Student Profiles: Betsy Cutler
Most
of my studies have been in biology, chemistry, and animal science. I
like to link the characteristics of these studies into my world of writing
ultimately through human nature and chaos. For me, there is no ‘off’ switch
to writing. It doesn’t care if I am miles away from a computer
or under my house wondering what to do with an old coal furnace. At
any moment, I can become a victim of the forgotten idea. The best thoughts
can come at the least expected time. Therefore, when brilliant thoughts
come — I never, ever, say, “I’ll write it down later.” Even
when I say to myself, “I’m sure I’ll remember that. How
could I forget?” An hour later, I’ll be asking myself, “Now
what was that great idea I had?” I try to have ‘writers-idea’ insurance
with me — a pen and paper or recorder.
I’m a writer who reads. My reading tastes can be pictured as a rainbow, or perhaps a grayscale — each color, shade, or tint a representative author. Some authors who I admire: Denis Johnson, particularly his story “Emergency,” shifts from humor to darkness with great talent. Dorothy Allison’s “River of Names,” sprays out — like buckshot — an unimaginable life on the pages. Annie Dillard and Alice Walker. I study their techniques of shifting tense, flashbacks, sentence structure, and visualization.