Describe your creative space. Do you work at home, in public spaces, etc.?

I usually work at home, since I find that I need a quiet place to write and reflect. Sometimes, when I look for inspiration, I do visit local coffee shops and/or bookstores and jot down ideas.

What kind of materials do you use? Do you write by hand or type? What is your favorite writing utensil?

When I get an idea, I tend to write it down first by hand, in a notebook I always carry with me.

At a later date, I go back and re-read what I had written and begin creating an outline for a short story or a poem. I prefer using pens, and not pencils.

What is your routine for writing?

I do not have a “set” routine for writing. For me, it is something that happens spontaneously and I prefer not to plan it out. However, when I am in the editing stage of a piece, I do set aside a specific time for proper review.

How long have you been writing? When did you start writing?

I started writing “officially” when I was fourteen years old. I began putting together words in English that had a nice sound to them, and, without intention created my first poems.

Who is your intended, or ideal, audience? Who do you write for?

I do not have “one type” of audience in mind when I write. I hope to appeal to as many people as possible, since the topics I write about tend to be universal and quite broad.

What inspires you to write? If you are blocked, what do you do?

I am inspired by the “everyday”–people and situations I see around me. Wherever I am, when I walk down the street, when I ride the train or when I am on a plane, I listen and look out for “stories.” If I feel blocked, I leave it alone, sometimes for hours, sometimes for days, and come back to the materials when I feel ready. I see writing as a process–sometimes things run smoothly, sometimes they do not. But in the process I learn new things about myself.

What other things do you do besides writing? Do you dance or play golf, etc.?

I like to read, paint, take photographs, dance and practice yoga.

I also love to go to the cinema and listen to all kinds of music.

What is your favorite part of the creative process?

My favorite part is coming up with a new idea. When I get that “spark” I can’t wait to write it down and imagine the different ways in which it can develop. It can be something small and completely random, like a phrase that comes to mind or a sentence I heard someone say, and the rest goes from there. It is an exciting process of discovery.

What is your advice to aspiring writers?

My advice is simply to keep at it. When I think back to when I first started writing, I never realized what a big part writing would actually play in my life. Today, I can absolutely say that writing is my passion–it is the way I share myself with the world, it is the way I find my voice.

Check out Orit‘s work in Volume 6, Issue 2. And view more of her work at: www.orityeret.com.