| Member Pages | |
|
|
|
|
Michele Fitch |
||
|
Writers Studio: How would you
describe yourself? Michele Fitch: I am quiet and determined. I try to treat others as I would like to be treated. WS: What was the spark that generated the idea, which drove you to write in the first place? MF: I really got turned on to writing from my 10th grade English teacher, Mrs. Webber. Her husband is a writer. I enjoyed hearing her describe how he revises his work using scissors and Scotch tape. I thought that being a writer would be an interesting profession. I learned from my college professors the importance of writing to a specific audience. This was very useful during my career as a teacher. When my daughter was born nine weeks premature, my mother and I kept a log of her daily progress in the hospital. Then I took a creative writing class. Because of the class, I discovered that her birth story would make a great Creative Non-fiction story. I began to develop several ideas for children’s stories and I’ve also written a poem for my parent’s 40th wedding anniversary. WS: How would you describe your new piece On Your Wedding Day? MF: My sister’s family and my family hosted the 40th Wedding Anniversary Party for our parents. Our parents requested no gifts from the guests so my sister and I decided to ask all of the family members to write a memory or to share a story or pictures. On Your Wedding Day was my contribution to the memory book. I listed events that happened during their marriage and wondered if they ever thought those things would happen. WS: What has becoming a writer changed in your life? MF: It gives me a new outlet for creative thinking. It keeps my mind active and engaged since I spend most of my day with my two year old daughter. The Writers Studio has helped me to get out of the house. I have met new and interesting people. I have enjoyed sharing my ideas with others and seeing things from a different perspective. WS: Are there books from the past that affected you? MF: Reading books in general activates imagination, takes you to another place and helps to increase vocabulary. Specifically, The Scarlet Letter, The Great Gatsby, and To Kill a Mockingbird have affected me. I was really turned on to literature during the 10th and 11th grades. I became interested in Shakespeare and writing in the 10th grade. In 11th grade I studied American Literature. I was really enthused by poems, short stories and novels from the late 1800’s thru the beginning to mid 1900’s, specifically Emerson, Hawthorne, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Poe. I enjoyed the history and mystery of The Scarlet Letter. The grandeur of The Great Gatsby appealed to me as a teenager. Then I was drawn into the story of the great mystery man. But my favorite book is still To Kill a Mockingbird. I liked the hint of mystery and trying to figure out what will happen next. I enjoyed the imagery. WS: If you have to live for one month as a character in a novel, which novel and which character would you be? MF: I would like to live as Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird. She was so accepting of everyone. She truly cared about others. She followed the example set by her father. As an 11th grader reading the book for the first time, I really liked that Scout told the story. It really made a connection with me. We had a neighbor that we hardly saw and I knew nothing about. I could relate with the feelings about the Radley’s. I thought that Scout was brave to get to know the Radley’s. I wanted to become braver. I liked her acceptance of Boo. I wanted to be a Special Education teacher, so I admired that quality. I try to do the same. WS: Which books do you remember best from your childhood? MF: I have many favorite children’s stories. I loved the illustrations from The Elegant Egg. It felt like you could just jump right into the pages. I loved A Kiss for Little Bear and the Little Bear series. My grandmother would read them to me when I went to her house. Too Many Daves and The Cat in the Hat. I loved the rhythm and rhyme. Richard Scary's What Do People Do All Day; I remember enjoying all of the illustrations and finding my favorite characters on each page like Lowly Worm and Goldbug. |
|
|
Home About Us Anthology Newsletters FAQ Links News & Events Forum Member Pages