Stephanella Meets Christine Mason Miller

Artist and writer Christine Mason Miller is one of those individuals whom I did not discover because I was hobnobbing with bloggers, but because I was in genuine awe of her work. Obviously, one only needs to take a quick gander at her online space to fall for it. I find that, amongst a plethora of copy-cat offerings, it is Christine's site I always, invariably, return to, because for me she is the original artist who demonstrated how art can pay, and how resilience and business savvy can take those of us who have stamina as well as great talent to sublime places.

 

It took me an absolute age to summon the courage to ask her whether I could be a Book Fairy. I think that, at least at the back of my mind, I thought I was a bit 'small' and 'insignificant' in the grand scheme of online things for her even to take notice. But in fact I was silly; as you will recall, I have been a Book Fairy rather successfully, thank you very much, and deposited Christine's precious Ordinary Sparkling Moments at Tatton Park, where I often walk my dogs. 

Now Christine has published a wonderful new book, Desire to Inspire, where she collated the experiences and wisdom of twenty women who have harnessed the power of their creativity in order to make an impact on the world. This drool-worthy book (check out the inside!) is released on Wednesday this week and I am thrilled out of my wits to have Christine answer my questions about her writing life. And one more thing: take a look at a raft of 60 second-interviews with the girls featured in book over at Christine's digs.   

I have a copy to give away dear reader! I'm enabling comments so that you can place your entry. Please do so by Wednesday 14 December at 8 pm UK time. YAY! And thank you Christine!

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What is your idea of perfect writing?

At the beginning of this year, my ex-husband had a baby. While this wasn’t necessarily a huge surprise, it was still weird, and for many weeks I walked around thinking to myself, “I need to be writing about this now, because eventually I’ll lose interest and I won’t be able to capture these feelings again.”

I finally sat down one afternoon to write about all of this, and a fifteen-page story about the baby and so much more came pouring out of me in a voice I never even knew I had in me. It was one of those experiences of being “in the zone”, where I felt like something was moving through me. For the next few days, I was totally obsessed with the piece, editing and revising it until I felt like I got it right.

That is the kind of writing I love – stories that have a force of their own, and that take me places I never expected.

What is your greatest writing fear?

I don’t ever want to get so comfortable that I start playing it safe. I don’t ever want to lose the spark that inspires me to take risks, be vulnerable, and write with total honesty.

What do you consider your greatest writing achievement?

A few years ago I decided I wanted to steer my work life more towards writing, and without having a long list of specific goals as to how I might go about that, bit by bit I managed to secure writing projects… that were paid! Getting paid at all for my writing feels like an incredible accomplishment. 

What is the writing tendency you most deplore in yourself?

I have this weird unconscious habit of using identical words and phrasing within a few sentences of each other. It isn’t until I’m editing that these redundancies become obvious to me. Even knowing this is a strange tendency, I still do it all the time!

Which living writer do you most admire?

Mary Oliver.

What is your greatest writing extravagance?

Time – time to get utterly, completely lost in something I am working on.

What is the quality you most admire in somebody else's writing?

I think there is a fine line between honesty and sensationalism, and I admire writers who are able to balance the two gracefully – to tell the truth of their experiences without dipping too far into over-exposure.

What or who is your greatest writing love? 

I love Dinah from The Red Tent – that was one of those rare books that I was sincerely sad when I finished it. I wanted it to keep going.

When and where were you happiest with your writing?

The weekend I was working on the piece I discussed in my answer to the first question. I was obsessed with the story, and loved feeling completely taken over by it.

If you could easily modify one of your writing tendencies, what would it be?

I would like to be more disciplined with my writing practice.

What is the most marked characteristic of your writing?

I would say it offers a solid expression of the entire truth of my experiences – the ups and the downs, the honey and the thorns – while still being ultimately positive and inspiring.

Who are your writing heroes?

Ayn Rand – for her conviction
David Sedaris – for his humor
John O’Donohue – for his spiritual beauty
May Sarton – for being willing to share her personal explorations
Chris Bohjalian – for his ability to tell extraordinary stories
Alice Walker – for her passion

What is your writing motto?

Don't write to please everyone or to appeal to the masses. Just tell the truth.

Comments

[Hobby]

Great post! Big fan of Christine... Can't wait to get the book - please consider me in your giveaway. I promise, promise, promise to be ever grateful & share! ☆¨(✿◠‿◠)❀♫❤ ☼ ☯~Hobby

[spice]

Christine makes everything seem effortless.
I enjoyed her last book, and cant wait for this one to come out.