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

When it comes to a writing space, I personally find the solitude of the outdoors often initiates the creative thought process more than any other set location. However, the act of writing itself usually takes place in the evenings at my writing desk (I’m a bit of a night owl and enjoy my routine).

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

Many of my poms take their first breath inside my head and resonate there for several days before anything is ever eventually written down. Usually this involves several rough drafts written down on whatever I have lying around when a certain phrase catches my attention. All final drafts are typed and saved on my laptop for I am far too forgetful to have them anywhere else.

What is your routine for writing?

Answered above.

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

I have always been intrigued by the creativeness of literature, in particular fiction and poetry, since I was a young boy. My first attempts at writing were juvenile attempts at the short story. As a sophomore in college, I took several literature courses and eventually moved into the Creative Writing degree with an emphasis on poetry.

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

I do not begin any piece of work with an intended audience but rather try to focus on the emotion/experience that my imagination is working through. Much of the poetry and fiction I admire, however, has its roots in the spirituality of the human psyche.

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

Again, nature often inspires me, and if I am feeling blocked, I try to remove myself from the hectic nature of day to day life and find solace in the natural world.

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

I have recently returned to the hobby of baseball card collecting and also enjoy fishing and hunting. If there is a chance to be outdoors, I take it.

What is your favorite part of the creative process?

My favorite part of the creative process is the fascinating experience of how the mind works its way from point A to point B without exactly knowing why it does.

What is your advice to aspiring writers?

Read everything you can get your hands on. Take the time to read the classics or contemporary and experimental works you may not necessarily always gravitate to because this can lead to discoveries that will expand your style as a writer.

Check out Brian’s work in the issue Volume 3, Issue 2.