Interview with Writer Heidi Ruby Miller
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Hello. I'm Heidi Ruby Miller, the Educational Marketing Coordinator at Frank Lloyd Wright's House on Kentuck Knob and adjunct creative writing faculty at Seton Hill University. I'm also a published writer.
Could you describe your work?
At Kentuck Knob, I developed a continuing education program for teachers where I assist in creating lesson plans and am building a curriculum based on Frank Lloyd Wright, the Kentuck Knob house, its collections, and the Sculpture Meadow. All of the research I do on a daily basis for my job led me to my current project.
What project is that?
A thriller about a Wright Apprentice who encoded secret messages in his blueprints for the US government during WWII. It follows the Apprentice's grandson, among others, as he uncovers the truth and attempts to find two lost atomic bombs. The novel has a Navajo Code Talker, polygamous compounders, and a woman with grapheme color synesthesia, which in my book means she can see other people's emotions as colors.
You mentioned teaching at Seton Hill. Isn't that where you did your undergraduate work?
Yes, I graduated in 2007 from their Writing Popular Fiction Program. I'm also the face you see in those magazine ads for the WPF Program.
- Spooky Cute Designs
Discover the unique charm of Spooky Cute Designs! You will not find these exclusive designs anywhere else!
They have an incredible Alumnae Association, and I'm happy to be an active member, including helping to plan the Annual WPF In Your Wright Mind Conference and Retreat held each June. So many amazing writers are associated with Seton Hill, and I hope to carry on in that tradition with my writing.
Do you belong to any other writers' organizations?
Yes, The Authors Guild, Pennwriters, and the Science Fiction Poetry Association.
What is your personal philosophy about writing?
Fight off the despair. It's not only a career killer, it's a soul killer.
There was a time when I felt that getting my novel published would allow me to live the life I dreamed of, the life I saw many of the writers around me living. When my first two novels didn't make it past the agent stage, I panicked, flirting with ideas that might have brought a quick ego boost, but that would eventually set a tone for my career that was not what I wanted and might make it even harder to climb that publishing success ladder.
I needed to reevaluate. What I found was that I was already living pretty well, doing those things I love best like traveling, eating great food, doing yoga, reading other people's books, and playing video games with my husband.
I know now that publishing isn't the key to happiness, living well while pursuing my dream is. It means a lot of extra hours by week's end, but it's time well-spent. And, if it takes me another three years and as many rejected novels to launch my career, I'll still be able to look back at that time and remember it as full of good experiences. Like when I was on Who Wants to be a Millionaire.
Heidi's Links
- Heidi Ruby Miller's Blog
Heidi Ruby Miller travels to enrich her life and her writing. - Frank Lloyd Wright's House on Kentuck Knob
News, photos, and memories about the Kentuck Knob cultural experience, including features on tours, artists, education, authors and food. - Seton Hill University
Heidi Ruby Miller's work on Creative Writing courses at this American University. - Official Site of the Navajo Code Talkers
Young Navajo men who transmitted secret communications on the battlefields of WWII. - Grapheme Colour synthesia
...In which an individual's perception of numbers and letters is associated with the experience of colors. - The Authors Guild
...Has been the published writer's advocate for effective copyright, fair contracts, and free expression since 1912. - Pennwriters
Pennwriters, a multi-genre writer's organization based in Pennsylvania and beyond. - The Science Fiction Poetry Association
...Founded in 1978 to bring together poets and readers interested in science fiction poetry.
Similar Hubpages are:-
- Interview with Writer Gustavo Bondoni
An author from Argentina who writes mainly on the speculative genres, with quite a bit of science fiction, fantasy and horror. - Character Charts - a Writer's Aid
Purposes of Character Charts: (a)helps create whole characters; (b)find data easily; (c)prevents errors. Why writers use character charts. Plus FREE chart! - Interview with a Green Witch
Green Witchcraft - some call it hedge witchcraft or herb witchcraft. It's a witchcraft which works with herbs and plant lore, and with elementals...
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Great interview, and very cool what you're doing at Kentuck Knob now!
Thank you for dropping by; I'm glad you both enjoyed reading Heidi's interview.
We miss you at Kentuck, Cassie!!
Hope you'll stop to visit when classes are finished for the semester.
:) Heidi
Thank you for the interview, Adele. It was a great exercise in looking at myself and my career.
I hope I can come back soon to announce good things!
Cheers,
Heidi
Great interview! So much of what's written about writing concerns itself with new writers and published writers with little to support those of us in between. Good luck with your project. Sounds like an amazing concept.
Thank you, Henry.
And, I agree about us in-betweeners. We already know how to write and about the business, so it becomes a waiting game. But, meanwhile, we stockpile all of those novels so our backlist is incredible!
Good luck to you,
Heidi
Great hub Adele, I like to meet new writers and i like thrilers too. I hope I can read her one of her book one day. The one she's working on sounds very interesting.
I'd like to thank everyone for visiting this page, and Heidi especially for taking part.
I hope to develop more similar Hubpages, in addition to those already published here. We "in-betweeners" can extend a helping hand to each other in this way.
cameciob:
I hope you can pick this book off the shelf one day too!
Thank you for your encouragement.
Best,
Heidi
Adele:
I honestly believe the in-between stage is the most difficult for writers because we must remain enthusiastic, even though we've had multiple rejections and put in so much time at this point. Plus, we've seen through the magic to the reality and that can dampen any writer's spirit.
You are so right that we must support one another until we can finally grab the industry's attention.
~Heidi
Great interview, HRM. And you're right. If you focus on being published, you lose your true focus, which is the art of creating grat story.
That means a lot coming from you, Laurie Alice, considering your wonderful success.
Thanks for stopping by!
Cheers,
Heidi
Your book project sounds awesome, Heidi. You always were and continue to be an inspiration to SHU WPFers. :)
Ceres!
So good to see you.
Thank you for stopping by, and I hope to see you in person again soon!
Best,
Heidi
It's lovely to see so many writers visiting this page.
Maintaining enthusiasm for writing in the face of rejections slips and relative indifference can be disheartening. But so many successful writers have passed through a similar stage; the greater majority of writers, in fact.
Great interview. We in-betweeners need to be reminded to fight off the despair and live well. Thanks, Heidi!
And thanks for dropping by, Tricia.
Tricia:
Thank you stopping by!
It's good to have a community like Seton Hill to help when the despair threatens.
I really couldn't keep the momentum without a support group.
:) Heidi
Heidi,
This interview was truly a great read. It sounds as though you are very busy but still haven't given up your dream. Good for you! We, here at our house, only hope and wish the best for you always. You deserve it.
Thank you, SAR.
That sounds like a good house!
Heidi, what a great interview. I love it! You have had such a winding journey as a writer, and you have so much insight and wisdom...plus, you are the poster child for persistence!
I soooo miss seeing you and hubby and chitty chatting...maybe it'll work out to come to the retreat this year...I'm not under any contracts right now, and I sure could use the recharge!
SAR and Lainey, thank you for visiting Heidi's page here. I'm glad you both enjoyed reading through her interview.
Lainey!
So good to "see" you. Thank you for stopping by.
I miss you, too. Not sure if we'll make it to the retreat this year either, but I know what you mean about the recharge.
You may not be under contract right now, but I'm betting your laptop is still warm with the next book.
;) Heidi
thevoice 2 years ago
amazing excellent hub work thanks