Ask the Author: Maria Murnane
Answered Questions (5)
Maria Murnane
Hi again! Drop me a note at maria@mariamurnane.com and I'll loop in a friend who works at Goodreads so he can help you. :)
Maria Murnane
Hi Bradley, when you created your account here, was there a question asking you if you're an author?
Maria Murnane
I'm no stranger to writer's block, which at times can feel paralyzing. And stressful. And did I say stressful? I've learned to battle this dreaded affliction with three strategies:
1) When I feel stuck on a scene, or if the creative muscle to write clever dialogue or interesting descriptions just isn't there, I make placeholders in ALL CAPS and move on. For example, in the first draft of my latest novel I included placeholders such as:
*DESCRIBE RESTAURANT HERE - HAVE IT RUSTIC AND ON THE BEACH
*HAVE HER WALK ALONG THE BEACH ALONE AND FEEL SAD
*ADD IN SOME DETAIL HERE ABOUT THEIR PREVIOUS TRIP TOGETHER
It's not pretty, but the ALL CAPS thing works because it keeps me focused on the plot. If I've learned anything at all about writing novels, it's how important it is to keep the story moving forward. I can always go back and edit later.
2) When I've done the above but have no idea where to take the plot next, I go to the gym and bring my phone. I jump on the stationary bike with my Kindle Fire and start watching TV. Inevitably I'm struck by an idea, so I whip out my phone and email myself a note. I'm not sure why exercising helps me so much, but it works every time - and it keeps me in shape. A win-win!
3) When I come up with an idea for something to include at some point in the book, I add it to a cleverly named document called "To include at some point." This is basically an eclectic list of bullet points, but it's a great way to make sure those bursts of inspiration don't get lost.
I'm not sure how scientific my approach is, but it works for me!
1) When I feel stuck on a scene, or if the creative muscle to write clever dialogue or interesting descriptions just isn't there, I make placeholders in ALL CAPS and move on. For example, in the first draft of my latest novel I included placeholders such as:
*DESCRIBE RESTAURANT HERE - HAVE IT RUSTIC AND ON THE BEACH
*HAVE HER WALK ALONG THE BEACH ALONE AND FEEL SAD
*ADD IN SOME DETAIL HERE ABOUT THEIR PREVIOUS TRIP TOGETHER
It's not pretty, but the ALL CAPS thing works because it keeps me focused on the plot. If I've learned anything at all about writing novels, it's how important it is to keep the story moving forward. I can always go back and edit later.
2) When I've done the above but have no idea where to take the plot next, I go to the gym and bring my phone. I jump on the stationary bike with my Kindle Fire and start watching TV. Inevitably I'm struck by an idea, so I whip out my phone and email myself a note. I'm not sure why exercising helps me so much, but it works every time - and it keeps me in shape. A win-win!
3) When I come up with an idea for something to include at some point in the book, I add it to a cleverly named document called "To include at some point." This is basically an eclectic list of bullet points, but it's a great way to make sure those bursts of inspiration don't get lost.
I'm not sure how scientific my approach is, but it works for me!
Maria Murnane
I love that my job is to do something that I don't consider "work," and it's great to have my own schedule. I live in New York but most of my family lives in California, so I go home quite often to see them as I take my "favorite auntie" title quite seriously. (I'm pretty sure some casual acquaintances in San Francisco don't even realize I moved to the East Coast haha.) I also never have to use an alarm clock to wake up, and I can work out whenever I want. When I had an office job I remember feeling guilty for running to Walgreen's in the middle of the day. Good God,. If I had to go back to that kind of restriction on my time, I would probably quit or get fired the first week. Not joking.
I think my FAVORITE part of being an author is reading all the wonderful emails I get from fans. It makes me so happy each time a reader enjoys one of my books enough to take the time to get in touch with me. Much like the heroine of one of my novels (Cassidy Lane), sometimes when I have a bad day I read fan emails to cheer myself up, and it always does the trick. Reading emails from actual readers reminds me how lucky I am to be in this position. If you've ever emailed me, thank you!!
I think my FAVORITE part of being an author is reading all the wonderful emails I get from fans. It makes me so happy each time a reader enjoys one of my books enough to take the time to get in touch with me. Much like the heroine of one of my novels (Cassidy Lane), sometimes when I have a bad day I read fan emails to cheer myself up, and it always does the trick. Reading emails from actual readers reminds me how lucky I am to be in this position. If you've ever emailed me, thank you!!
Maria Murnane
The best advice I can give to aspiring writers is that if you truly feel that there is a book inside of you, just sit down and write it. You can think about it, talk about it, dream about it, but that's not going to get you anywhere, because no one can write it for you. You don't have to write a lot every day, but if you're consistent, eventually you will have a book in front of you. And it will feel great, no matter what happens next. When I was writing my first novel (Perfect on Paper), I remember telling my mom that if just ONE person I wasn't related to bought and enjoyed it, I would be thrilled. Keep that in mind when you're writing. How many people want to write a book but never do? Just do it!!
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more