Ask the Author: J.R. Eldridge
Answered Questions (7)
J.R. Eldridge
I just put Jiffy Pop in the microwave and settled to watch a movie. Weird name for a dog, Jiffy Pop...
J.R. Eldridge
The best thing about being an author is having an outlet for ideas and channelling my creativity. I get the most satisfaction when my readers tell me that my stories made them laugh.
J.R. Eldridge
Taking a break is always good. You can stare at a page for hours and end up writing nothing. Step away, go for a walk, go to a cafe with a friend, or do housework and other mundane things. You brain can keep ticking while you're busy with other things, and you never know when inspiration will hit. Overthinking things can get your brain tied in knots.
That being said, don't get to the point where you're avoiding writing. Taking a break is fine, but becoming resigned to the idea that you can't write is a vicious circle. If the current chapter you're working on is stumping you, you can skip ahead and write some ideas for the next. You can always note down plot ideas even if you don't end up using them in your current story, you might find that they work in another.
That being said, don't get to the point where you're avoiding writing. Taking a break is fine, but becoming resigned to the idea that you can't write is a vicious circle. If the current chapter you're working on is stumping you, you can skip ahead and write some ideas for the next. You can always note down plot ideas even if you don't end up using them in your current story, you might find that they work in another.
J.R. Eldridge
I have a tendency to be extremely critical of my own work. I will second-guess a word choice or the phrasing of a sentence while I'm actually writing it, and this hampers my creativity. I find that it's better to just let myself write and make any refinements later.
Proofreading is very important. Reading what I've written out loud to see how it flows helps me to catch awkward wording and errors. There's also screenreading software now, and it will read everything you've written verbatim where a human might skip misplaced words. Grammar and spelling checkers are great, and you can use the facility built into your word processor and use one of the services on the internet.
The main thing is to get something written; you can scrutinise it later.
Proofreading is very important. Reading what I've written out loud to see how it flows helps me to catch awkward wording and errors. There's also screenreading software now, and it will read everything you've written verbatim where a human might skip misplaced words. Grammar and spelling checkers are great, and you can use the facility built into your word processor and use one of the services on the internet.
The main thing is to get something written; you can scrutinise it later.
J.R. Eldridge
I've been writing stories from the Book of Exodus. I am focusing on the narrative portions and skipping the laws. The next two books, Leviticus and Numbers, consist mostly of laws and only have a few chapters of narrative, so I'm considering compiling the stories from Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers into a single book.
I'm also releasing material for my website. I wrote the Nativity story as a special project for my twitter followers at Christmas, and with Easter approaching, I'm collecting material for the Passion narrative.
I'm also releasing material for my website. I wrote the Nativity story as a special project for my twitter followers at Christmas, and with Easter approaching, I'm collecting material for the Passion narrative.
J.R. Eldridge
I'll usually sit down and read the Bible story I intend to write about and think about how the characters would feel in that situation, what's absurd about it, and what I'd say if I were there.
Some of the things that go into my stories come out of conversations I have with friends. One of us will say, 'Wouldn't it be funny if...?' and we'll bounce ideas back and forth.
Some of the things that go into my stories come out of conversations I have with friends. One of us will say, 'Wouldn't it be funny if...?' and we'll bounce ideas back and forth.
J.R. Eldridge
I've always found the Bible fascinating despite being an atheist. I began writing parody Bible verses on Twitter. I mentioned to a friend that I had almost written whole chapters and jokingly suggested that I should turn them into stories. They thought it was a great idea, so I gave it a try.
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