1. What is your connection to Somerville?
I have lived in Somerville since 2009. I moved here from DC to go to graduate school, and fell in love with the city and its walkability. Since then, I've gotten married and had two kids here in the city.
2. How did or does living in Somerville influence your writing? Or, what does it mean to write from this place?
I think the personality of place plays into the energy we collect as writers. So even if the writing isn't based in a city like Somerville, or even a planet like Earth, the curiosity and busy-ness of the place brings with it the light of creativity.
3. What do other/aspiring Somerville writers need to know?
As an editor for many fellow novelists, I'll tell you the number one thing I tell them: there is no such thing as a perfect book. And the closer you get to finishing, the louder the voices in your head will become, telling you it's no good, reminding you of a plot hole, or repeating a critique you got once that stung just a little too hard. The secret to finishing a book is to finish it. The rest can come later. I think that here in Somerville, I learned to be myself -- I learned that I am good enough as I am. And that helps my writing every day.
—Amy Maranville
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