CC’s Interview Series, Author, SD PORTER

Author interviews always inspire me and surely affect my craft. It’s been a moment since I’ve posted an interview on Steps In Between—time flies when you’re busy in life! I am thrilled to bring back my interview series, and to kick off this new season with award winning, multi-genre author, SD Porter, who is up and coming as well as down to earth.

I met SD Porter in a year-long writing course through the PNWA (Pacific Northwest Writers Association) years ago. Several of our classmates continued to gather after the class ended, and we started a critique group. Some members have come and gone, as life carries on, though many of us have stayed together. Working closely for so long means we’re there for the nitty gritty hard stuff, the exhausting stuff, the silly stuff, the honest stuff, and we know each other so well, we can champion each piece of work for each unique writer. For me, I wouldn’t be the writer I am now without my critique group.

Today, we’re talking to SD Porter. Let’s dive in!

CC: Welcome to Steps In Between! Please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us how long you’ve been writing.

SD Porter: I’m a retired teacher who finally gets to write! I have been writing for about seven years now, but I am just really getting rolling these past two years since I retired.

CC: How would you describe yourself as a writer? Are you a pantser or a plotter? Do you have a favorite style?

SD Porter: I’d say I’m a 90 percent pantser. I do some plotting to make sure I have a big enough idea to create a whole story. I don’t have the time to write a story for every crazy thing that inspires me.

CC: Do you have a writing group or community of writers you belong to? (I already gave this one away up above, but I couldn’t resist sharing our critique group)!

SD Porter: Yes, I belong to the PNWA, which has been my homebase, but my real community is my weekly writing group. We’re a small group of serious writers who have developed a real friendship and support system. It’s my lifeblood.

CC: Can you share how do you begin a piece of writing? What is your process, and how do you know when a project is done? Are you a multi-project writer or one at a time?

SD Porter: I usually have a number of things going at the same time. It gets boring when I stay on the same track, and I need some distraction away from a big project to get my juices flowing. For me, it takes more patience to edit, and not a ton of creativity, so when I hit that spot, I need a creative outlet.

CC: Are there other areas of creativity or hobbies you dabble in? Or is there anything new you’d like to learn?

SD Porter: I like photography. My husband is a photographer and has been teaching me some things. I love the close-up macro photography. I have also been learning furniture restoration because I go stir-crazy sitting in the same place, so I have to get up and do something active…plus it’s not healthy to sit all day and write.

CC: Who are a few of your favorite authors or genres you enjoy?

SD Porter: I love most genres, if they are written well. Stephen King is a favorite for me, as is Kyla Stone and V.E. Schwab. Honestly, there are too many to name!

CC: Please share some advice for creators out there!

SD Porter: Surround yourself with people who share your passion…they will keep you going when the road gets rough. I feel super blessed to have those people in my life.

CC: Congratulations on your first place win for the PNWA (Pacific Northwest Writers Conference) Literary Contest, in the category of Young Adult! That’s a great honor! Do you have any upcoming events or news you’d like to share?

SD Porter: Thank you! And yes, I have a lot of irons in the fire. I have a Halloween anthology coming out called, Midnight Meet-Ups (with my writing besties), a novella called Twisted Fates (published by The Wild Rose Press), out in January, and then a full-size novel, my dystopian tale, The Nova Chronicles, which is currently in the editing stages with my publisher! It’s an exciting time for me!

*Here’s some of SD Porter’s previous books!*

CC: How can we get in touch with you or find your work?

SD Porter: Here are a couple sites for my books and my blog:

Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/sdporterbooks

Blog: www.penproseandpoetry.com

Instagram: sdporterwrites

SD Porter writes across all genres, including poetry, dystopian, and even a little romance. She loves to take on writing challenges, and is always encouraging other creatives to keep going. I can’t thank SD Porter enough for taking the time to share glimpses of her author life with us. I truly believe writers grow when they connect with other writers. Of course we need to read, take classes, and practice writing to hone our craft, but it’s relationships that matter the most.

I am excited to be one of the collaborative authors with SD Porter in the upcoming Holiday Chronicles book, Midnight Meet-Ups! This anthology holds three short Halloween romance shorts from three authors, and it releases in e-book on September 30^th, with the print book to follow.

Our next author interview will be with the third member of Midnight Meet-Ups, Eliza Storm! It’s refreshing to breathe new life into CC’s Interview Series, so look for even more author interviews after that. And if you’re an author who wants to be included, please contact me to arrange an interview. The more, the merrier!

Happy reading and joyful writing…it takes a village, so stick together, creatives!

Celaine Charles

September 25, 2025

Bio:

Celaine Charles is a teacher by day and writer by night. She’s an award-winning, multi-genre author who strives to balance her dual life creating poetry, young adult fantasy, romance shorts, and a blog about her writing journey, Steps in Between. To thrive, Celaine enjoys walks through the enchanted forests of Washington State, reading at least fifteen minutes a day, and eating mounds of allergy-free chocolate. She is currently querying her children’s picture books about social emotional learning in whimsical, creative ways. Join her newsletter, as she loves connecting with writers and readers. Find her other published books and links on her website: https://celainecharlesauthor.com/

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