Ask the Author: Samuel Fleming
Answered Questions (4)
Samuel Fleming
I recently finished a retelling of Dante's Inferno in which a Special Forces team is sent through a portal (unbeknownst to Hell) and must survive against the inhabitants and their own sins.
The book is currently in editing and should be ready for release in January.
The book is currently in editing and should be ready for release in January.
Samuel Fleming
It depends on what block you’re talking about. Is it a sentence-by-sentence block or do you just not know where your character should go next?
For large scale stuff, I have a basic outline with several beats that lead up to a cool ending. Of course, sometimes I alter or throw away that outline.
For sentence-by-sentence stuff, I just force my way through it. I’ll be as mechanical as possible and come back to it later to flesh it out. Sometimes I’ll skip a scene completely and come back to it later.
If you’re looking for advice on how to beat writer’s block, don’t just take my ideas. Every writer is different. A large part of writing is figuring out what works specifically for you. Try a bunch of different things until you find a writing system that works for you.
For large scale stuff, I have a basic outline with several beats that lead up to a cool ending. Of course, sometimes I alter or throw away that outline.
For sentence-by-sentence stuff, I just force my way through it. I’ll be as mechanical as possible and come back to it later to flesh it out. Sometimes I’ll skip a scene completely and come back to it later.
If you’re looking for advice on how to beat writer’s block, don’t just take my ideas. Every writer is different. A large part of writing is figuring out what works specifically for you. Try a bunch of different things until you find a writing system that works for you.
Samuel Fleming
By showing up every single day.
Find a consistent writing time and stick with it. Our brains are excellent at adapting to routine. I wake up early every morning and write for an hour or two. Each day it got a little easier for my brain to get into “writing mode”. Each day you “show up” for your writing time, it will feel a little easier and feel a little less mechanical.
Find a consistent writing time and stick with it. Our brains are excellent at adapting to routine. I wake up early every morning and write for an hour or two. Each day it got a little easier for my brain to get into “writing mode”. Each day you “show up” for your writing time, it will feel a little easier and feel a little less mechanical.
Samuel Fleming
You could fill a book with writing advice (and many authors often do). I'm nowhere near that point, but here are my suggestions:
First, and most important, is to find a writing routine that works for you, preferably at the same time every single day. No one wakes up after walking a mile here and there, and thinks that they’re going to run a marathon. No one wakes up after studying for a few weeks and expects to earn a college degree. Writing is no different. Consistency and practice.
Second, realize that you probably have a lot to learn. To write well, you must do two things: Read a lot and write a lot. By doing both you will develop your skills and eventually develop “muscle memory”; you will begin to intuit grammar, pacing, tropes and other important aspects of fiction writing.
Third, set goals and be realistic. Be honest with yourself about what you want: Do you want to write a family memoir strictly for your immediate family? Do you want to write a short story or maybe a novel for National Novel Writing Month? Do you want to get a publishing contract or self publish? Do you want to make a living with your writing and quit your day job? All of these will require different amounts of effort, commitment, and time.
First, and most important, is to find a writing routine that works for you, preferably at the same time every single day. No one wakes up after walking a mile here and there, and thinks that they’re going to run a marathon. No one wakes up after studying for a few weeks and expects to earn a college degree. Writing is no different. Consistency and practice.
Second, realize that you probably have a lot to learn. To write well, you must do two things: Read a lot and write a lot. By doing both you will develop your skills and eventually develop “muscle memory”; you will begin to intuit grammar, pacing, tropes and other important aspects of fiction writing.
Third, set goals and be realistic. Be honest with yourself about what you want: Do you want to write a family memoir strictly for your immediate family? Do you want to write a short story or maybe a novel for National Novel Writing Month? Do you want to get a publishing contract or self publish? Do you want to make a living with your writing and quit your day job? All of these will require different amounts of effort, commitment, and time.
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