Words on the page as kernels of possibility: An interview with Belinda Pollard

After reading this post by writer and editor Belinda Pollard, owner of Small Blue Dog Publishing, I knew I had to interview her for Women Writers, Women Books. Communicating via email, we discussed what advice she has for writers and editors, what inspires her, and how being a woman has informed her writing.

About Belinda

What was the first piece you ever wrote?

I remember writing an illustrated romance novel for a school project when I was about 9 years old. I’m sure my teacher was startled by this, and perhaps wondered how many of my mother’s Mills & Boons I’d been reading! The answer: far too many.

What is a quote, song, or poem or novel that inspires you?

Because of my faith, I really do love the Bible both as a work of literature and for its spiritual nourishment. As a reader, writer and editor, it’s hard to pick just one book or quote – I seem to have hundreds of “favorites”. The other day I was again reading Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, where the clueless Catherine says to Henry Tilney, “I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible.” This could make a good motto for me. May I become better at writing to communicate, instead of trying to look clever!

Belinda on Writing

When did you decide to call yourself a writer?

I studied journalism at university and worked in radio and television news, before moving on to other forms of written and visual communication as my career progressed. It was natural for me to call myself a writer, because someone was paying me to write. But I know that many others find it hard to use that label. Isn’t it strange how we seem to need someone else’s approval before giving a name to our passions?

Your writing is very varied – you have written about everything from Jesus to dogs to the wilderness. What inspires your writing?

Everything! At the broader level, people and gorgeous wild places and animals fascinate me, and I find myself wanting to express that fascination in words on a page. It’s like when you’re travelling, and you want to turn to your companion and say, “Hey! Look at that!” There have also been practical, day-to-day inspirations that fill notebooks and Evernote folders on my computer. The habit of clipping newspapers for story ideas, which I developed when I began freelancing as a journalist, is still handy today for blog posts and plot inspiration for novels. When I studied theology and later did publishing work with psychologists, it prompted me to observe more deeply the way people interacted with each other and responded to their world. I also enjoy the humor of life’s daily chaos, and always seem to be turning it into “material.”

How has your experience as a woman informed your writing?

It’s so hard to know what is due to my gender, and what is just my personality. But I love to write about real life and emotions and how people connect. As a carer for elderly parents who’ve battled a series of major illnesses, my own experience of suffering, fear and grief has influenced the way I write my characters.

Why do you write?

Whenever someone asks me that Life Goals question: “If money and people’s expectations didn’t matter, what would you do?” my answer varies but always includes, “I’d live near the sea and write.” I love writing for its own sake, the forming of the words on the page, and the kernels of possibility that they carry, like little Meaning Suitcases carrying thoughts into another mind. I also love the opportunity to help someone else – whether with big issues of life and spirituality, how to write a better business letter, or just a little shallow entertainment to take their mind off their worries for a while.

What advice do you have to other writers?

Always be ready to learn and improve and grow in your craft, but also believe in yourself and the unique story that only you can tell. If you long to write, don’t let anyone convince you that you’re not good enough. Go for it!

Belinda on Editing

What skills do you think that you have had to develop in order to become a better editor?

I’m primarily a Big Picture person, so developmental and substantive/structural editing came fairly naturally to me. Because I worked for a small publishing house, I also had to do the copy editing, which is about detail. So I had to learn how to force myself to really read every letter on the page. It’s about intense focus, and often I’ll even draw my finger along the line of type to lead my eye and slow it down. I need a quiet place to do it, and you can almost hear grinding noises as the mental gears change!

Why do you edit?

I want to help a book – my own or someone else’s – become all that it can be. I do a lot of developmental editing, and I find it exciting to see the possibilities for what a book can become, how much more strongly and clearly it can communicate.

Do you think that your background as an editor has enhanced your writing in any way?

Unquestionably. Firstly, I know that the work is only just beginning when I first type The End on a manuscript. Secondly, I know my first draft is going to contain a lot of drivel, and that’s perfectly normal and fixable. Thirdly, I am eager for intelligent feedback, because I know how much better my book or article will be if I take the feedback seriously.

Belinda on Publishing

How did you get involved with book publishing?

When I studied theology as a second degree in my late 20s, I worked on the student newspaper with a woman who graduated several years ahead of me. By the time I graduated myself, she had just been promoted to Publisher of a theological imprint in Sydney, and needed a specialist editor. When she invited me to apply for the job, I was thrilled by her interest but also resistant because I didn’t know if I could do it, and I’d been expecting to go back to journalism. I ended up taking the leap into books, and it was one of the best choices I’ve ever made. I learned so much from the process and the rest of the team, and working on large projects is satisfying. Later, I began freelancing, and enjoyed being involved in all stages of book projects from concept development to editing, design, printing and distribution – it’s wonderful to feel like you’ve created something.

What advice do you have to editors?

Strive for excellence, strive for kindness and insight even more, and always remember that an author’s voice is more important than Rules (within reason, of course).

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To learn more about Belinda Pollard, follow her on Twitter, read her blog, and read her writing and self-publishing tips.

 

Tags: advice for editors, advice for writers, Belinda Pollard, featured, interview

Category: Being a Writer, Contemporary Women Writers, Interviews