Ask the Author: Brigid Pasulka
Answered Questions (2)
Brigid Pasulka
I'm lucky in that I have general ideas for the next few books percolating in my head for years before I write them. But I definitely struggle day-to-day in getting them down.
Usually the problem is garden-variety distractions that prevent deep thought, most of which I have off-switches for; it's just a matter of pressing them. (Easier said than done, I know.)
Sometimes it's that what I want to happen (or what I've already written) conflicts with what SHOULD happen in the story (based on the characters' personalities/motivations).
Mostly, when I hit a block, it means I need to do more thinking and less grinding.
Sometimes if I just go for a run, that shakes something loose.
Other times, I need a long car ride with the radio off.
One trick I've learned lately is to try to soak in whatever I'm writing for a full day. I live in a city, work full-time and have a one-year-old at home, so I can't exactly take a week off and go to some fabulous cabin in the mountains. But I take a day and cut everything nonessential out--forget about cleaning, get my husband to make dinner--in order to squeeze as much writing and thinking time as possible out of the day. I squeeze time out of the early morning, my commute, my lunch break, and I bring my computer to bed and write instead of reading. Basically, every free minute of the day, I try to immerse myself in the characters and the book. Usually, that gets me back in the story enough to move ahead.
Also, especially on the first novel, the length and linear aspect seemed really daunting, so if I was stuck on the next scene, I would let myself write any scene no matter how far ahead.
Usually the problem is garden-variety distractions that prevent deep thought, most of which I have off-switches for; it's just a matter of pressing them. (Easier said than done, I know.)
Sometimes it's that what I want to happen (or what I've already written) conflicts with what SHOULD happen in the story (based on the characters' personalities/motivations).
Mostly, when I hit a block, it means I need to do more thinking and less grinding.
Sometimes if I just go for a run, that shakes something loose.
Other times, I need a long car ride with the radio off.
One trick I've learned lately is to try to soak in whatever I'm writing for a full day. I live in a city, work full-time and have a one-year-old at home, so I can't exactly take a week off and go to some fabulous cabin in the mountains. But I take a day and cut everything nonessential out--forget about cleaning, get my husband to make dinner--in order to squeeze as much writing and thinking time as possible out of the day. I squeeze time out of the early morning, my commute, my lunch break, and I bring my computer to bed and write instead of reading. Basically, every free minute of the day, I try to immerse myself in the characters and the book. Usually, that gets me back in the story enough to move ahead.
Also, especially on the first novel, the length and linear aspect seemed really daunting, so if I was stuck on the next scene, I would let myself write any scene no matter how far ahead.
Brigid Pasulka
Hi, Candy,
Every author's story is different--I personally felt compelled to write. Two things led to this. One was that I fell out of love with art (sculpture, mostly). From the age of five to twenty-one, I only wanted to become an artist, and then suddenly, I began to get frustrated because I wasn't technically good enough to communicate what was inside me. Then, when I was 21/22, I went off to Poland for a year. When I came back, I was brimming with stories--things that I'd seen or heard or read about--and had to, simply HAD to, write them down. I felt then, and still feel now, that even if I never publish anything, I would still write.
Establishing a practical daily habit, though, is just like anything else. At a certain point, I was tired of going back and forth and only writing when I "felt like it." So I put a calendar on my wall and told myself I was going to write every day until I didn't want to write anymore and then I would stop torturing myself with it. That was almost 20 years ago. I skip days (and a few months when I had my son), but when I do, I just feel off. Writing is an integral part of life for me.
Also, writing and publishing are two different things. You can do 95% of what I'm doing as an "author" simply by sitting down at your computer and struggling to get the words down. The publishing and publicity part is almost an interruption to the writing--you can't focus on that. Nobody knows if their book is going to sell, and frankly, that's for the best, because it frees you up to write what you really want to write.
Good luck, Candy, and thanks for the question.
Brigid
Every author's story is different--I personally felt compelled to write. Two things led to this. One was that I fell out of love with art (sculpture, mostly). From the age of five to twenty-one, I only wanted to become an artist, and then suddenly, I began to get frustrated because I wasn't technically good enough to communicate what was inside me. Then, when I was 21/22, I went off to Poland for a year. When I came back, I was brimming with stories--things that I'd seen or heard or read about--and had to, simply HAD to, write them down. I felt then, and still feel now, that even if I never publish anything, I would still write.
Establishing a practical daily habit, though, is just like anything else. At a certain point, I was tired of going back and forth and only writing when I "felt like it." So I put a calendar on my wall and told myself I was going to write every day until I didn't want to write anymore and then I would stop torturing myself with it. That was almost 20 years ago. I skip days (and a few months when I had my son), but when I do, I just feel off. Writing is an integral part of life for me.
Also, writing and publishing are two different things. You can do 95% of what I'm doing as an "author" simply by sitting down at your computer and struggling to get the words down. The publishing and publicity part is almost an interruption to the writing--you can't focus on that. Nobody knows if their book is going to sell, and frankly, that's for the best, because it frees you up to write what you really want to write.
Good luck, Candy, and thanks for the question.
Brigid
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