Ask the Author: Skye Lansing
Answered Questions (5)
Skye Lansing
Short Answer: I don't, I refuse to let it happen.
Long Answer: From personal experience, when I get stuck with what others call "writer's block" it tends to be because I haven't thought about that part of a story enough. When I was younger I'd let this stop me, but at some point I realized that if I wanted writing to be my job then accepting writer's block wasn't an excuse not to write.
In every case discipline is the real way through. Write every day. Set a goal, be it a time or a word count or whatever works best for you. Just write every day and meet the goal. It gets easier the more you do it.
And when you run into a block anyway? Take a short break. Walk and think. Or write "What if..." then start proposing a bunch of possible actions. Or write a scene where your characters get annoyed with your inability to tell their story and then take some action on their own. Or sit down to create an outline of the part you're stuck on. Or... or... or...
I've seen endless suggestions on how to get past a "Writer's Block." Pick one and try it. If it doesn't work, pick another. Don't get discouraged. Don't accept that you just can't do it. Writing is hard work, it's best if you accept that early on.
Long Answer: From personal experience, when I get stuck with what others call "writer's block" it tends to be because I haven't thought about that part of a story enough. When I was younger I'd let this stop me, but at some point I realized that if I wanted writing to be my job then accepting writer's block wasn't an excuse not to write.
In every case discipline is the real way through. Write every day. Set a goal, be it a time or a word count or whatever works best for you. Just write every day and meet the goal. It gets easier the more you do it.
And when you run into a block anyway? Take a short break. Walk and think. Or write "What if..." then start proposing a bunch of possible actions. Or write a scene where your characters get annoyed with your inability to tell their story and then take some action on their own. Or sit down to create an outline of the part you're stuck on. Or... or... or...
I've seen endless suggestions on how to get past a "Writer's Block." Pick one and try it. If it doesn't work, pick another. Don't get discouraged. Don't accept that you just can't do it. Writing is hard work, it's best if you accept that early on.
Skye Lansing
Being able to tell stories. Full stop.
Ever since I was young I loved to come up with different stories, often playing off of stories I already knew from other sources. During middle school I would often spend my entire lunch simply imagining situations with characters from this movie or that book, day dreaming how events would play out.
When I started writing it was initially as a way to express those stories, and of course as I got older I wanted to tell stories of my own creation with my own characters. In some ways it isn't a matter of wanting to write, but rather that not writing seems impossible.
Ever since I was young I loved to come up with different stories, often playing off of stories I already knew from other sources. During middle school I would often spend my entire lunch simply imagining situations with characters from this movie or that book, day dreaming how events would play out.
When I started writing it was initially as a way to express those stories, and of course as I got older I wanted to tell stories of my own creation with my own characters. In some ways it isn't a matter of wanting to write, but rather that not writing seems impossible.
Skye Lansing
This is difficult to peg down. Honestly? All over.
Movies, books, music, video games. Some nights I'll watch one of my favorite movies and just think about how the story is constructed, or try to figure out why different characters behave the way they do.
Something similar happens with video games (for me, at least), since the whole point of the medium is to give the player a situation to deal with. Often that can make me wonder how one of my characters would approach the situation.
Books are another thing entirely, I'm convinced it is impossible to write well without being someone who enjoy's reading. Every book you read gives you a lesson in how to construct a story and shows you different tools that you can use to convey meaning. Even if you pick out things you dislike about a book you have learned something—possibly about yourself, or possibly about things to avoid doing in your own writing.
Music is probably the least motivational for me, but I definitely use it to motivate myself. There are certain songs I know I can play to reach particular emotional states, which can help with writing certain scenes. I also find that soft music that lacks vocalizations helps me focus on my work if I play it in the background while writing.
Movies, books, music, video games. Some nights I'll watch one of my favorite movies and just think about how the story is constructed, or try to figure out why different characters behave the way they do.
Something similar happens with video games (for me, at least), since the whole point of the medium is to give the player a situation to deal with. Often that can make me wonder how one of my characters would approach the situation.
Books are another thing entirely, I'm convinced it is impossible to write well without being someone who enjoy's reading. Every book you read gives you a lesson in how to construct a story and shows you different tools that you can use to convey meaning. Even if you pick out things you dislike about a book you have learned something—possibly about yourself, or possibly about things to avoid doing in your own writing.
Music is probably the least motivational for me, but I definitely use it to motivate myself. There are certain songs I know I can play to reach particular emotional states, which can help with writing certain scenes. I also find that soft music that lacks vocalizations helps me focus on my work if I play it in the background while writing.
Skye Lansing
My primary project is the sequel to "In Honor's Shadow" and the second book in my Honor's Path series.
I am also laying the early groundwork for a novella I hope to write this November for NaNoWriMo.
I am also laying the early groundwork for a novella I hope to write this November for NaNoWriMo.
Skye Lansing
Write without worrying how good you are. It will probably be terrible, especially when you're just getting started, but until you are actively writing it is impossible to get better. You hear a lot of talk about practice makes perfect, but I think the truth is a little stranger.
Failure makes perfect. You are going to fail, and it is going to hurt, but with every failure you learn something new. And with every thing you learn you will get that much better.
Start writing now—start failing now. Accept that this isn't easy, but dig in and be determined to see it through. It's honestly the only way forward.
Failure makes perfect. You are going to fail, and it is going to hurt, but with every failure you learn something new. And with every thing you learn you will get that much better.
Start writing now—start failing now. Accept that this isn't easy, but dig in and be determined to see it through. It's honestly the only way forward.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more