Interview Q&A with Melissa Lemay
We offer our first and exclusive Q&A Interview with Melissa Lemay, a writer whose literary works have been featured on our Spillwords pages as well as being Author of the Month of July 2024.
- What does it mean to be selected as Author of The Month?
Being selected as Author of the Month is an honor. Writing is what I love to do. The fact that perhaps things I write resonate with people in some way, that connection, it’s the best part of it. I hope that’s why anyone chooses to cast their vote for me, because they like my writing. If someone likes me as a person, for my personality, well that’s a bonus.
- How have your friends and/or family influenced your writing?
Growing up, my mother showed appreciation for some of the poetry I’d write. When I was in sixth grade, my language arts teacher, whom I liked a great deal, told me I have “a beautiful way with words.” Things like that stuck with me and gave me confidence. I have friends who have also cheered me on, especially my friend, Alex, who I’ve remained in touch with since high school. As far as influencing the content of my writing, I write about people who enter my thoughts, memories, especially family members who hurt me or people I interacted with somehow in active addiction. There’s a lot of material there.
- What inspires and motivates you to write?
If it is possible to be born a writer, I was. I am almost always formulating poetry in my head. An event, a turn of phrase, a concept falls upon me, and I must write it down. Of course there are those that are sadly forgotten. I enjoy writing to prompts, challenging myself to write different forms. Nature is a great source of inspiration for me because, well…go outside.
- Can you tell us about the catalyst that sparked your writing journey?
I’ve always been drawn to words. I was a voracious reader when I was young. I kept diaries and journals. I needed to sort my thoughts. That’s something that still holds true today. There’s a lot going on in my head. It gets jumbled. Writing is a gift I was given to unjumble it. It brings me clarity.
This time around, I started blogging in September of 2022. I wanted to share my walk with Jesus and study of the Bible with others. I didn’t write much at first. Little did I know of the path I was being led down. I started reading others’ writing, and I joined in writing some poetry prompts at dVerse, which I found through David Bogomolny. He was one of the first bloggers I subscribed to, and now we write poetry together. I made friends in the writing community here, on WordPress, and other places. They feel like a family. I am forever grateful for this.
- Please share a glimpse into your writing process.
I want to say …look for a picture of a hamster on a wheel… that was a joke. I am a researcher, and I am meticulous. Right now, I am writing haiku for a series called The Last Auction with Nigel Byng, and the story is set in Trinidad and Tobago. I found myself researching mangoes and brambles and what kind of deer there are in Trinidad. I often use a dictionary and thesaurus when writing anything. I need to know that I am using the word that feels exactly right, that fits perfectly.
I am trying to make a habit of free writing more for myself; I’ve begun to be more mindful and write something now and then that isn’t for a prompt or a publication. I think I just like being challenged, pushing myself, pushing limits, seeing what I can and cannot do. And if I can’t do it, I want to learn how to do it.
- What do you find most fulfilling about the act of writing?
The writing itself is a joy beyond words. “If I could lie in bed forever and write, I’d die a happy woman” is something I have said on more than one occasion. Granted, this would need to be after my children have flown the nest. People created this whole way to communicate with each other, in thousands of different languages. The letters, their shape, the fact that it is impossible for us to ever extinguish every combination of available letters and words put together. There are an infinite number of poems out there waiting to be written. If that isn’t a miracle, I don’t know what is. When I write, I am connected to something much greater than me, something incomprehensible and fascinating.
- How does the use of imagery contribute to conveying your story?
Vivid description is what brings writing to life. Words are colors that paint the picture, they show the scene. I can learn a lot about a person by paying attention to the imagery that shows up consistently in writing. I think I write a lot about birds, but what poet doesn’t? I like to use color a lot in my writing. Being mindful and observing the world around me, I can write a poem about any moment.
- What is your favorite reading genre?
Probably poetry. I might be biased. Some favorites are Dorianne Laux, Maya Angelou, Sylvia Plath, Charles Bukowski. I spend more time every day reading poetry than anything else. A lot of the poetry I read is that of my fellow bloggers. Also, well-written historical fiction. I am currently reading Beloved by Toni Morrison. This is the first book I’ve read by her. I love it.
- What human being has inspired you the most?
My children, Leland, Ila, and Finnegan, inspire me every day. They teach me so much more than I could ever hope to teach them. They are pure, fearless, brave, and have a kindness that is unadulterated. They look at the world through the eyes that live deep within our hearts, everything is a miracle to them when they’re little. That’s the way we all need to live.
- What message would you have for the Spillwords Press community that voted for you?
I am humbled and honored that you read my writing. I want to write so that people feel things. I get feedback that I am doing that. I hope to share good with the world. There is never too much of that. It’s affirming to know the words I write are doing that, maybe speaking to someone’s heart. I thank you.
- What would you like your legacy as a writer to be?
I want to leave physical books for my children that have poems of mine in them. I’d love to publish a collection. I think it’ll happen when it does. I’ve had several haiku published in a collection and I got to show them. So, they have one book! Seeing the smiles on their faces. They see me writing every day. Being able to show them a finite creation and the result of my work is wonderful. I want them to know that if they work hard at anything, they can succeed.
- Is there anything else you would like to add?
I try to make a point to talk about things I like, instead of things I don’t like. Positivity, happiness, appreciation. The world desperately needs that. I’m not perfect at it.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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