Posts

International Women’s Spread Varuni S.

Introducing the nicest, most beautiful, such a supportive, and wonderful writer, Varuni. 😁 Kaylyn Gabbert : What brought you to the Brooklyn Women’s Writing Group?  Varuni S. : I’ve been writing since I was twenty-one in India. For the past ten years, since I’ve been here I’ve consciously made sure that I’m writing or producing art on a daily basis. Brooklyn Women’s Writing Group helps inspire this by showing me women in a similar mindset as me. Community is very important to me especially since my formative and adult life was mostly in India.  KG : What are your favorite mediums to write in?  VS : So far I’ve been working on screenplays with other screenplay writers. I also write poetry. I wrote my memoir which took seven years, if you can believe it. The memoir is about to come out this year, and then I’ll be working on my second book, a fantasy. The fantasy is based on my real life, parts from my childhood and adolescent years.  KG : What do you do for work?  VS : I currently freel

International Women’s Spread Sara W.

Meet the organized, motivational, and always looking out for her tribe, Sara. 😊 I met her in Brooklyn Women's Writing Group.  Kaylyn Gabbert : What led you to wanting to be one of the hosts of Brooklyn Women’s Writing Group? Sara W. : I’ve always been a writer since I was young. I always wrote as a teenager. I always followed them online, and I joined the meetings in 2017 when they met in the Brooklyn Public Library, but as the facilitators stepped down, I stepped up.  KG : What are your favorite mediums to write in? SW : I always write for myself, not as much for publications. Mainly I journal and do free writing.  KG : I admire your ability to know your mental limits. Not many of us know how to do that. Do you have any tips for us?  SW : I spent a lot on Zoom, and when I’m not writing my best work or not enjoying it then I know to take time off.

International Women’s Spread Lalo M.

Introducing the multi-talented, very helpful, and so kind, Lalo. We met in Brooklyn's Women's Writing Group.  Kaylyn Gabbert : Do you have a problem with people often mispronouncing your name? If you do, does it bother you? Lalo M. : People do indeed mispronounce my name more often than not [Lah•low] and it's mainly just awkward. I can understand people haven't encountered another Lalo yet so they stumble on the name. I would want to encourage people to ask for clarification on pronunciation as many times as they need. Honesty and vulnerability goes a long way to clear up awkwardness in its myriad of forms. KG : What brought you to the Brooklyn Women’s Writing Group?  LM : I've always loved writing and dream of someday soon being published. I had moved to New York to pursue my Bachelor's of Fine Arts when I joined the Brooklyn Women's Writing Group. As an introvert new to the city I was seeking community and thankfully feel like I found one.  KG : What are y

International Women’s Spread Molly W.

Introducing one of the most outgoing, nicest, and inspiring writers in Brooklyn's Women's Writing Group, Molly.   Kaylyn Gabbert : What brought you to Brooklyn Women's Writing Group? Molly W. : As a playwright living in Brooklyn I was looking for a local community to help hold me accountable with my writing schedule and inspire me to keep going. Often writing can feel very isolating at times so it has been really great finding a group that can understand any struggles you might have and find ways to relate, offer encouragement, or share any tips they've found useful when faced with similar situations. Even if I don't always have the most productive hour during a writer's group, I am still carving out time to devote to this thing that I love! KG : Recently we talked about what you love to write the most. Care to tell the readers? MW : My main medium is plays - usually they are serio-comic plays centered around a woman protagonist. I grew up doing theatre so playw

International Women’s Spread Ashlynn Stone

Introducing my writing mentor, longtime friend, and an all around badass, Ashlynn.  Kaylyn Gabbert : What was it like growing up undiagnosed with bipolar disorder?  Ashlynn Stone : I didn’t know any different. I thought all kids ripped their hair out, had nervous ticks, felt they couldn’t breathe, had racing hearts and sweat profusely. I didn’t know any better. I took no notice to the fact that I was the only person I knew who did things like that. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized something was different about me, and even then, I was still more than five years until my diagnosis. KG : What’s it like being a published author?  AS: It’s incredible! I started my writing journey just typing my hand-written journals. By the time I finished, my Word document was the length of a full-length novel. I went through the worksheet and filled in any holes and edited the crap out of it. I didn’t realize at the time that writers should always have someone else edit their work which is why

International Women’s Spread Irene Lyla Lee

Reintroducing my friend and writing mentor along with much more Irene. Irene is practically the queen of almost all plant knowledge, she's very wise, and always outgoing.  Kaylyn Gabbert : I know I interviewed you last year, but we've gotten so much closer since last year that I had to ask you back.  Irene Lyla Lee : Thank you. And maybe we can cover new topics and get deeper into things.  KG : What made you so passionate about teaching/tutoring? ILL : Um… That’s a really good question. I’m going to get really honest. My first job when I was young was babysitting and teaching all the way through to college. It was kind of all by accident. Then through grad school, I needed a flexible job that didn’t pay minimum wage. I’m basically using this accidental career path to help with my writing, so they go more hand-in-hand. So they focus on literacy and writing or literacy and language. I almost feel like this was gendered, like if I was a boy, would I be on this path?  KG : Have yo

International Women’s Spread Alex

Introducing Alex, one of the most courageous, loving, and most badass women I've had the pleasure of getting to know. She is indeed married to that Aubrey, from the interview two days ago. She's the first person married to one of my bond family that I see as part of my family. Because Alex and I spoke of a sensitive topic, I've decided to stop commenting. She's been through enough without added negativity, and the blog is to showoff the badassery of the females I know and nothing more, nothing less. 💖 Kaylyn Gabbert : If I may ask when did you first realize, for yourself, that you were trans?  Alex : This question is kind of difficult to answer because looking back now I have a definite time I can view as when I was trans but back then I did not know because I didn't have a word for what I was I just knew I was different but I was around the age of six I was around first or second grade and it's when I first started getting bullied because I was different but