Tapping Into a Good Story - Interview with Lauren Finger, writer/editor/columnist
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Lauren Finger is completing her Master of Arts in Creative Writing. As an editor at Allen & Unwin book publishers, a columnist for Arts Hub Australia and a previous editor of the UTS Writers' Anthology, Lauren is an accomplished writer and reader.
Writer and student
Lauren Finger
Her short story, Storm in a Coffee Mug was featured in this year's Anthology. Despite her tendency to spend 'far too much time thinking', it is the challenge of writing that has led Lauren to pursue her love of telling stories.
HSS: First of all, your story Storm in a Coffee Mug - was it based on your own experience?
Lauren: Not the actually story, like what happened...but it was about a woman who has depression basically, which I have as well. So a lot of the feelings and thoughts that she has are things that I could I guess create, knowing what it was like to experience that.
HSS: And what it like, channelling or putting your thoughts and ideas on paper?
Lauren: It was quite challenging...I had the idea for the story and I was quite keen to pursue it but it was challenging to do it, I guess because it was at the time a bit confronting. I guess it's that thing of writing about what you know and you know, I always find that when I do write about things that I have experienced myself or that I am really familiar with I do tend to write better because you can tap into your own thoughts and feelings instead of trying to invent them. So it was challenging but it was a really good experience actually, I thought it turned out well so I was really pleased.
HSS: And as an editor, do you find yourself writing a lot or do you mostly find yourself reading other people's work?
Lauren: I find it hard, I'm definitely not a disciplined writer, I'm not one of those writers who will sort of do it for hours every weekend. I find the motivation hard - that was sort of the reason I was doing my Masters. And I guess because of my job, I do read a lot and I work with a lot of other writers so finding the head space and the energy to do your own can be difficult because of that.
HSS: Yes, I've gotten that response from other writers I've spoken to. Whereas some writers will take the other approach and sit down everyday and make sure they churn something out, even if they don't really feel like it.
Lauren: I wish I could be like that!
HSS: Well I think you know, if it feels right, then it's right - if you manage to channel out something in your spare moments and you're happy with it, then maybe that style works for you...
Lauren: Yeah, I like to think I've kind of thought about things a fair bit beforehand...Usually things have been floating around in my head for quite a while. Partly because I like to know what I'm going to do when I sit down to write but also because I procrastinate and don't get around to doing it...So when I seem to be writing well, it's when things have been formed in my head already so I can kind of attack it on the page. So things kind of float around for a bit and I think that's my preparation as opposed to just sitting and writing and seeing what happens.
HSS: Why did you decide to submit to the Anthology?
Lauren: I think anyone who enjoys writing or has any kind of aspirations to be a writer, whatever that means, part of that is being published, part of that other people acknowledging that 'Yes, that was good'.
I've worked on the Anthology as an editor previously and really enjoyed that and it's an opportunity to get published that you're not going to have once you're outside the university system as well. You know, you've got a good chance if you're writing strong, to get published and I think it's an opportunity you can't let go by you really.
HSS: Have you always been a writer?
Lauren: Yeah, I've always enjoyed it. I was one of those kids who when they were six were filling up exercise books with stories. I have great aunts and grandparents who have stories I wrote and gave them for Christmas when I was seven or 10...Sometimes I write little stories and give them to people as presents. I've always read and I've always written I suppose, I love story-telling I guess.
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