Sandra Douglas began her writing career in 2005 with the publication of her first short-story and a non-fiction piece in Vortex, the annual literary journal of Scottsdale Community College. Since then, she has written numerous articles and short stories featured in both on-line and print publications including Byline Magazine and KOA's on-line magazine. She is currently working on her first novel.

Sandra earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Arizona State University in 1985. As an RN, she specialized in critical care nursing, also spending time in the emergency room, labor and delivery, home health, and case management. She earned a Master of Business Administration degree before moving into the health insurance industry to work as a research analyst.

She has since left nursing to focus on her family and writing career. She now lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with her husband and is a mother and step-mother to their five children.

My passion is ...

Finding the joy in each moment and every experience

My parents always told me ...

The main thing is not to get nervous.

My childhood ambition ...

I had many ambitions, but I never thought I'd be a writer!

My favorite memory ...

I love to sit and remember those funny things my children said: My 6 year old out for a walk he did not want to be on said in a very loud voice, "I'm trying to be nice and say nice things, and you're torchering me!" He has always been able to turn heads.

Why I write ...

As writer's, we have an obligation to put something out there that can be of service in some way to another person.The reader gets something useful, the writer gets money. It works for everybody.

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

Reading Raymond Carver's short stories. Listening to Mozart

My first job ...

Anyone remember Fotomat? A tiny kiosk in the middle of a parking lot where people dropped off film and picked up pictures a week later. Downtime was spent looking at customer's photos...I learned a lot about people that summer.

My best moment ...

Winning first place for a creative non-fiction piece that still makes me cry every time I read it.

My inspiration ...

The great artists who have come before me.

Arts & Humanities > Thoughts on Writing Starting a writers' group

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We writers are a community, whether we meet together in a writing group, work in an on-line group, or simply communicate with fellow writers through their written words. I have stacks of books on writing, subscribe to several writers' magazines, and frequently peruse the Internet sites of other writers. None of these has given me as much encouragement and motivation as my writing group.

It took time for us to find each other. It started with a creative writing class at the local community college. When the class ended, a few of us, not wanting to lose the connection, decided to continue...

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