Ask the Author: Daryl Potter
Answered Questions (3)
Daryl Potter
Writer's Block has never been an issue for me. Writer's Dilemma however is a constant challenge: "should I go This Way with the story or That Way?" Writing, like Life, involves choices. Choices have consequences. Unlike Life, you can start over again in writing.
Perhaps that's why I never have Writer's Block. I'm fine with writing 10,000 words and then throwing them away. When I feel blocked, I back up to where the story lost its feeling for me, tell myself that This Way didn't work, so now I'll choose Another Way, and strike off again. Usually, my second attempts work. That makes me a somewhat emotional writer, but never a blocked one.
Perhaps that's why I never have Writer's Block. I'm fine with writing 10,000 words and then throwing them away. When I feel blocked, I back up to where the story lost its feeling for me, tell myself that This Way didn't work, so now I'll choose Another Way, and strike off again. Usually, my second attempts work. That makes me a somewhat emotional writer, but never a blocked one.
Daryl Potter
Read in a variety of genres and styles and learn from them all. Also, learn not to just enjoy fiction in a variety of genres and styles (as a reader) but also learn how these literary approaches work (in order to be a writer). Writing is a craft. There are things that writers need to learn how to do, that they want the reader to feel, but don't want the reader to see. Like a magician's techniques, there are different tricks, skills and approaches that are required to accomplish this, but unlike magicians, writers (and critics) don't typically hide how the magic works. Aspiring writers should take advantage of this by reading, and then learning about what they've read. This takes time, but it will profitably inform your writing instincts.
Daryl Potter
Currently, I am working on multiple projects at once! I am working with my editor on second-round editing on "Blind Man's Labyrinth", my follow novel to "Keziah's Song". Book three in the series goes to first-round editing in April. And I am about 20% of the way through the first draft of Book 4 in the series!
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