Ask the Author: Joanna Orwin
Answered Questions (5)
Joanna Orwin
Shifting Currents was triggered by a friend's anecdote about his great-grandmother. As a child growing up in the remote kauri forests of northern New Zealand in the 1850s, she used to row a notable Maori chief up the river. Such a connection was unusual for the times, and piqued my interest. This new historical novel is loosely based on my friend's family history and firmly set in that place and those times.
Joanna Orwin
I read from an early age and love the way books can transport you into a world and experiences different from your own. My inspiration for fiction mostly comes from a particular place or event that snags my attention. If that fragment of an idea stays in my mind, and keeps popping up, it eventually demands I act on it - and a new story is on its way.
Joanna Orwin
Read widely in the genre you want to write in, be observant on a daily basis (about people and their behaviour and speech patterns, and your surroundings - whether it be a cityscape or natural landscape). Then make writing a regular activity. Writers learn their craft by writing. With every book, I learn so much more about writing - it's a neverending process.
Joanna Orwin
Knowing that you've created something tangible and accessible to others that didn't exist before.
Joanna Orwin
If a writing session is proving frustrating or I'm struggling to sort out a story problem, I just keep writing - anything. I usually find that the next time I sit down to tackle the problem, I can make real progress, even if I end up discarding what I wrote the day before.
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