Ami Irmen’s favorite storyteller was her grandfather, who set her on the path to becoming an educator and a writer. Her first traditionally-published novel is coming soon from Scarsdale Publishing, while she self-published another novel, Wherever Would I Be. Her short stories and poems have appeared in Sinister Wisdom, The Copperfield Review, and Glass: A Journal of Poetry. Ami teaches writing at Kishwaukee College.
In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner interviews Ami Irmen about her creative process, how to turn an idea into a book, which publishing route to take and how to fund a book on Kickstarter.
In this episode, Lynne and Ami discuss:
Teaching writing at the university level
The writing process
Finding a publisher without an agent
Finding time to write when you work another job
Jane Adeny Memorial School for Girls in Kenya
Traditional publishing vs. self-publishing
Finding a cover designer
The teachers who inspire us to write
Finding community with other writers
Period Poverty
Why having a good editor is so important
Links and Resources:
Peaker Writers
My Peak Challenge
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Friends of JAMS
Northern Illinois University
Artist Pascal Campion
Revise & Resub
University of Detroit-Mercy
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Find Ami Irmen:
Website
Blog
If you enjoyed this episode, you’ll like these other Make Meaning Podcast episodes:
Episode 145- CL Walters - Young Adult & New Adult Fiction from Hawai’i
Episode 142 – Announcing Scotia Road Books
Episode 136 - Tammy Pasterick - Writing & Publishing Your Way
Episode 113 – Ramona Pintea – How to Make Art a Path for Serving Others
Episode 107 – The Hon. Jan Tinetti – How to Eliminate Period Poverty
Episode 125 - Gramps Jeffrey - Leaving a Legacy
Episode 124 - Dorit Sasson - On the Many Meanings of Home
Episode 123 - Karen Baum Gordon - On Surviving the Surviving
Episode 122 - Valoree Gagnon and Karena Schmidt - On the Food & Culture of Indigenous Gardens
Episode 121 – Stephanie Steinberg - On Personal Passions & Creating Communities
Episode #120 - Jacqueline Suskin - A Poem Every Day
Episode #119 - Roots - Israeli-Palestinian - Toward True Peace in the Middle East
Episode #118 - Elizabeth Gowing - How to know a place by living its stories
Episode 117 - Steven Wingate - How to find your voice again & again
Episode 116 - Jake Neher - Telling Stories & Planting Seeds
Episode 115 - Dean Stark - Why Purpose is Needed to Succeed in Competitive Sports
Episode 114 - Nancy Sharp - How to Turn Tragedy into Opportunity
Episode 113 - Ramona Pintea - How to Make Art a Path for Serving Others
Episode 112 - John Wynn - The art of creating an entertainment empire
Episode 111 - Rebecca Jeffreys - How to change careers after 35 years
Episode 110 - Margaret Trimer - How to Define & Live by your Core Values
Episode 109 - Michael Ziman - How to change a business you love to protect the environment
Episode 108 - Lynne & Dan Golodner and Alisa Peskin-Shepherd - The pandemic's impact on relationships
Episode 107 – The Hon. Jan Tinetti – How to eliminate period poverty
Episode 106 - Nancy Marshall - How to love PR
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