An Interview with Miranda Mulders, 'Miranda'
by Brigitte Whiting
Tell us something about yourself. What do you bring from your background into your writing?
My husband John, Bearded Collie Kizzy, and I live on the Dutch island of Bonaire. I work weekends in a small hotel and John and I have a freelance photography business.
I was born in the Netherlands and always knew I didn't want to stay in my home country. My husband and I have traveled the world for twenty-five years for his work: to London; Perth, Western Australia; Calgary, Canada; a year in Aruba; ten years in Houston, Texas; and now to Bonaire.
My travels and life experiences inspire my writing.
What do you write? Specific genres?
Friends and family have always said they loved my letters and emails and that I should become a writer. I've written letters and articles for a monthly blog and more recently I've found I'm interested in writing short stories. I have a tendency to open them with dramatic openings and end them with cliffhangers. If I can come up with a great beginning and ending, I know the rest of the story will follow.
I don't have a specific preference for topics or genres and write about day-to-day happenings.
What classes are you taking at WVU, and how have they helped your writing?
I joined WVU in October 2016 to improve my knowledge of grammar. I found that the MFA before the number was a bit intimidating at first but when I found I could complete the courses, I signed up for the MFA program in nonfiction and then tested the waters for fiction. A whole world opened up to me. Never could I have guessed that there was so much to learn about writing. I may end up with two MFA certificates.
What is the biggest surprise you've experienced at WVU?
My husband and I don't have children and we're at an age where friends and family don't have small children anymore either. I'd never considered writing children's books or stories but from the positive
Have you published anything? What are you working on now?
So far, I haven't published anything yet but I have considered entering some work.
What's next on your publishing docket?
When I started with WVU, I had a desire to write a novel about our first dog but didn't know how. Now that I have learned more, I may reconsider and use only anecdotes for short stories.
I have a dream to create a book of
Another project my husband and I would like to finish is a picture book about Bonaire. On the left-hand page would be a full-page picture and on the right-hand page would be a factual or anecdotal story I wrote.
What would you tell anyone who has aspirations to publish something?
Don't be afraid of rejection or negative feedback from publishers or from anyone else but consider it an opportunity to learn and grow.
There are so many ways to publish. If you want to self-publish and don't have the means to do so, consider the free option that Kindle Direct Publishing offers.
Is there something you want to see offered at WVU?
I would like to see more feedback that will help expose the weaknesses in my writing. I don't mean criticism; it can still be positive but I need to know how classmates truly perceive my posts. I often mention that if people can find the time and energy, they can be brutally honest and can comment about anything that will help me improve. Although it nice to hear "I loved reading your story, great job!" that doesn't help me much, especially when I feel my story is shaky at best. Fortunately, I've recently received a lot of helpful tips which I am grateful for and I believe things are changing.
I would also like to see more clarity about
There are a number of WVU members for whom English is a second language. What can the rest of us do to help you, and these other students, with completing the classes? Do you have any suggestions on how to navigate through the difficulties? Any resources that you could share?
To help students who have a native language different from English, don't hesitate to point out mistakes. If there are recurring issues, a moderator might suggest that the student should take a basic course, like grammar, before continuing.
I haven't run into a foreign student who couldn't complete a class but if there are problems, either wait for a classmate to post and if things are still not clear, simply ask for clarification. The moderators
Research and Google, especially if you are uncertain about cultural issues.
My ease of writing and speaking in English fluctuates. I sometimes have to call a friend in the USA to get back on track. When I lived in Houston, I had no issues but on Bonaire, I only get a chance to speak English when I occasionally meet British, American or Canadian guests at the hotel where I work.
I found it hard to understand the terminology when I started writing since I didn't grow up in the American school system. I've considered compiling a list of terms and their explanations, such as POV, parallel structure, media res, etc. I still hope to find time to do that because I think everyone, but especially foreign students may benefit from it.
A writer's tip or two you'd like to share.
Always keep your reader in mind.
Pay attention to everything, even the banal things in life, and keep something on hand to jot down notes. There are stories lurking in some of the more mundane stuff and it's rewarding to write about those in great detail.
From the MFA03 course, I learned that literary citizenship is important. There is so much available online, like The New Yorker and Brevity on Facebook.
