Interview Q&A with G. Lynn Brown
We present our first exclusive Q&A Interview with G. Lynn Brown, whose literary works have graced our Spillwords pages and earned her the title of April’s 2026 Author of the Month.
- What does it mean to be selected as Author of the Month?
I’m not sure there are words to properly convey the mix of excitement and humility an honor like this brings. But it means so much to me, and to my confidence as a writer and poet.
- How have your friends and/or family influenced your writing?
Ever since I was little, my mom always said I’d be a published writer someday, and has randomly reminded me of that throughout my life. And my friends – even some acquaintances – have often become templates for characters in my stories. And those silly crushes I had as a teenager and young woman proved to be perfect inspiration for some poetry (that reading them today makes me cringe…lol), while my muse these days inspires much deeper, rawer and genuine poetry (though, sometimes still cringey…). But, overall, as with most writers, much of what I write is influenced by life experiences, and what’s life without friends and family.
- What inspires and motivates you to write?
My emotions are my biggest creative fuel, especially for my poetry. Writing is specifically a form of venting for me, as I write my best pieces when feeling deeply emotional, particularly if hurt, though extreme bouts of happiness can spark some pretty good work, too.
- Can you tell us about the catalyst that sparked your writing journey?
I had a passion for writing ever since I was very young, but it was an “at the crossroads” moment later in life that pushed me to not only become more serious about writing, but about being published as well. It was always my ultimate dream and goal to be published. I arrived at a point in life where I felt stifled by those around me and became more determined than ever to find my voice – Spillwords was one of the places I submitted to soon after making the “now or never” decision to begin submitting and, it was from Spillwords, I received my first ever short story publication in May 2023 (Hangry).
- Please share a glimpse into your writing process.
I don’t know that I have a process, per se. I do know I cannot sit down with intent to write, whether it be a story or poem. The mood, the feeling, the emotion has to hit just right for me to create. Sure there are many times I want to write, have ideas to build on, but if the mood’s not right and I’m not in the right frame of mind, no matter how long I hold my phone and stare at the blinking cursor on the blank white screen, no words will appear.
- What do you find most fulfilling about the act of writing?
When a story or poem (especially poem) I’ve written resonates with a reader, it brings purpose to why I write. And if just one person feels seen or understood by what I’ve shared, honestly, it makes both of us feel a bit less lonely, and that’s what it’s all about.
- How does the use of imagery contribute to conveying your story?
I had two thoughts pop up about this question – imagery in regard to meshing illustrations with my pieces, and using descriptive words to create imagery with my writing. I find both important. I’m not as adept at using descriptives in my writing as I wish I was. And maybe that’s why I do enjoy creating graphics to pair with my writing, particularly my poetry, to help others see my vision of the piece. Often, the image created will express the message of the poem, filling in any blanks the reader may have.
- What is your favorite reading genre?
Can I be completely honest with you? I’ve never been a big reader. But when I do read, I prefer short stories/flash fiction and in the vein of Edgar Allan Poe and Ambrose Bierce. I love mysterious tales of the macabre (but can’t write them for the life of me) and, as a history buff, also appreciate Bierce’s tales from his service in the Civil War. And, of course, there’s poetry – again, Poe is my favorite, but I also enjoy Walt Whitman, Robert Burns and Robert Tannahill.
- What human being has inspired you the most?
As a little girl, my grandmother was the greatest at both reading me stories and making up stories to entertain me. She had such a vibrant imagination, especially when it came to scary stories. And she wanted to be a writer. I can remember her always saying she wanted to not only write a great novel, but to write a memoir of growing up in Depression Era New York – the run-ins she and her siblings had as youngsters with famous gangsters at the time, like Dutch Shultz, and living just down the street from the infamous Collier Brothers. I would hear the stories of ghosts on the fire escapes and tales of banshees she’d heard from her Irish immigrant mother. Then came stories from after she’d grown up, of a cousin dating infamous bank robber, Willie Sutton, and still more personal ghostly encounters and legends of Ireland. And her passion and fire for telling these true stories and experiences was so captivating, and her ability to think up characters and plots on the fly was so inspiring, and is probably why, when I was barely old enough to write my own name, I said that, when I grew up, I wanted to be an “arthur.” And, thanks to Nana passing her creativity down to me and my mom always cheering me on (as I said in an earlier answer), I have become an author… and an editor… and hopefully would have made Nana proud (and maybe from memory and a bit of research, I can one day write that great novel she dreamed of typing up!)
- What message would you have for the Spillwords Press community that voted for you?
Thank you! Thank you for enjoying my work, thank you for being such a supportive community, thank you for being you!
- What would you like your legacy as a writer to be?
I have to return to an earlier answer and say connecting with readers – if just one person feels less alone and more understood because of something I wrote, and that one person remembers me and carries my words with them to feel stronger, then what better legacy could someone want?
- Is there anything else you would like to add?
Now and then I think about the Christmas when I was about 8 or 9 and received a “junior” typewriter as a gift. I was so excited. It was a real functioning typewriter, complete with ribbon and “ding,” just smaller and lighter. I can remember sitting in the floor beside the Christmas tree punching away at the keys, feeling grown up, feeling “important”…lol… 40+ years later, here I am, Author of the Month at a spectacular writing platform like Spillwords. I’ve had 100’s of stories and micros and poems published in a number of online and in print lit mags, and I’m the founder and EIC of three amazing literary projects – Micromance Magazine, KissMet Quarterly, and The Haikuist. So let me say, dreams can and do come true!! Sometimes not in the timing we think or would like, but, please, don’t ever give up on your dreams, on your passions… Better late than never is a truth where aspirations live!
- Interview Q&A With G. Lynn Brown - May 19, 2026
- Polished - May 14, 2026
- Mirrored Souls Under a Blacklight - April 3, 2026
