Ask the Author: E.M. Johnson
Answered Questions (5)
E.M. Johnson
I love exploring the characters and how they interact with each other and their environment. I love to sit and think about how this person would react to a time of strife, and what they would do to overcome and emerge victorious (if they can). The characters are what drives me, and they're my favorite part of the whole experience. The second best thing is definitely hearing other people talk about the characters and the stories they've lived. It makes me happy to hear when other people are as impacted by my characters as I am.
E.M. Johnson
In middle school I loved Brian Jacques' Redwall series. Martin the Warrior was my favorite, but I hated how it ended - so I decided to try and write my own ending. It resulted in a HUGE fanfiction with lots of my own characters intermingled with Brian Jacques'. I didn't like it very much though - because it wasn't entirely mine. So, I started working on an idea with my own original characters. Malkarai, Cypha, and Dyspro were the first three, and they were in a war scenario. That changed VERY quickly. I hate war. I enjoy battles of one on one, but not war or the politics behind it. What developed after I removed the war element was pretty close in plot to the finished project in print now.
E.M. Johnson
I very rarely focus on one thing for more than a few weeks. Right now I'm writing about the main characters from The Dark as kids, but I'm also in the middle of massive editing of The Haven - the direct sequel to The Dark. I have two other large series projects as well, but they've been on hiatus for a bit.
E.M. Johnson
Keep writing. If you love it, then it'll make you happy. The more you write, the better you get - but you still need outside influences. Read other books. Learn about grammar and writing style. Find people to read your writing, and LISTEN to their criticism and suggestions. Not everyone is always right, but respect your editors enough to at least investigate and consider their critiques. You'd be surprised what you figure out, and it'll make your writing stronger in the end.
E.M. Johnson
Sometimes I'll bounce ideas off my husband - he's my best sounding board. When he's not around or is too busy, I'll either go back and read/edit my already written work, draw, or work on a craft. The art doesn't really help me get unstuck, but it makes me less frustrated. If neither of those paths work, then I play a video game!
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