Ask the Author: Sidney Anne Harrison
Answered Questions (6)
Sidney Anne Harrison
I find the term "writer's block" to be slightly harmful because it puts a lot of blame on the writer. It is true that creative energy ebbs and flows in unpredictable ways, but when I struggle with a certain story, I tend not to think of it as my own "block." More so I envision it as a river that has gone shallow after a drought. This drought could be caused by outside sources, such as my day job draining me, my personal life putting strain on me, or my own creative juices simply needing a break. And then rainfall happens, the river swells, and I am able to write freely again (because even during a drought I'm still writing, even if it may not be my best writing). I guess how I deal with it is to not put too much pressure on myself to "get over it." Rather I try identify whatever it is that's draining me, or whatever the problem with my writing is, and either give myself a break or put effort into fixing it.
Sidney Anne Harrison
Being a writer does two things for me. First of all it allows me to understand the world around me in an extremely personal way. I can understand certain events and people better because I spend a lot of my time crafting stories and characters. Secondly, being a writer allows me to relate to people all over the world. If my writing significantly impacts at least one reader in all of my career, then I will consider myself an enormous success.
Sidney Anne Harrison
Write and read as much as you can. Even if you can only carve an hour out of your day every day, dedicate half of that hour to reading and half of it to writing. And don't put too much pressure on yourself. There is no one right way to be a writer. Figure out what works for you and run with it.
Sidney Anne Harrison
Currently I'm working on a fantasy series that flips the script on a common fantasy/sci fi trope: the fact that the enemy or evil entity is always "dark."
Sidney Anne Harrison
Reading is my main source of inspiration, as I'm sure it is for a lot of writers. A great story, compelling character or well-written sentence from another writer can alter my ideas about my own writing and what I may want to write next. I'm also inspired by current events and prior, tragic events throughout history. My work is rarely blatantly political, but there are often political themes woven into the stories I write.
Sidney Anne Harrison
I've always been interested in the dynamics of tight-knit family and friend groups, and Please Welcome Mr. Arthur Bean is emblematic of that. I can't say really where the idea came from. It was something I began writing in my teens and revisited last year. My writing is often very character driven, and this story allowed me to delve deep into a diverse and quirky group of individuals.
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