyable from each point on.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shondasorrellsauthor.wordpress.com/?_gl=1*1bkxfke*_gcl_au*MTU4MDE1ODQ3Mi4xNzI5ODcyMzgz
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shonda_sorrells_author?igsh=MWJ3dHRlZHhrb25xcQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/61559640585344
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/author/shondasorrells
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
