In that regard, he surprised me by saying that teamwork does not seem essential since writers are working by themselves most of the time. Of course, I wasn’t always alone in this, which drove my inclusion of “team-oriented” in the question. My own early writing experiences always started and ended with ideas that I was playing around with in my mind. “I think part of what drives writers to tell stories is the idea of exploring ideas.” It took some time to consider those words, but they make a lot of sense in hindsight. “Certainly, willing to learn is,” he replied. I then asked if traits such as “team-oriented” or “willing to learn” were considered valuable in this field. The professor stressed that “it takes a long time for literary writers to produce a particular piece of writing.” This made sense. The last item he listed for this question was patience. They rhythm, sonics, and imagery of sentences. Careful readers learn a lot more than just content. The second skill he listed was the ability to be a careful reader. Writers are at their best when they are observant of the world around them, looking for ideas, inspiration, and stories. “We tend to be the wallflowers at a party.” John Gardener’s The Art of Fiction was mentioned as a guide that stresses this.

I started plain, asking Professor Grooms what he would say are some of the most valued skills in writing. The first questions we covered focused on what abilities and traits would benefit professionals in the field of creative writing. The interview was conducted on March 30th, 2021. He was gracious enough to accept my interview request and provide his take on creative writing as a career.

Currently, Tony Grooms is a professor teaching creative writing to graduate students at Kennesaw State University. An excellent example would be how he wrote from the perspective of a Vietnam War Veteran for Bombingham, which made for a very deep and heavily impactful tale, grounded in the history of the bombings in Birmingham. Of particular interest are some of the characters and perspectives he brings to life through his stories. He is the author behind the civil rights themed works such as Bombingham, which was listed as a notable book by the Washington Post, and The Vain Conversation, which made the list of 25 books all Georgians should read. Professor Grooms was born and raised in rural Virginia, and grew up during a time when the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War were still radically changing society around him. Anthony Grooms is one such individual whose powerful writing made waves within the literary community. The world is full of creative minds guided by various unique experiences and forms of inspiration. Photos provided by Professor Grooms upon request, following our interview.

Bombingham by anthony grooms