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Welcome to the latest edition of Fresh Voices. We are delighted to share with you the thoughtful and thought-provoking voice of Liz Borino.
What is your ultimate writing goal?
More than anything I want to publish novels, and perhaps non-fiction books, that reach and influence a lot of people. In my deepest heart I long to see my name on bestseller lists; (New York Times, please). But that’s not what I’d base success on. I’ll base my success on how many people’s lives I've touched and views my words have changed. All that being said I would like to be able to support my family with my writing.
Why do you write?
I write because I got too old for imaginary friends. Seriously, when you’re five you can get away with walking around and talking to yourself, not so when you 15 or…23. So, I had to do something with all the stories that were/are constantly running through my head. I guess the short answer is I write because it sustains me. It keeps me sane, while at the same time not letting the world know how crazy I really am.
Your writing is very thoughtful and sincere. Have you worked to achieve that voice or is it just a natural style for you?
Given those two choices I’d say it’s natural for me. I like my readers to feel like they’re having a conversation with me. On the topic of conversation, I’m big into dialogue because I feel it’s the best way to understand characters. The books I remember reading most, The Outsiders, Little Women, A Home at the End of the World, to name a few, it was never the gripping story that held me fast and made me want to turn to the next page. It was the identification with the characters. That’s what I always want to convey with my writing. I want these characters to be your friends, just like they’re mine.
Who are your favorite authors and why do you like them?
My favorite authors are Michael Cunningham, S.E. Hinton, Victor Hugo, and William Goldman, just to name a few. S.E. Hinton wrote The Outsiders and I always looked up to her because she did that at age 14. This encouraged me to write despite my youth. I read Michael Cunningham’s A Home at the End of the World once a year. Hugo wrote Les Miserable, I saw that play when I was nine and finished the book when I was 12. I like Louisa May Alcott, but I can’t read any of her books while I’ve got a work in progress because I start to adapt her language use, not great for today’s reader! But I hold almost all authors in the highest regard. They all have something to contribute to the literary world.
What most attracts you to the life of a writer?
The excitement of telling stories for a living, the opportunity to alter people’s perception of a situation or even their lives, to give readers an escape when the world becomes too much, there are so many true answers here.
If you couldn't be a writer but knew you were guaranteed success at a different career, what would you choose?
I’d want to be a motivational speaker. I might do that as well, but people get messages more easily if they’re told in stories. That’s why I want to be a writer.
If you had to describe your writing in one word, what would that word be?
Multidimensional.
What's the best writing advice you've ever gotten?
Steven King said something to the effect of “Treat writing like a job. Don’t wait for inspiration to write. Just sit down and write.”
Liz Borino is a passionate writer who is finishing a degree at Hofstra University and then looking for somewhere warm to migrate where she can change the world, one word at a time. You can find her on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/lizb1987. She would love to hear from all of you there and has been featured on http://www.positivelypresent.com/2010/03/how-to-stay-positive-in-the-face-of-rejection.html. You can check out her character driven blog at Write Words.
9/20/2010 Update: Liz's book Expectations has been accepted by Lazy Day Publishing!
