Ask the Author: Matthew O'Neil
Answered Questions (6)
Matthew O'Neil
I'll typically take a break from writing if I do. Writer's block, for me, is a signal that I'm tapped out for content and my thinking isn't where I want it to be. I find that if I take a day away from the writing and focus on something else (watching a movie, playing with my children, cooking a meal, etc.), then I can return to the product with fresh eyes, a fresh mind, and perhaps a new perspective to approach the material.
Matthew O'Neil
Honestly, it's when I get random emails/tweets/Facebook messages from people I've never met who are just as excited as me about the content of the books. When I see I'm not the only one who cares about the issues that I write about, that speaks volumes to me about the work that I do.
Having published work on your resume is also pretty exciting.
Having published work on your resume is also pretty exciting.
Matthew O'Neil
Just write. Write about what you're passionate about. Write when you have a free moment. Finding time is certainly important, but unless you've gotten an advance from a publisher and can quit your job from it, people can be limited. So find a few minutes to chip away at whatever it is you're writing about. It'll eventually come together.
As for how "good" the structure, content, etc. is, worry about that once you've got all the content written. I call my first phase of writing the "vomit" phase, because I, more or less, just start typing to get everything I want to say on the screen/page. You can read back afterwards and edit, shift, and restructure the page so it reads better. Just make sure you know what you want to say. There are editors out there that can make it flow easier too. If you have a publisher, they can take care of that for you. Otherwise you can access them through other sites if you want. Or ask someone you trust to do a read through (you should probably do that anyway to ensure it is readable and to get constructive criticism).
As for how "good" the structure, content, etc. is, worry about that once you've got all the content written. I call my first phase of writing the "vomit" phase, because I, more or less, just start typing to get everything I want to say on the screen/page. You can read back afterwards and edit, shift, and restructure the page so it reads better. Just make sure you know what you want to say. There are editors out there that can make it flow easier too. If you have a publisher, they can take care of that for you. Otherwise you can access them through other sites if you want. Or ask someone you trust to do a read through (you should probably do that anyway to ensure it is readable and to get constructive criticism).
Matthew O'Neil
I don't want to offer too much of a giveaway, but I am presently writing about something from the book of Genesis; how it is incorrectly translated today, what it meant at the time, and how we can understand it to be more myth than fact.
Matthew O'Neil
I'm inspired to write through reading. Typically, I will be researching, or reading for pleasure, and a concept will jump out at me as something I feel inclined to explore more. When I find something that really gushes information for me, that's when I decide to start writing about it.
I also am inspired to write by questions that I encounter from others, or concepts that seem to have little understanding behind them. If a friend positions a question around a concept, or openly starts a conversation with only a thin understanding, I often feel it's my duty to provide the information to the best of my abilities. This will often lead to me writing at length.
I also am inspired to write by questions that I encounter from others, or concepts that seem to have little understanding behind them. If a friend positions a question around a concept, or openly starts a conversation with only a thin understanding, I often feel it's my duty to provide the information to the best of my abilities. This will often lead to me writing at length.
Matthew O'Neil
I got the idea from, not only my own experience with death as a teenager, but my graduate thesis. My thesis was one that really motivated me to pursue writing, and the more I had researched the more interested I became in the subject. I knew I wanted to eventually work it into a published book, and this was the end result.
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