Welcome to Writers4Higher
The purpose of the Writers4Higher blog: to feature authors in a new light, a fresh look at the way writers use their talents and life energies to uplift humankind. Writers4Higher doesn’t promote religious or political views. Authors are asked to answer three simple questions: simple, yet complex.
This issue, Writers4Higher features
Glynn Marsh Alam
Hi, Glynn. Welcome to the Writers4Higher family.
Tell me about yourself. Your book(s), your life, your inspiration.
I'm a native Floridian, born and raised outside Tallahassee in a Southern tradition. Living in the midst of so much flora and fauna that resembles a rain forest, I had a fascinating world to explore as a child. Of course, I was surrounded with racial segregation of the day, but living in the country where my grandfather owned a dairy farm, I became familiar with the folklore of the very culture from which I was separated. It didn't matter much out there as long as we didn't date or go to school together. That closeness paid off in my late teens when I took the side of civil rights. During those times, I heard whispers about murders and drownings. They intrigued me as I had already developed a love for the mystery part of literature. In school, I wrote kid stories and they mostly involved a whodunit. Later, when I began writing for publication, I headed right back to North Florida for my inspiration. Its swamps and intrigues gave me fodder for stories. Since I lived through all the social changes, I could include a modern Florida with the undertones of its past.
Where do you see your writing taking you in the future?
I have written and published nine books. I have been through the Hollywood option and some awards. It has always been a happy ride but never the end ride. The industry of publishing is in such flux now that it's hard to say where any of us will be in the future with our writing. My books are on Kindle but I have never published directly to an e-reader. That could change. At this point, I simply cannot say what will happen in the future. As for the actual writing, I will continue with series, but I also want to explore more of the Southern story telling as I did in one of my books. One of the most enjoyable things I do to research for my writing is explore the field in real time. I plan to do more of that as it has always taken me to places I thought I knew well, but they surprised me.
How do you use your talents/time to help others?
I do workshops all the time. I will admit that most of them are connected to promotional efforts, but I enjoy them. I was a teacher for many years, and using some of the same techniques lets me get points over to the students--who are often older than I am. I believe in the hands on type of workshop, where the participant can write a few lines and have them openly critiqued on the spot. Outside of writing, I find myself helping the elderly more and more through life happenstance. The area of the human brain is a place we know so little about now, especially as it ages. I would like to hope that we will always be able to enjoy a good book.
Would you like to find Glynn?
Stop by and check out this talented author!
Glynn's Website
Glynn on Amazon
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Glynn on Amazon
Thank you, Glynn! Love the way you take your readers to the "Real Florida."
Rhett DeVane
Fiction with a Southern Twist
Writers4Higher blog
Really nice to get a glimpse into the life of one of my favorite authors. Thank you for sharing a bit of yourself, Glynn. I can't wait for the next book!
ReplyDeleteBeing a transplanted northerner I envy your wealth of southern stories Glynn--I hope you will do more with them.
ReplyDeleteAs for the state of publishing, amen. It has certainly become more democratic--so many more books are out there--but the traditional route that allows a writer to make a living is getting mighty weedy! Some days it seems as if that path has disappeared completely.
I grew up in Tallahassee as well. At the time, the town was much smaller than it is now, so my memories are more about the way it was. There were many news stories and rumors about racial issues, so that's also a part of my memory, though it's much better now than it was. Good maqterial for stories.
ReplyDeleteAas for publishing, the traditional route is still the route that puts most of the books on the bestseller lists and that dominates the major review outlets, so I'm not yet convinced that publishing directly to e-reader (without a publisher) is financially viable. Of course, most books from traditional and indie are on Nook and Kindle, so who knowshow this market will expand.
Malcolm