Writerly Wednesday with MM Schreier

Please give a warm welcome to the inestimable MM Schreier! MM has published a wide range of short stories in various journals and anthologies and their work consistently knocks my socks off… Plus we have a shared passion for fantasy, especially Celtic mythology!

1. But before we get started, please give us as much background as you’d like into who MM Schreier is. What do you fill your days with, what fills you with joy and what are some of your other interests?

I’m kind of a contradiction in that aside from writing—which requires lots of time behind the screen—I also love being outdoors. I’m incredibly lucky to live in the Green Mountain State and also very close to the Adirondack Park. I spend quite a lot of time, when the weather cooperates, on trail with my very spoiled Labrador Retriever. I also love to kayak and try to get in as much paddle time as possible. And of course, I’m also a voracious reader, which is awesome for getting through the long, snowy northern winter. My house is over-stuffed with books, and I don’t even own a TV!

2. I’m an outdoorsy writer too, so that really speaks to me! As for your library… well, I’m ready to come and live on your couch. Be prepared for that! But speaking of other interests, your amazon author page bio says that you’re a classically-trained vocalist (which is just awesome). Can you share how, if at all, that skillset and its associated experience influences your writing? 

I think that music theory has been very formative to my writing process. It’s easy to picture a short story as a sonata—consisting of three main movements: exposition, development, and recapitulation. Sometimes there’s a coda at the end, which is a conclusive passage that returns to the initial theme of the piece, an epilogue so to speak. There are tempo markings like allegro and largo that are parallel to pacing in writing. And even a novel is akin to a full symphony or opera. Further, I think that good music and good writing both invoke movement (or stillness!), emotion, and leave us changed. Can you tell I’m pretty passionate about both?

3. I love it! I don’t have those amazing skills, but I have smattering of piano, flute and voice in my background and your analogy between music and writing is incredibly apt. Where do you think your love of language first came from, and how did it develop as you grew up? 

As a kid I was incredibly shy and awkward. I took solace in books and the worlds they took me to. That escapism definitely was the spark for my love of words and their ability to shape thought and paint pictures. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I took the plunge from a reader to a storyteller.

4. I love escaping into books, which give us worlds we may otherwise never experience or know of. What then, is a book that you think is seriously underrated—and why?

I think I probably would have to say “A Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley. I know lots of students read it as standard curriculum in high school, but I think that short-changes the book. I don’t think teens have the life experience or the maturity to really appreciate Huxley’s complex messages. I tend to reread it every few years or so, and it always hits me in a new way—whether it’s a nuance I’ve missed, or it gives me a new way to look at my personal life or the current political/socio climate.

5. I’m ashamed to say I haven’t read it yet, but it’s on my bedside table! It’s incredible how many books written some time ago so capably speak to some of the key sociocultural issues we’re dealing with currently. But speaking of books, I’d love to come back to my earlier comment about Celtic mythology. Is there a particular mythology you love best? Why?

I love mythos of all sorts, but am particularly fond of Celtic and Norse mythologies. I find them very rich worldviews. Celts in particular have such a rich tapestry of storytelling, magic, and divinity that it’s so easy to lose myself in it!

6. Celtic mythology just grips me up and sweeps me away every time I read it! I think I have some book recommendations for you actually… But let’s not get distracted. If you were to pick the genre you most closely identify with, what do you think is a key misconception people seem to have about that genre? 

I think that’s a super hard question, particularly since I write such a wide range of genres, although spec-fic is probably my specialty. However, I think a lot of time when I tell people I’m writing a horror piece they sigh, assuming it’s all fast-paced jump scares and blood and guts. Not my deal. My type of horror is usually literary in style, with a psychological or spec-fic element to it. I don’t want people to sleep with the lights on after reading it; I want them to question reality.

7. Within your writing practice, do you find yourself returning to key themes and character types? If so, why do you think that’s the case? 

Again, I am all over the place, but when I’m not writing spec-fic, I often write about abused women. There’s rarely a happy ending, because this is the real world, not some sugar-coated fantasy. Some readers have found that disturbing, however I want to draw attention to the horrific things that women experience and can’t talk about. To speak for the voiceless. It’s my way of saying—stop sweeping this under the rug. We should be outraged! 

8. I love that aspect of your writing, especially as it’s something I’m passionate about and very interested in. If you could name one writing choice that you feel is characteristic of your style, what would it be? Why do you think this is something that recurs in your work? 

I’m a very descriptive writer and have often been complimented on my sensory details. It’s something I am constantly working on though—trying to find the perfect balance between rich scene building to immerse the reader, and not dragging down the pace.

9. What do you find hardest about writing and how do you overcome that challenge? 

I have a noisy head. It can be a jumble of constantly moving thoughts, ideas, and feelings. My Myers-Briggs personality type is INTJ-A and my brain is just always on. However, I think some of my best work comes from a mysterious deep, still place and sometimes it’s hard to get there. That’s why I love hiking. Deep in the woods is one of the few places I can quiet the brain-noise and tap into that silent well of inspiration.

10. If you could have a writing familiar of any type, what would it be?

I already do! I have a goofy doggo who is my constant companion. Whether it’s on the trails or curled up on my feet, he’s a great buddy. Although, when magic returns to the world, I’ll take a green fire lizard, please. (a’la Anne McCaffrey’s Pern series which was greatly loved in my youth.)

11. 100 times yes to a magical creature (when are those going to appear in my life, please and thank you world?). What are your thoughts on challenging your readers, perhaps by introducing words or ideas into your stories that they be unfamiliar with?

I’m a big fan. While there’s nothing wrong with the beach read, that’s rarely my audience. For me the best literature challenges the readers’ worldviews or makes them stretch. I love experimental prose and the most flattering compliment I’ve ever received from a reader was that my narrative was out-of-the-box and left them thinking about the story for days after reading it. 

12. You’re a very giving part of our writing community and have beta-read work for me so many times! So I feel safe in saying you are invested in networking and growing with other writers. What’s the one piece of advice MM Schreier would give to other writers that has served you well in your journey so far?

Thank you—I always love reading your work! I also adore the amazing community that I’ve been blessed to be part of. I cannot stress enough how valuable having a supportive, active writing community is to my process and growth. As for advice for other writers, let me tell it in a form of a little true-life story.

A university professor had a student in his class whose writing was extremely poor. She barely passed the class. The next year he had her in another class, and he quickly found that she had become one of his favorites. He pulled her aside and asked her how she had improved her writing so much over the summer. Had she taken another class? Hired a writing mentor/tutor? She explained, no. All summer long, she got up early every day and spent an hour writing. That’s it. 

A lot of people think good writing is all about having talent. The reality is—writing is a skill. Like any other skill it can be honed through practice. I’ve only been writing creatively for a little over three years and looking back at those early pieces I can see that I’ve grown exponentially. The only way to do that is to put in the work. Practice. Then practice some more.

MM Schreier, thank you so much for joining us on AZ Pascoe today and sharing some insight into your writing world. Not surprisingly, we want to see more! Where can we find your published work and your social media profiles/webpage/blog? 

A listing of all my published work is on my website: https://mmschreier.com/

You can also find me on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nod1v1ng/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18654139.M_M_Schreier
Twitter: @NoD1v1ng 

Thanks for having me! 

Tune back in next week for another amazing look at a featured writer!

–A.