Ask the Author: Christopher David Sturdevant
Answered Questions (6)
Christopher David Sturdevant
When I experience writer's block, I often turn to research on the subject matter so that I have a better understanding of what I am trying to say. If that does not work, I set the work aside for the time being and go back to it later, or I work on the details of a later section of the story. I have been known to talk things over with my confidant to brainstorm ideas to get past the block, as well.
Christopher David Sturdevant
The best thing about being a writer is that it allows you to create environments, characters and creatures from your imagination to spark the imaginations of your readers.
Christopher David Sturdevant
The best advice I can give to an aspiring author is to sit down and either write or type out their ideas, an outline, if you will. Lay out the ground work for the story you want to tell.
Don't worry about grammar or punctuation for now. When you have your ideas down, walk away for a little while and come back to it. Read over your previous ideas and if necessary tweak them. This helps you to think the story thru from beginning to end and may help you from getting stuck.
I would also advise finding a trusted confidant, with whom you can bounce your ideas off of. Sometimes they can help with direction or point out flaws and pitfalls. When you have done this, take your ideas/outline and start filling in the blanks with description and action.
Don't worry about grammar or punctuation for now. When you have your ideas down, walk away for a little while and come back to it. Read over your previous ideas and if necessary tweak them. This helps you to think the story thru from beginning to end and may help you from getting stuck.
I would also advise finding a trusted confidant, with whom you can bounce your ideas off of. Sometimes they can help with direction or point out flaws and pitfalls. When you have done this, take your ideas/outline and start filling in the blanks with description and action.
Christopher David Sturdevant
Often, I am doing something else, and I suddenly have an idea for my storyline. If I am not near my computer, I jot down the idea or make a note in my phone. Then when I sit down with someone and brainstorm the idea. Once the idea is fleshed out, I add it to my storyline.
Christopher David Sturdevant
It has been over thirty years now since I wrote a poem called "The Hall of a Thousand Doors." The poem featured an adult who finds himself in a hallway with doors as far as his eyes could see. Behind each of the doors were scenes from his life.
Two years later, I started to have ideas of changing the parameters of the poem and turning it into a short story. Instead of an adult, I placed a small child in the hall, and instead of scenes from his life, each door led to a different fairy tale. My villain works to destroy the happy endings and my hero is there to stop him.
The story never really made it past the initial pages, though, from time to time, I would revisit ideas for its continuation.
Last year in the Spring (2013), I was taking a screen-writing class and we were assigned to write the first 20-30 pages of an original screenplay. For days I struggled with ideas on what to use for my content. Then it hit me. I had a story in my head, going on 30 years now. I started writing out the screenplay and was on a roll. I flew past the 20-30 page limit of the assignment and informed my instructor that I was going to finally finish the complete story.
Once the semester ended, I realized that I had all the elements I needed to finally write the story, so I began the task of converting the screenplay over to manuscript form.
Now, a year and a half later, after a great deal of hard work, the book is finished.
Two years later, I started to have ideas of changing the parameters of the poem and turning it into a short story. Instead of an adult, I placed a small child in the hall, and instead of scenes from his life, each door led to a different fairy tale. My villain works to destroy the happy endings and my hero is there to stop him.
The story never really made it past the initial pages, though, from time to time, I would revisit ideas for its continuation.
Last year in the Spring (2013), I was taking a screen-writing class and we were assigned to write the first 20-30 pages of an original screenplay. For days I struggled with ideas on what to use for my content. Then it hit me. I had a story in my head, going on 30 years now. I started writing out the screenplay and was on a roll. I flew past the 20-30 page limit of the assignment and informed my instructor that I was going to finally finish the complete story.
Once the semester ended, I realized that I had all the elements I needed to finally write the story, so I began the task of converting the screenplay over to manuscript form.
Now, a year and a half later, after a great deal of hard work, the book is finished.
Christopher David Sturdevant
Currently, I am working on setting up the means for purchasing my new book as well as the marketing aspects of being a new author. When I am not doing that, I am developing content for the upcoming sequels to "The Hall of a Thousand Doors."
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