Ask the Author: T.N. Baldwin
Answered Questions (9)
T.N. Baldwin
Extended legs expanded in her vision, brown body like an evil hot air balloon running out of gas. Before she could react, the spinning arachnid landed on her face.
(Lifted from my third novel, 'Disciples' - so yeah, I cheated a bit!)
(Lifted from my third novel, 'Disciples' - so yeah, I cheated a bit!)
T.N. Baldwin
Middle-earth to hang out in The Shire. Possibly also Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter universe - as long as someone had given me enough Galleons to spend.
T.N. Baldwin
'The Well of Ascension' by Brandon Sanderson
'The Number One Ladies' Detective Agency' by Alexander McCall Smith
'The Tap Dancing Knife Thrower' by Paul Hogan (for my book club!)
'The Number One Ladies' Detective Agency' by Alexander McCall Smith
'The Tap Dancing Knife Thrower' by Paul Hogan (for my book club!)
T.N. Baldwin
I force myself to write. Sometimes I know what I am writing is garbage but I bully myself to plod, slog and hack my way through it, knowing that it is just a first draft that can always be fixed. Neil Gaiman once said words to the effect that 'your second draft is where you make your story look like you knew what you are doing all along', which is invaluable advice.
When I need to get my characters somewhere and I can't work out how, I brainstorm with my wife, who usually helps me to keep character motivations and behaviours on track. We have come up with some ideas that I would never have come up with on my own through this method.
When I need to get my characters somewhere and I can't work out how, I brainstorm with my wife, who usually helps me to keep character motivations and behaviours on track. We have come up with some ideas that I would never have come up with on my own through this method.
T.N. Baldwin
Connecting with readers is my favourite aspect, especially those with positive or constructive feedback. Celebrating the release of a novel is amazing. There is also something special about a beautifully crafted sentence, paragraph and - though it happens rarely - chapter.
T.N. Baldwin
Once you have that first good idea, don't let it go. Pursue it, shift it, refine it. Try to write every day, even if you are unhappy with it. Some chapters are a tough journey but they are rarely a total waste. Don't be too shy about your work; I was very slow to even show my wife the first draft of my novel. Importantly, there is a difference between 'satisfied' and 'perfect'. We all aspire to write the perfect novel, knowing we will never achieve it. Set your standards to indicate when you are satisfied to let your work out into the wide world.
T.N. Baldwin
I'm dabbling in several projects at the moment. Overarching concepts around how to market my novels are taking much of my time. I am constructing another short story to offer my mailing list for free that will hopefully be completed by the end of the year. I have made a start on my fourth novel, though I'm not overly happy with it so far. At present, my third book tentatively titles 'Disciples' is in the hands of my alpha readers. Finally, I am trying to complete an audiobook of my first novel, 'Discoveries'.
T.N. Baldwin
Sometimes it just isn't inspiring! When writing, I try very hard not to miss a day, despite my full-time job. Sometimes what I write is terrible and needs a total rewrite. Sometimes I have gone in the wrong direction and I need to start over. And sometimes the words are racing one another to get on the page. As a result, I find most days are inspiring by dint of the fact I am writing.
T.N. Baldwin
As I have a few authors say, it came to me in a dream on the 14th of October, 2018. I had been imagining and exploring ideas for years but finally I woke up with an idea that I thought merit-worthy.
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