Ask the Author: Dani Cojo
Answered Questions (5)
Dani Cojo
There are three tips that I will always provide to aspiring writers:
First, the most cliche answer: don't stop writing. We all have to start from somewhere, and when looking back you will cringe. However, you will always improve. Even when you think you can't get better, you will.
Second: get involved with a writing group. Whether it's among a few friends, with a writer's group on Facebook, or in a high school or college class. Having others read your work and critique every detail of your work is one of the best ways to grow as a writer. It will be daunting to sit quietly and listen to others tear your piece apart. However, it will help you gain a thicker skin and help you appreciate the feedback of others. It will also let you return the favor and read other's works more intimately!
Third: READ. The more you read, the more you will pick up on how other writers craft their sentences, plots, worlds, and characters. My writing has been inspired by authors such as Neal Shusterman and Cassandra Clare, and has evolved to match my own style. It's okay to take what you learn from your favorite authors.
First, the most cliche answer: don't stop writing. We all have to start from somewhere, and when looking back you will cringe. However, you will always improve. Even when you think you can't get better, you will.
Second: get involved with a writing group. Whether it's among a few friends, with a writer's group on Facebook, or in a high school or college class. Having others read your work and critique every detail of your work is one of the best ways to grow as a writer. It will be daunting to sit quietly and listen to others tear your piece apart. However, it will help you gain a thicker skin and help you appreciate the feedback of others. It will also let you return the favor and read other's works more intimately!
Third: READ. The more you read, the more you will pick up on how other writers craft their sentences, plots, worlds, and characters. My writing has been inspired by authors such as Neal Shusterman and Cassandra Clare, and has evolved to match my own style. It's okay to take what you learn from your favorite authors.
Dani Cojo
Much like how I deal with writer's block, having a conversation with friends is often enough to inspire me to write. However, sometimes it's something else like a song, an image, a dream, or just the itch to write anything.
Dani Cojo
The concept for my series, "The Age of Mythos" was inspired by roleplays and stories that my friends and I created when we were young. For several years we built up a world and too many characters to count. We always joked about how we would one day make a comic, a movie, or a book out of our ideas. So, I decided to take on that challenge to create a long-running series that revolved around our characters and their lives.
Dani Cojo
The best way that I combat writer's block is to talk out my problems and questions with a trusted friend. For me, that's my fiancee. He knows so much about my characters and the world I've created, that if I'm stuck on a scene or feel unsatisfied with something, I can talk to him and we can brainstorm together. His ideas and opinions often spark an epiphany that gets me excited to write! This process can solve a problem in a couple of minutes, or may take a few weeks before I finally break out of the block.
Dani Cojo
I am currently working on my series "The Age of Mythos." The first novel in the series has been completed and is going through a final revision before publication. The second is currently being written, while the third is still a growing concept in my head.
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