Five Questions with Soon Wiley

1.) When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I started writing before I knew I wanted to be a writer. I was studying abroad in Germany as a college student when I started my first short story. Something about the cold gray weather was conducive to staying holed up in my apartment and writing. At some point I realized

I was dedicating more time to my fiction than my academic classes or anything else -- that's when I knew I had to find a way to keep writing.

2.) What do you love most about the writing process?

I love the initial thrill of starting something and not knowing where the story is headed; the possibilities are endless. I also love finishing a piece of writing, which isn't very often!

3.) What do you love most about teaching writing?

I love being part of a community, and I love learning from my students.

4.) What are you reading right now?

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart, Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen, How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue

5.) What is your favorite writing quote?

“Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” -E.L. Doctorow

Soon will be teaching Chapter 1: Starting the Novel on Thursday nights.