On the Porch with New Alley Author, Wendy Paine Miller!!

I am so thrilled to help welcome Wendy Paine Miller to the Thursday blog post here at the Alley. Wendy and I will be sharing the Thursday posting duty, alternating back and forth, so I get the distinguished privilege of welcoming her and introducing her to you. I like to imagine we are sitting on the porch having a friendly chat, so I encourage you to pull up a seat and a warm soothing sip of something comforting and enjoy the chat! 

Wendy!!!! What a thrill to welcome you here to the Writer’s Alley. It is exciting to welcome a new face and a fresh perspective to the blog. So, the first question that comes to mind… what is your backstory?

How long do you have? No really, my story is interwoven with all those I’ve loved and learned from. I wouldn’t be writing today if it weren’t for the many people who’ve inspired me, urging me forward on this path, encouraging me to walk by faith and not by sight.

I’ve been married for eleven years and have three girls. Writing and mothering. Mothering and writing. I’m convinced I have the best job in the world.

Did I hear correctly that you have 5 WIPS? Would you care to share the story ideas with us?

Let’s see, I’ve written four novels. They’re all at varying stages of completion. One is out on submission. I write women’s fiction, stories that delve into moral dilemmas, sacrifice, forgiveness and other similar running themes. I’ve just begun the first draft of my fifth novel.

How long have you been on the writing journey? When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

As a young child, I delighted in creating stories in my journals. I admired my older sister who liked to write poetry. I’ve always had a unique way of receiving the world. At some point it clicked that I should transfer some of my findings onto the page.

College was a wonderful breeding ground for my imagination. After graduating with a BA in English, with a concentration in Creative Writing, I sought to conquer the world with my words. But I fell into careers that called for little creativity. I missed writing, the kind I grew to love in college.

I dabbled with it through the years. Got married. Had babies. Breastfed and let the babies ingest all my creativity. I swear, as soon as I stopped breastfeeding the characters for my novels began barging in. For over the past three years, I’ve done my best to tell their stories.

We all have some big inspirations in our lives that push us to work harder, who inspires you? Family? Authors? Friends?

My mom listens to every brainstorm I have. God love her soul. I’ve also had a few authors who’ve taken me under their wings to teach me and move me along on my path. I’m forever indebted to these women.

Tell our readers what your blog is about. I love the URL, Thoughts that Move. Intriguing. :)

On day one I told myself that I wouldn’t establish any rules for what I’d write on my blog. So far I’ve stayed true to that. I tend to write about things that have the greatest impact on my life: my faith, my passions, including family and writing. I like to ask thought provoking questions because I’m inundated with them minute to minute from within that endless tunnel in my brain. Mondays, you get a hodge podge. Wednesdays, I create lists. I’ve titled this I 8 Wednesday and on Friday I ask a question to get to know my readers better.

I want to inspire thoughts to move. My own. And the thoughts of those who read my blog.

Who is the one person in literary (whether past or present) fiction that you would give your eye teeth to meet?

Yikes, one, eh? I’ve always thought Anne Lamott would be an excellent conversationalist.

I’ve run out of writing related questions so how about this: what is your favorite (in ten seconds or less, I am timing you): book, author, color, food, music, child, actor, moment, blog, person! (Yes I am asking you to be biased here)

Book: Peace Like a River

Author: Extremely difficult to put just one here. Elizabeth Berg

Color: Plum (this changes up between cream and plum)

Food: Bread

Music: Acoustic

Child: All three of my girls, though I do have some novel babies I feel more of an affection for

Actor: Cate Blanchett and Morgan Freeman

Moment: Walking next to my husband this past summer, watching our three girls ahead of us on Marginal Way in Ogunquit, Maine (next to waves crashing on rocks)

Blog: There’s something about Novel Matters I’m addicted to

Person: Really? My husband gets this vote. Second to Jesus.

We are all a pretty zany bunch, (I am the only level headed one, so don’t say I didn’t warn you. :-) In fact some of us have been known to talk to ourselves and record the conversations, so this bodes the question, what would a conversation between you and your inner self sound like?

I think I crack my husband up before I sit down to write. I make funny faces, use hand gestures and throw myself into the scenes I write.

Otherwise, there is constant conversation in my noggin’. Need to find a way to quiet it down in there. I always seem to learn the most when things become quieter—when I stop talking to myself and listen.

Welcome, welcome, welcome, we are so thrilled to have you here! And since you made it through the interview intact, I guess that now means you are an honorary member of The Writer’s Alley!! Woo-hoo!!