Ask the Author: Mara Amberly
Answered Questions (5)
Mara Amberly
They're not from a book, although there are books out there, but it's got to be Mulder and Scully. Most of the time more partners than a couple, they're awesome and interesting to watch. I'm an X-Files fan going way back. :)
Mara Amberly
When I have writer's block, I try to find the issue and remove it. I probably have a lot more freedom in my writing because I self-publish and I don't have deadlines for my books. I have a few different books in the works, so I can work on different projects, or take a break and focus on art for a while. I think working with my muse (letting my instincts guide what I work on at a given time) can help a lot.
What I've also found is sometimes it takes time for more inspiring ideas to arrive. You can't come up with all of the cool, awesome ideas at once. Sometimes it takes returning to what you've written in another frame of mind to add more or for inspiration to strike in a different way so as to move past what feels like a pause in writing. You can just make yourself continue writing but I find listening to your instincts can help.
What I've also found is sometimes it takes time for more inspiring ideas to arrive. You can't come up with all of the cool, awesome ideas at once. Sometimes it takes returning to what you've written in another frame of mind to add more or for inspiration to strike in a different way so as to move past what feels like a pause in writing. You can just make yourself continue writing but I find listening to your instincts can help.
Mara Amberly
Keep going. If you have a clear direction of where the plot should go, I find that makes it easier to write a novel, though different people approach that differently. Once you have a draft, you can re-write it, edit it and you have something real and tangible to work with. That is more useful than ideas that aren't yet a draft. Every word on the page is one tiny step closer to completing your novel.
Mara Amberly
What I've found works for me is setting a routine. If I set a specific word count per day and hold myself to that, it's much easier to get my writing done. I find the greatest inspiration comes from reading back over my most recent writing and working on it. When I'm not actively working on it, my mind is often on other things.
Mara Amberly
I'm currently planning out Silk and Earth, which is book 2 of the Sisters of the North series. I'm also working on the plot for an urban fantasy novel with the working title of Pandora's Future. I have some other book ideas as well, but those are temporarily on hold while I focus on these two.
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