Ask the Author: Dean Gloster
Answered Questions (6)
Dean Gloster
I don't believe in writer's block, but I do sometimes search my keyboard for the stuck parking brake. I think lots of very different things get clumped together as "writer's block"--lack of confidence, fear of success, taking on a story that's difficult to tell, having an overly harsh internal critic, making a wrong turn that's not true to the character, and the fix is probably different for each of those. I skip ahead to a scene I know how to write, write dialogue, turn to a different project, or have my character write me a letter about what I'm not getting right, which mostly works, so far.
Dean Gloster
Finally finding my tribe, as a grown-up. Especially in writing YA (and everything involving writing for young people) other writers are so wonderful--we're all on the same side. And writers are such creative, fun, interesting mostly introverts, all trying hard to pretend to be social and extroverted when we're jammed together at writers' conferences, etc. I love books, and it's fun to be part of the book world. Also: Being able to create something that didn't exist and put it out into the world.
Dean Gloster
Write. Learn everything you can about writing. Discover your voice. Find what you're good at, and work on what you're not good at. Develop a thick enough skin to benefit from critical feedback. Approach it like an athlete: Your job is to keep getting better at it. Read a lot, especially the best of the stuff you like, and try to figure out what other writers do well, and not as well, and what you can learn from that.
Dean Gloster
I'm working on a shifting point-of-view magical realism novel that takes place in one night in San Francisco. It's sort of NICK & NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST with life-or-death stakes, in the twilight zone. And then I have another novel I'm working on for my MFA program that's somewhat weird.
Dean Gloster
I just show up and write, but deadlines for my writer's group and MFA program help me stay on track. When I'm having difficulty, I skip ahead, write dialogue, or write the jokes I'll probably have to cut later, to keep up my morale.
Dean Gloster
My wife worked for years as a nurse in the pediatric ICU at UCSF with children with leukemia, including bone marrow donation recipients, and now works at the George Mark Children's House in San Leandro, a children's hospice and respite care center. Her work with families dealing with childhood cancer was the germ of the idea for my book DESSERT FIRST
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