Ask the Author: Matthew Poehler
Answered Questions (8)
Matthew Poehler
The Dark Ages of mind and culture threatened to smother us, looming like a ragged and rotting shroud. Its descent was heralded with cheers and waving flags.
Matthew Poehler
I'll be bold here and say that I'd go to mine. I spend so much time there as it is :-)
Why? I steer deliberately away from dystopia, and I aim unashamedly for happy endings. I believe in the triumph of good people engaged in worthy tasks. I'd love to be a part of it in the Real.
Why? I steer deliberately away from dystopia, and I aim unashamedly for happy endings. I believe in the triumph of good people engaged in worthy tasks. I'd love to be a part of it in the Real.
Matthew Poehler
I don't write sequentially. I sketch my outline, generate my characters, and get the structure of where I'm coming from and then going to nailed down.
Then I write as inspiration takes me, all over the place. Sketched grow to ideas, and those grow to scenes and chapters.
I will start with a sequence of bullet point ideas. Sort them to sequence for a chapter, and expand on them until it matched my mental film strip. Then the text flows and at that stage I can write a 1000 words an hour.
Don't edit as you're doing it. Get it all out and then leave it alone for a day and then edit. Even then, don't stop. When you're on a roll, surf that wave. When it drops out, go back to note taking. Everything is progress!
If you can't write, read something in the vein of what you are working on and let someone else's imagination spark yours.
Then I write as inspiration takes me, all over the place. Sketched grow to ideas, and those grow to scenes and chapters.
I will start with a sequence of bullet point ideas. Sort them to sequence for a chapter, and expand on them until it matched my mental film strip. Then the text flows and at that stage I can write a 1000 words an hour.
Don't edit as you're doing it. Get it all out and then leave it alone for a day and then edit. Even then, don't stop. When you're on a roll, surf that wave. When it drops out, go back to note taking. Everything is progress!
If you can't write, read something in the vein of what you are working on and let someone else's imagination spark yours.
Matthew Poehler
I get to live the story.
I run a scene back and forth in my imagination until it makes me gasp, cry, laugh, or ponder the implications before I write it down. I get to live the movie and then show the story.
I run a scene back and forth in my imagination until it makes me gasp, cry, laugh, or ponder the implications before I write it down. I get to live the movie and then show the story.
Matthew Poehler
Everyone is an amateur, even people who do this for a living, the important thing is starting.
There is not a single author that knows ahead of time whether what they're writing will be good or not, so dinna fash. Knock out that idea into words, and then talk to some people about it. Get stuck into an online group where you can get some good feedback.
20booksto50k
Writers helping writers
Beta readers & critiques
Live it! Feel it! Skill with words will come after you practice. Rock that concept first.
I like OneDrive for storage, MS 365 online (for the readback function) and ProWritingAid Professional for structure.
Try and write something every day, even if it's jut handwritten notes. Ideas come at you sideways all the time, record them!
There is not a single author that knows ahead of time whether what they're writing will be good or not, so dinna fash. Knock out that idea into words, and then talk to some people about it. Get stuck into an online group where you can get some good feedback.
20booksto50k
Writers helping writers
Beta readers & critiques
Live it! Feel it! Skill with words will come after you practice. Rock that concept first.
I like OneDrive for storage, MS 365 online (for the readback function) and ProWritingAid Professional for structure.
Try and write something every day, even if it's jut handwritten notes. Ideas come at you sideways all the time, record them!
Matthew Poehler
Book 2, "The Arrival"
I have a really excellent short story idea or novel about dragons.
I have six or so novels set in the Ceph universe that are just notes and ideas right now, but I'll get there!
I have a really excellent short story idea or novel about dragons.
I have six or so novels set in the Ceph universe that are just notes and ideas right now, but I'll get there!
Matthew Poehler
The world is a wonderful place! The utterly fantastic is everywhere. This idea is based on where we have come from as a species, and where we're going.
I also get impatient with "plucky humanity beats Galactic Race with Duct Tape" and "fighting is the only way to win" stories and movies, and set up a situation where cooperation is the only way forward.
Kind of a theme for us to follow, even without the aliens :-)
I also get impatient with "plucky humanity beats Galactic Race with Duct Tape" and "fighting is the only way to win" stories and movies, and set up a situation where cooperation is the only way forward.
Kind of a theme for us to follow, even without the aliens :-)
Matthew Poehler
I have been batting this idea around for several years, taking it out to play with it and add to it for fun.
Mid last year I got inspired by a friend of mine Fiona as she had set a goal of writing a million words in a year and *smashed* it with 1.2. She's awesome!
Mid last year I got inspired by a friend of mine Fiona as she had set a goal of writing a million words in a year and *smashed* it with 1.2. She's awesome!
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