Interviewing Fran Abrams

• What’s your favorite thing you have written? My favorite poem I have written is called “Flying Away,” based on an experience with my granddaughter. It appears in Gargoyle Online Issue #6: Fran Abrams – Gargoyle Magazine

• What’s your favorite thing that someone else has written?

“I am not old” by Samantha Reynolds. It appears on her website, Bentlily, at I am not old – bentlily

• What are you working on writing now? I am writing random poems based on prompts from various classes I take on a regular basis. I think of it as recuperating from all the work that went into revising and getting Arranging Words published! Both of my chapbooks came about as I expanded on prompts that intrigued me. I keep writing and thinking about which poem will be next to prompt a book.

• Do you have a favorite food or drink that helps you write?

I am unable to write without a glass of diet ginger ale by my side. I am allergic to caffeine but have managed to fool myself into thinking that diet ginger ale is just as good.

• What’s your favorite kind of music? Classical music, especially from the Romantic period. I can listen to Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz over and over again.

• Forest, country, beach, or city? Anywhere there are few or no buildings! I have a master’s degree in urban planning and feel I already have used my maximum lifetime allowance for enjoying cities. Any place that gets me out of cities and suburbs as well, makes me happy.

• What movie can you watch over and over again?  I rarely watch movies, but when I do, I watch children’s movies with my granddaughter. It has yet to be determined how many times I can watch Moana.

• What would you like people to know about being an Indie author?  It takes persistence. Quillkeepers Press sent me a mug on the day Arranging Words was released. On it is a quote from author Richard Bach, that says: “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” That sums it up very well. If you can’t handle rejection, this business is not for you.

Arranging Words is available to purchase at bookshop.org, barnesandnoble.com, and in paperback and Kindle at Amazon.com, as well as at many other fine bookstores.

• When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? When I was in junior high, I wanted to be a fashion designer. By high school, I wanted to be an architect. And in college, I changed my mind again and decided to study to be an urban planner. Writing poetry was not anywhere in my childhood dreams.

• What does the writing process look like for you? I write when I have time, but that includes having only a few minutes. Some of my poems originally were drafted on my phone in about twenty minutes. However, I believe strongly that if I sit in front of the computer, something to write will come to me, even if I have to open a book and point to a random word. It doesn’t matter whether I write a great poem. It keeps the writing muscles limber. That’s one of the reasons I continue to take classes–prompts make poetry happen. And if I don’t write precisely in response to the prompt, then at least I’m writing and there’s no telling what gems might be revealed.

The next step or steps are revisions. I set aside larger blocks of time for that and spent time thinking about what the poem was trying to say as well as the craft elements of the poem, such as line breaks, word choices, and musicality.

I also seek out and respond carefully to critiques of my work.

I have been very fortunate to have friends who are skilled poets and who have been willing to share their comments about my writing. I’ve used those comments to improve my work and, thus, my chances of having my work accepted by a publisher.

• Do you have a blog and what content do you post? No, I do not have a blog. I do have a newsletter for folks who want to keep up with what I am publishing and where I am appearing. Anyone who is interested can sign up on my website www.franabramspoetry.com/contact.  And I have a Facebook page at Fran Abrams, Poet that’s updated frequently.  

• Where do you get inspiration? In the shower. Seriously, inspiration can occur at any time. Some of my inspiration comes from more obscure news articles, rather than the headlines. Sometimes from a conversation I overheard at the grocery store. Sometimes from a far corner of my mind, an idea pops up I didn’t even know was lurking there. The secret as far as I’m concerned is to be open to whatever ideas come into my mind and not immediately discard ideas that aren’t appealing at first glance.

• What about writing do you enjoy the most? The creative process brings me joy. I love that I have the opportunity to communicate my ideas to others who love poetry. And I find great joy when I feel I’ve selected just the right word or phrase to express an idea.

• What is the most challenging part of writing for you? Not rushing. I always want to get it all down on paper or on the screen and then send it off to a journal. I have to remind myself not to skip the revision phase and, if possible, to have the poem workshopped by friends. Many people say it’s important to put the poem away in a drawer and come back to it later for further review and revision. I put poems needing further revision in a folder on my computer and try not to go back to them too soon.

•  How have you grown as a writer? As mentioned above, I’ve gotten better at taking my time with each poem, being sure it is revised to be the best I can make It. I’ve also gotten better at “killing my darlings,” which is to say discarding lines or stanzas that I thought were great when I wrote them, but then realize are not serving the poem. As I’ve grown as a writer, I’ve become more deliberate, and my work has improved as a result.