Ask the Author: Chip St. Clair
Answered Questions (6)
Chip St. Clair
When I need a boost of creative energy, I might turn on some music, go for a drive, get a massage, or do dinner and a movie. Sometimes all I need is a deadline and I'm off and running, er, writing!
Chip St. Clair
For me, writer's block is usually a result of feeling overwhelmed or unsettled, as opposed to a lack of inspiration. Whenever I'm "not feeling it", I take a break and get away from the project for a while--do something fun, try to unwind, get out of the house. Or there may be something bothering me that I need to address. Refocusing and prioritizing are some of the best ways to get back in the writing game.
Chip St. Clair
My best ideas always catch me unaware. For the YA series I'm working on, I happened to hear a song and all of a sudden a visual hit me that I just had to write down. From there the seed of imagination began to blossom.
Chip St. Clair
Shopping both an MG & YA series. The film adaptation of my memoir The Butterfly Garden is currently in preproduction. Co-writing a new screenplay for a top Hollywood producer.
Chip St. Clair
Get the project out any way you can. Once you have your first draft, edit, edit, edit. Take some time between edits so you can look at your ms with a fresh perspective. Go for high concept over stale tropes. Show don't tell. Find power in your dialogue. And above all else, perseverance is the key to success. Nothing worthwhile ever comes easy.
Chip St. Clair
When you write because you love it, it's its own reward. You love creating characters, worlds, sentences, names. You love the way words come together to paint a picture so unforgettable that you can't help but want to write more.
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