“Writing tends to be such a solitary pursuit that it is important that you find your tribe, a community of which you can be part.”
-Terry H. Watkins
A member of the Writers’ League of Texas for two years, Terry H. Watkins lives in Austin.
Scribe: In what genre(s) do you write?
Terry H. Watkins: I write literary fiction.
Scribe: What author would you most like to have a drink with, and what’s the first question you would ask them?
THW: I have to confess that I feel that the author has given me everything I need or deserve right there on the page. The questions I’m left with at the end of a book are really more about me, my reaction to the book than they are about the author. Of course, I’d love to dish with Dorothy Parker or ask George Eliot what it was like to defy convention in such a rigid time.
Scribe: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what book would you want to have with you to keep you sane?
THW: I think I’d have to fall back on the classics, Austen or Bronte. On the other hand, maybe I’d go with poetry; Neruda or Oliver, perhaps Olds.
Scribe: What have you learned from your association with the Writers’ League?
THW: It is a wonderfully supportive group. I was at the Agents and Editors Conference last year and everyone was just so nice! They all listened kindly to me talk about my book, answered all my questions, and were just lovely! Writing tends to be such a solitary pursuit that it is important that you find your tribe, a community of which you can be part.
Scribe: Where do you see your writing taking you (or you taking it) in the future?
THW: It’s about to take me to Ireland for research on my second book!
Scribe: Here at the Writers’ League, we love sharing book recommendations. What’s one Texas-related book that has come out within the past year that you couldn’t put down?
THW: I’ve been rereading Larry McMurtry. His books have just been reissued in e-book format so I can have all of them with me anywhere. I think he’s the best writer about Texas there is, whether he’s writing history, contemporary, or essays.
Scribe: Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with the world? An opportunity for blatant self-promotion!
THW: My debut novel, Darling Girl, will be published in October 2018. You can find more about me on Facebook, my website, and my two Blogspot pages: terrywatkins.blogspot.com and terryhwatkins.blogspot.com. I’m still trying to learn how to navigate the social media maelstrom!
