Ask the Author: Nova Drake
Answered Questions (4)
Nova Drake
1. Don't let others discourage you. It's a tough industry and there's a lot of opinions. If it's something you love, keep writing. Tell your story.
2. For your first book I think it's a good idea to get a broad group of beta readers to help you find trouble areas. Keep in mind that you don't always have to use their input, but if several people are telling you the same thing, it's a good idea to look into it.
3. Take everyone's advice for what it is - a suggestion. There are a lot of "rules" and practices that writers will bring up constantly. It's overwhelming and sometimes impractical. Learn the rules, sure. Listen to advice. But know that only a fraction of those things will work for you. Not everyone has to write so many words a day. Not everyone has to have a detailed outline. Not everyone can write without any outline at all. Find what works for you and don't be afraid to ignore what doesn't.
2. For your first book I think it's a good idea to get a broad group of beta readers to help you find trouble areas. Keep in mind that you don't always have to use their input, but if several people are telling you the same thing, it's a good idea to look into it.
3. Take everyone's advice for what it is - a suggestion. There are a lot of "rules" and practices that writers will bring up constantly. It's overwhelming and sometimes impractical. Learn the rules, sure. Listen to advice. But know that only a fraction of those things will work for you. Not everyone has to write so many words a day. Not everyone has to have a detailed outline. Not everyone can write without any outline at all. Find what works for you and don't be afraid to ignore what doesn't.
Nova Drake
Escaping reality. My worlds can be a bit dark at times, but there are reflections of things in the real world that I want to see changed. Sometimes I've created something better, sometimes it's up to my characters to fix it. When writing I can create hope for something better.
Nova Drake
I'm currently working on book 2 in the Finding Justice series and a few short stories that will be released as book 1.5 but won't be required reading to follow the series.
Nova Drake
Depends on the cause of the block. If it's a matter of stress, anxiety, or just not being able to focus, I find that white noise (waterfalls/rain), and incense help me chill. If I'm stuck on a part of the story, I take a step back and make sure I'm clear on the basic framework of where it's going. Sometimes I will write from a different character's perspective or write the back story for a side character or villain. It probably won't make it in the story but usually I just needed to see things a different way or get to know my character better.
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