I’d like to welcome Edwina Perkins to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Making time to write. Being involved in so many different avenues in the publishing industry, I allow myself to use my best time to do other things instead of writing.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Working with other writers. I love pouring into the lives of other writers and watching them soar with their careers.

Things you need for writing sessions: Coffee but most of all I need consistency. I have my office in our guest bedroom, and when I walk into the room, I know I’m going there to work. Finding new locations doesn’t motivate me to write, it usually causes me stress because of the distractions around me. I still have my cup of coffee with me at home.

Things that hamper my writing: Not saying no. The thing I love most about being a writer also can hamper my writing. I usually say yes to coaching and mentoring other writers, but sometimes I need to guard my personal writing time and be willing to say no.

Words that describe you: loyal, welcoming, purposeful, generous

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Intimidating, gullible

Something you’re really good at: Cooking. I grew up in the south with a mom who knew how to cook good old-fashioned southern food. When my husband and I gathering with friends, I’ve been asked to bring certain dishes from homemade rolls to chicken and dumplings.

Something I’m really bad at: Saying no. I don’t want to disappoint others.

Last thing you ate: Au jus sandwich and chips that my husband brought me. When I’m focused on my work, I forget to eat. On days he’s home from work, he’ll ask me once or twice if I’ve eaten, then will make me something to be sure I eat.

Last thing you regret eating: How wings with additional hot sauce. I didn’t know it had additional sauce. My mouth tingled for the rest of the evening.

The last thing you ordered online: Emotion support animal stickers. Everyone needs encouragement and I gave them away at a brunch I attended.

The last thing you regret buying: Business cards that didn’t look anything like what I thought I was getting.

Thinks you always put in your books: Things that seem simple, carry truth and are memorable. With my fiction I want to share things that may seem simple but are deeper in meaning. Fiction allows me to share truths in a way that allows people to think. And Memorable? I don’t want someone to read my novel and say, “that was nice,” but I want people to discuss the book and reflect on subject matter they haven’t thought about.

Things you never put in your books: A perfect ending. Satisfying isn't the same as perfect. Life leaves things unresolved. So do my characters.

Things to say to an author: Writing is a marathon, not a sprint, and part of that marathon is learning about the publishing industry. Any writer who is serious about writing needs to be serious about learning and improving their craft. James Scott Bell said something at my first writers’ conference I will never forget. “As a writer you must develop rhino skin, and you will still bleed.” That quote helped me to keep going even when I wanted to quit.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: My cousin writes too. You should connect.

Favorite things to do: I love crafting, but I go all in on one craft, then move on to the next. One year, I made twenty quilts, followed by making doll clothes for our daughter and her friends. Then specialized sweatshirts that sold at Nordstrom. Then Christmas angels out of crepe paper. With every season, God provided. Those crafts sold when our family needed the funds the most. Now I'm into Diamond Art. Some still sell, but mostly it's just therapy for my soul.

Things you’d run through fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Well, won’t do again. I hate heights. Once I was stranded in the top cabin of a Ferris wheel with four young kids. They ran from side to side rocking the cabin, afraid of being stuck forever. I prayed and once my feet touched the ground, I promised myself, never again. I’d rather eat bugs, and I hate bugs.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: I broke an arrow with my neck. It was a trust exercise where a wooden arrow was positioned with the sharp metal tip directly against the soft notch of my throat. I focused on a personal goal or a fear I wanted to break through, and walked forward, putting pressure on the arrow until it snaps. The exercise is safe when guided, but don’t try this at home.

Something you chickened out from doing: Ziplining. Nope, absolutely not. Remember, I don’t like heights.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I can hear your voice as I read your book.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “I just had to meet you! You’re famous!” This was before I published anything.

My favorite book as a child: The Night the Toys Came to Life by Enid Blyton. I loved that book and I believed the story was true. That’s why I always took good care of my toys. During the Christmas holidays, I made a bed on the floor for all my stuff animals. I thought if other stuff animals came to visit at Christmas, they would want to stay when they saw I took care of my other toys.

Your favorite movie as a child: Oscar and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. That’s where my love of musicals came from.

About Edwina:

Edwina Perkins serves as Co-Director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, where she also coordinates Mentoring Moments and manages Sensitivity Between the Lines. As Managing Editor for Harambee Press, an imprint of End Game Press, she champions diverse voices in Christian publishing.

A long-term member of Word Weavers International, Edwina now serves on its advisory board alongside her role on the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association (ECPA) advisory board, where she previously served as Emerging Leader Coordinator.

An award-winning writer and experienced educator, Edwina works as a speaker, freelance editor, mentor, and authenticity consultant. She teaches at conferences throughout the year, advocating for honest, inclusive storytelling in Christian fiction. Her work has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies.

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