Communication specialist, editor-in-chief of several magazines, writing articles for various publications and portals in Lithuania. Professional writer, who wrote her first novel Kiltų nuoma (Eng. Kilt Hire) in 2022. Currently, she teaches creative writing to students of New Media Language at KTU Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities.
Can you briefly tell us about yourself (where are you from, where and what did you study, what are your current activities and what occupies most of your time)?
I graduated from Vytautas Magnus University with a bachelor’s degree in educational psychology and from the University of Dundee in Scotland with a master’s degree in writing practice. For studying in Scotland when I made a career break after working in a publishing house for more than ten years. There I wrote, and edited texts for children and adults. I have been editor-in-chief of several magazines and have been writing articles for various publications and news sites in Lithuania. In 2022, I published my debut novel Kiltų nuoma (Eng. Kilt Hire) and I am very proud of it, I feel that I have achieved something.
At KTU, I work in several positions: I am a lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, as well as a communications and marketing specialist at the Marketing and Communications and International Relations departments. Mainly, I am responsible for communications in English and international marketing. My areas of interest are science communication and international KTU community.
You are a communications specialist, a professional writer, who has written numerous articles and a book, worked in the editorial staff of magazines and published them. You host your own blog and teach creative writing to students and the public. What made you choose this profession? What fascinates you most in this sphere?
I would say that “being a writer” is not a very particular speciality, it does not have a clear job descriptions or responsibilities. As a fiction writer, I have committed myself to write a second novel in three years, I must do it in my free time, and I hope to succeed.
Creative writing allows me to share my life experiences in a way that makes them come alive for the reader. I see it as a very useful skill, and the result – a work of literature – has the power to change the world, like all forms of art can. If we were able to feel the suffering of others, would we still cause the pain? If we really appreciated the many ways there are to experience happiness, to love and to live, would we still be willing to impose our opinions and try to change other people? I am not saying that writing has the answers to these questions, but I want to believe that it teaches empathy and helps us to become a better version of ourselves.
What are the greatest challenges in this line of work?
Sometimes it is challenging to convey the value of creative writing to the students while teaching. In some instances, the students do not take the subject seriously, they think that anything creative is already great therefore one cannot mark it, i.e. assign a grade to it. That is far from the truth. Poor quality literature exists, and it can be both readable and popular.
What books do you read yourself? Do you have a favourite one?
I read books that have been recommended by the people I trust. I follow a lot of book fans on social networks, I keep track of the news. After I published my novel, I became a representative of the Lithuanian prose, therefore, I started to read more Lithuanian literature, especially Lithuanian women prose writers. This year I have read new books by Danutė Kalinauskaitė, Eglė Frank, Unė Kaunaitė. I have recently discovered Rachel Cusk, and I am reading her third novel in a row. Nigerian writers have also caught my eye – I have read Chigozie Obioma’s “The Fishermen” and “The Minority Orchestra”, and I will now start reading Chinua Achebe’s “Everything Falls Apart”. In fact, I learned from one of my Nigerian students, who is a very talented writer, that the best storytelling tradition in Nigeria is that of the Igbo, whose names all begin with ‘chi’. In Christianity, that would be the equivalent of a guardian angel. Each Igbo carries an angel in his or her name. Isn’t that wonderful?
Do you think people read less now? Why? Is it possible to become a writer without reading?
All in all, people are not reading less, but actually more – the amount of information flowing today is unmeasurable, we receive more than we are able to comprehend, also in textual form. People read less fiction – maybe yes, maybe no, there are various studies. My point of view is that a person who does not read cannot become a writer, simply because he or she does not value literature. Who would want to invest their time and talent in a subject whose value they question?
Do you think that writing can be learnt? How do you emphasise this to your students?
Yes, creative writing can be learnt, one can learn to write better. I tell my students that with effort, by reading the works of their peers, as well as literary works and criticism – they can understand what makes a text compelling, how to write so that the reader is able to understand you. We learn to search for ideas and to develop them. I hope that students then apply these skills to a wide range of writing-related tasks, both in their studies and in their professional lives.
Do you have any rituals or habits that you do when you write?
I try to find time to write every week (ideally, I would write every day, so that I am always in the “flow”, but I cannot find time for that). I do not have any rituals. Writing is quite simple – all you need is a chair, a desk, and a computer. Where you do it, what time of day it is, who is around you – these are merely the details.
Are there certain topics which you avoid or find very disturbing to write about?
I avoid writing explicit erotic or violent scenes. Also, I prefer not to use excessive openness, or rather, I prefer to reflect on emotions, but I do not want to create strong experiences for my readers. I try to present them “digested”, with some answers from my own point of view.
Do writers have any creative breakdowns? How do you overcome the fear of the white page?
The way to overcome the fear of the white page is to fill it with letters. If it is difficult to write, I still continue writing because I do not have much time for it. Next time the page will not be white anymore, I will be able to work with it – edit, rewrite, and perhaps move on.
How can writing affect our thoughts and emotional state? Can writing help to solve psychological problems?
Writing therapy can be effective in dealing with certain personal difficulties. For example, writing a diary can be very effective. However, I do not teach writing therapy, which would require special training. I do think that writing and creativity can be therapeutic, and there is plenty of evidence of how creative activities saved people from hopeless situations. Creative writing, where the writer tries to solve some problem of a fictional character, I believe, can also have its “side effects” – writing about others can make you understand a lot about yourself. But self-therapy should not be the writer’s main goal.
What are your future plans as a writer? What would you like to achieve in your career or work?
I would like to write that second book, which I am about a third into at the moment.
How do you spend your free time? How do you take a break from writing?
I spend my free time like everyone else – walking, cycling, going to the cinema, going to exhibitions, travelling. It is important for me to be inspired by life.
