In a recent Members Spotlight, Jill Bronfman, a poet, novelist, professor and lawyer, discussed why writing is her most authentic form of communication. She says that even fictional work remains “still me” and invites empathy from readers.
Bronfman’s remedy for writer’s block is simple: set a daily word‑count target, whether adding new words or editing existing ones. She also uses prompts as an extra incentive, but insists the core discipline is the word‑count.
Her preferred writing time is the morning, where she practices “morning pages” to start the day with fresh ideas. When asked for the best advice she has received, Bronfman cites Ellen Bass’s reminder that “you can edit poetry” and Molly Gloss’s suggestion that science fiction can be written by “waving your hand in the general direction of the science and moving on.” She says she has adopted both pieces of advice in her own work.
Bronfman is excited by the ability to post links to her writing on social media, noting that even if thousands of people do not read her books, they are aware of her existence. Her latest book, Thanks for Meeting Me Here, is now available through Raven Chronicle Press.