Craft Advice with Nana-Ama Danquah
On contemplation, the impact of depression on writing, beautiful segues, writing honestly about ourselves, ghostwriting, raising a child as an author, and the magic of timed writing.
Intimate conversations with our greatest heart-centered minds.
The 25th Anniversary Edition of her groundbreaking memoir, Willow Weep for Me: A Black Woman’s Journey Through Depression, was published this year with a foreword by Andrew Solomon. She’s also edited four anthologies: Becoming American: Personal Essays by First Generation Immigrant Women; Shaking the Tree: New Fiction and Memoir by Black Women; The Black Body; and, Accra Noir.
If you missed part one of our interview, you can read it here.
I loved speaking with Nana-Ama about her work. She offered some tips I can’t wait to try out! I think you’ll feel the same. As always, let me know what you think in the comments!
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Where do you write?
I travel so much that I write wherever I can. There’s usually a desk at the hotel. At home, I have an office, but right now, I’m restructuring it, so I set up a little table in the living room. Surprisingly, it’s quite nice — I’m surrounded by my bookcase.
Do you write by hand or on a laptop?