Meet the Members: Dorothy Paredes

“This is an exciting, challenging, scary and completely new journey for me.”

— Dorothy Paredes

A member of the Writers’ League since November 2019, Dorothy currently lives in South Austin, Texas. 

Scribe: In what genre(s) do you write?

Dorothy Paredes: I am currently writing a memoir. I do have a couple unfinished manuscripts that are short story, novel-esque. 

Scribe: What author would you most like to have a drink with, and what’s the first question you would ask them? 

DP: This is a hard one, there are several (of course) but the one that stands out the most, and it’s hard for me to admit this now because I don’t want to be “mainstream,” would be Margaret Atwood. I was first introduced to her through The Handmaids Tale back in the early 2000’s during a Woman’s Lit class and I was so struck by the story that I quickly began to read her other novels. My favorite is Surfacing. What is most impactful to me about her writing is her leading characters. They struggle to find and know themselves throughout the story. Regardless of the hardships faced, the character perseveres to attain a level of personal fulfillment and success. Therefore the first question I would ask is, when did she first start questioning herself?  

Scribe: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what book would you want to have with you to keep you sane?

DP: If I were stranded on a deserted island, I would want to have Lucifer’s Hammer by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven with me to keep me sane.

Scribe: What have you learned from your association with the Writers’ League?

DP: The value of the writing community to support (directly or non-directly) the mission of writing.

Scribe: Where do you see your writing taking you (or you taking it) in the future?

DP:  I see my writing taking me into the world of non-profits and motivational speaking.

Scribe: Here at the Writers’ League, we love sharing book recommendations. What’s one Texas-related book that has come out within the past year that you couldn’t put down?

DP: Okay so I’ll be honest, I haven’t read a Texas-related book that has come out within the past year (2019 Calendar Year). But, the one Texas related book that came out close to 2019 (October 2018) that I read in 2019 and couldn’t put down, was Dare to Lead by Brené Brown.

Scribe: Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with the world? An opportunity for blatant self-promotion!

DP: I am currently working on finishing my very first book that I aim to self-publish/promote in February 2020! This is an exciting, challenging, scary and completely new journey for me. The book will tell my story of self discovery, disappointment, and survival in the trying times of cancer at the age of 26. Wish me luck and send vibes of perseverance my way (I am a bit of a procrastinator).

Thank you, Dorothy!

If you’re a Writers’ League member and you’d be interested in being interviewed for our Meet the Members feature, email us at member@writersleague.org for more information. It’s a great way for other members to get to know you and for you to share a bit about what you’re working on!

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