Ask the Author: Bethany J. Miller
Answered Questions (3)
Bethany J. Miller
Critique and be critiqued.
I definitely underestimated to benefits of critiquing other writer's work at first. Helping someone pick apart their writing, finding issues and helping them fix them, has helped me more easily see issues in my own work. And it fosters relationships with other writers. I love being able to give back to people who have helped me, and I have the most amazing network of writers I can call on any time I need a hand.
Having those people who are willing to read for you is invaluable. We all know what we mean to say. We auto-fill plot holes without realizing they're there, we drive important points home too hard (because, well, they're important!), we become emotionally attached to scenes we've written and convince ourselves that the story "needs" them. Having someone who doesn't have access to what you meant to say is the only way to know if your words are conveying your thoughts. So, as painful as it can be, we need to share our work and accept criticism for what it is- someone trying to tell you that what you wrote wasn't quite what you meant. Then, we fix it!
I definitely underestimated to benefits of critiquing other writer's work at first. Helping someone pick apart their writing, finding issues and helping them fix them, has helped me more easily see issues in my own work. And it fosters relationships with other writers. I love being able to give back to people who have helped me, and I have the most amazing network of writers I can call on any time I need a hand.
Having those people who are willing to read for you is invaluable. We all know what we mean to say. We auto-fill plot holes without realizing they're there, we drive important points home too hard (because, well, they're important!), we become emotionally attached to scenes we've written and convince ourselves that the story "needs" them. Having someone who doesn't have access to what you meant to say is the only way to know if your words are conveying your thoughts. So, as painful as it can be, we need to share our work and accept criticism for what it is- someone trying to tell you that what you wrote wasn't quite what you meant. Then, we fix it!
Bethany J. Miller
I like to explore everyday things that people go through, so almost anything can plant a seed. A news story, a conversation in the line at the grocery store, something in my life, a song, can all plant a seed. And once I have that tiny idea, I grow the story around it.
Usually, the initial idea is a specific place where someone is in their life. Because I already know there's going to be romance, and a happy ever after, I work on how that person got there, what they need to be whole, and what they have to give.
I think of a story as a giant puzzle, and each of those elements are the pieces, and my job is figuring out exactly how the pieces need to go together to tell the story I see in my head.
Usually, the initial idea is a specific place where someone is in their life. Because I already know there's going to be romance, and a happy ever after, I work on how that person got there, what they need to be whole, and what they have to give.
I think of a story as a giant puzzle, and each of those elements are the pieces, and my job is figuring out exactly how the pieces need to go together to tell the story I see in my head.
Bethany J. Miller
In the early 90's I stepped away from mainstream society to follow the Grateful Dead. Years later, I had this idea; I wanted to capture what it was like to be a Deadhead in that time period, but do it in a way that was accessible to people who aren't Deadheads. Since I was big into romance, and was already writing stories that explored relationships, it was natural for me to write my Deadhead story as a romance.
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