Ask the Author: Emily Bain Murphy
Answered Questions (6)
Emily Bain Murphy
Hi Sydney! Yes, I am!
Emily Bain Murphy
Hi Barry! Oh my goodness, of course! Let me check with my publisher and I will get back to you about this right away. Best, and apologies, Emily
Emily Bain Murphy
I can't possibly name just one! So here are a few of my all-time favorites: Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe; Eleanor and Park; Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy; and Kaz and Inej. <3 <3 <3
Emily Bain Murphy
It is actually impossible to be bored. I'm always thinking about my characters or working out a knot in a story and I can do it WHEREVER I WANT. While I'm doing the dishes. Waiting in line at the DMV. In the shower. Most of my best plotting breakthroughs for THE DISAPPEARANCES actually happened while I was commuting long hours on the Mass Pike.
Also, this sounds kind of terrible, but when someone tells me I wrote something that made them cry--especially in a scene that isn't necessarily trying to be sad! Writing can be such a personal thing, and reading is really an intimate thing as well, to allow someone else's voice into your mind for a little while. So when I am able to connect with someone and make them feel what I feel without even speaking (even, perhaps, without knowing each other), it's really incredible. It's an honor, and it's one of the best feelings in the world.
Also, this sounds kind of terrible, but when someone tells me I wrote something that made them cry--especially in a scene that isn't necessarily trying to be sad! Writing can be such a personal thing, and reading is really an intimate thing as well, to allow someone else's voice into your mind for a little while. So when I am able to connect with someone and make them feel what I feel without even speaking (even, perhaps, without knowing each other), it's really incredible. It's an honor, and it's one of the best feelings in the world.
Emily Bain Murphy
Ever since I've become a mom with two young kids at home, writing has almost become my escape time. But if I'm really struggling on a particular day, my go-to strategies are:
* changing locations
* finding a photograph that captures the look/emotion/character/feel I'm trying to describe
* finding a song that captures the look/emotion/character/feel I'm trying to describe
Things that I've found create writer's block:
* An addiction to Twitter ;)
If the writing is just really not happening on a certain day, then I'll put my computer away and come back to it fresh the next. Often the best thing to do then is turn to someone else's book--particularly one with really good dialogue or beautiful language. If I'm lucky, reading the effortless flow of their words can sometimes jumpstart my own!
* changing locations
* finding a photograph that captures the look/emotion/character/feel I'm trying to describe
* finding a song that captures the look/emotion/character/feel I'm trying to describe
Things that I've found create writer's block:
* An addiction to Twitter ;)
If the writing is just really not happening on a certain day, then I'll put my computer away and come back to it fresh the next. Often the best thing to do then is turn to someone else's book--particularly one with really good dialogue or beautiful language. If I'm lucky, reading the effortless flow of their words can sometimes jumpstart my own!
Emily Bain Murphy
It might seem counter-intuitive, but if I read another author's work that I really love (beautifully crafted sentences, a mind-blowing plot, emotionally engaging characters), I can draw a lot of inspiration from that. Sometimes a book is so good that it just makes me want to throw in the towel--but more often than not I use it as motivation. The bar is set and it gives me something to hope and reach for.
When I'm writing a scene or starting to envision a new project, I love to find a photograph or a series of images that capture a moment or mood. Secret Pinterest boards are such a great resource for that. It can also be helpful to switch up where I'm writing day-to-day, whether it's a different coffee shop or even just a different room of the house. The two places that consistently inspire me the most are actually polar opposites of one another: the insane rush and energy of New York City, and this gorgeous, still cabin on a lake in the woods of northern Wisconsin.
But most days, inspiration just looks like opening my computer next to a deep mug of hot coffee... and a really good pastry.
When I'm writing a scene or starting to envision a new project, I love to find a photograph or a series of images that capture a moment or mood. Secret Pinterest boards are such a great resource for that. It can also be helpful to switch up where I'm writing day-to-day, whether it's a different coffee shop or even just a different room of the house. The two places that consistently inspire me the most are actually polar opposites of one another: the insane rush and energy of New York City, and this gorgeous, still cabin on a lake in the woods of northern Wisconsin.
But most days, inspiration just looks like opening my computer next to a deep mug of hot coffee... and a really good pastry.
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