AROHO’s 2011 retreat brought 90 women writers from across the United States together in a supportive community, with time to write, read, teach, learn, and share. The AROHO Speaks: Writer to Writer interview project is designed to continue building connections among women writers. 

During the coming year, our group will interview as many 2011 retreat participants as possible about their experiences and writing projects. We hope that you will visit this page regularly, post comments, and share the link. We look forward to hearing your stories! 

 —Tania Pryputniewicz, Lisa Rizzo, Marlene Samuels, and Barbara Yoder

 Marcia—you are in inspiration—visiting your home site, one sees that you are not only a Member of The Redroom , but you are also currently in a low-residency master of fine arts in creative writing program through Antioch University in Los Angeles. You also have time to give writing workshops while keeping a very active blog at your Willow Rock Writers website. How do you balance it all and what advice would you have for writers trying to build web presence?

Well, when everything is listed like that, I do wonder how I get it all done! I was a print journalist for 17 years before I turned to teaching and books, and I learned how to be very disciplined and organized during those years, so that helps a lot. I try to give myself time to write every day, and I also try to set aside certain days for specific tasks. I usually meet with clients on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. That leaves Mondays and Fridays (and Saturdays and Sundays) for writing, reading and master’s work.

Can you talk to us about the process of writing Navigating the Rough Waters of Today's Publishing World: Critical Advice for Writers from Industry Insiders (Quill Driver Books, 2010)?

In 2008, many writers began to ask me what was happening in the publishing world and what the future held for writers. That’s where the idea for Navigating came from, and since I knew many editors, agents and other authors from my years directing the Santa Barbara Writers Conference, I decided to use those contacts to provide a roadmap to the future for writers, if that was possible. I interviewed more than two dozen people and organized the book by topics. The chapters range from future publishing trends to how-tos (i.e. how to find an agent, how to pitch freelance ideas, how to set up a website, how to blog, etc.) to determining whether self-publishing is for you. It was a great experience interviewing them and then pulling the book together.

Thinking back to the 2011 AROHO retreat, can you tell us about an idea, exercise or conversation that had either an identifiable impact upon your writing habits or became a finished piece of writing or one in process?  

The AROHO retreat happened just one week before I had a packet of writing due for my master’s program. Since I focused in this second semester on poetry (my emphasis is creative nonfiction/memoir), I ended up writing a lot of poetry at the retreat. I also had the great privilege of having a consultation with the wonderful poet Ruth Schwartz, and she was very helpful and encouraging. I was in her small group as well, and found that experience particularly powerful and nurturing. I was continually amazed and humbled by the talented and accomplished women I met at AROHO.

Is there one specific moment or event at the retreat that sparked an insight or shift in how you perceive either your work or yourself as a writer?

I think it would have to be Marilynne Robinson’s Mind Stretch session. I blogged about it when I got home. I love that she encourages us to be authentic, to listen to that deep voice, and always, always, to go deeper. 

Is there a specific woman writer who inspires/d you? If so, can you tell us something about why?

There are so many women writers who have inspired me, it would be hard to pick one, or even several, who were most influential. That said, here are some of my favorites: Barbara Kingsolver, for her mastery of voice and characterization, especially in The Poisonwood Bible; Mary Oliver, for her ability to evoke emotion and imagery so that you feel as if you are standing in her poems; Sylvia Plath, for the brilliance and poignancy in her poetry; Mary Karr, for characterization and dialogue in her memoir The Liars’ Club.

What’s the best advice you’ve received about writing?

Put your fanny in the chair and write.

How would you describe your typical writing day?

I begin every day with my journal. Often I’ll write a poem. Sometimes an entire essay or blog will come to me. What I love about my work is that no day is the same, and so, depending on pending deadlines, I might choose to write poetry, or a portion of my memoir or novel, or just work on a client’s project.

Can you describe for us what you’re currently working on?

My memoir, which is my master’s thesis, has been my priority the past year. I started it more than three years ago and just couldn’t seem to move forward with it meaningfully, which is the primary reason I decided to do the master’s program. I was stuck on structure, and the master’s program has helped me resolve that and make a lot of progress. I expect to have a completed manuscript by summer 2012. I also have another craft book I’d like to write, based on the characterization and dialogue piece I wrote for the November 2011 issue of The Writer magazine. I have been working on a novel and several short stories, as well. And, of course, my poetry.

Marcia Meier (www.marciameier.com) is an award-winning writer, teacher, poet and former director of the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. She is the author of Navigating the Rough Waters of Today's Publishing World, Critical Advice for Writers from Industry Insiders (Quill Driver Books, 2010) and Santa Barbara, Paradise on the Pacific (Longstreet Press, 1996). She has free-lanced or written for numerous publications, including the Los Angeles Times, The Writer magazine and the Huffington Post, and has taught creative writing for more than 15 years.

Marcia Meier was interviewed by Tania Pryputniewicz