Michael Perry words of wisdom - The Writer's Craft

Recently, I had the very great pleasure to listen to Michael Perry, one of my favorite regional authors, speak with third graders about the writing craft. His words resonated with me. Among the key points that he brought up is that we as writers learn about and absorb material from the everyday inspirations we see all around us. He also observed that the "exotic" is always relative. What may be unremarkable for us as individuals, may be truly unique for a person who lives in a very different setting. One of the students asked Mr. Perry whom he would identify as his favorite author. To this, he replied: "the next writer I read."Also, he reminded us of the important truth that we read writers to learn about writing. In this media rich age, it can be challenging to find the will power and time to turn off the screen and read, but it is a critical part of the writer's craft.