Ask the Author: Susan Aylworth
Answered Questions (7)
Susan Aylworth
When a would-be author begins to take her craft seriously, almost everything provides inspiration. It's the "what if" question. Apply it to a news story, someting you see on TV, the story your neighbor tells you, or a world full of other events, and you have the germ of a story. The lovely thing about that is a dozen (or a hundred) different authors can start with the same story germ and come up with entirely different stories. How fun is that?
Susan Aylworth
The seventh book in the Rainbow Rock series challenges me in many exciting ways. Combine pathos, tenderness, and humor and you begin to imagine what I'm up against. I'm thrilled to see it coming together.
Susan Aylworth
Many fictional worlds attract me, and which appeals most depends on the day. Today I want to visit Hogwart's and Harry's magical world. Who couldn't use a good spell from time to time?
Susan Aylworth
Read, read, read, read, read. Did I mention you should read? And don't read as a reader, simply enjoying this story or that one. Read like a writer, noticing when the author is using description, when the dialogue cuts in, how the action scenes are written, what little nuances help you to know a particular character. Learn all you can from reading.
Meanwhile, write, write, write, write, and write. I've heard people say a real writer writes every single day. After 20 published novels, I'm a real writer, and I don't write every day--just most of them. Get feedback on your writing, not just from your friends, but from people who'll tell you what works and what doesn't.
Next, develop a thick skin--thick like a crocodile. Realize that people who criticize aren't criticizing you. They are telling you what doesn't work in your writing. Hear them. Now and then, you'll get a curmudgeon who won't like anything you write. Don't let that trouble you. Think of how few modern people want to read Shakespeare! Find the people who like your work in general and will tell you frankly which bits and pieces aren't there yet. Treasure those readers. They are among a writer's best friends.
Join writer's organizations. Get their newsletters, go to their conferences, and participate in their critique groups. You may find your best critics among other writers whose work you can review in turn.
Finally, don't give up. Most writers accumulate numerous rejections before they see their first acceptance, and rejections can come even after you've been in publishing a while. It's a tough business, but worth it for those who hang in there. May you find your niche in the market and love the work as much as I do.
Meanwhile, write, write, write, write, and write. I've heard people say a real writer writes every single day. After 20 published novels, I'm a real writer, and I don't write every day--just most of them. Get feedback on your writing, not just from your friends, but from people who'll tell you what works and what doesn't.
Next, develop a thick skin--thick like a crocodile. Realize that people who criticize aren't criticizing you. They are telling you what doesn't work in your writing. Hear them. Now and then, you'll get a curmudgeon who won't like anything you write. Don't let that trouble you. Think of how few modern people want to read Shakespeare! Find the people who like your work in general and will tell you frankly which bits and pieces aren't there yet. Treasure those readers. They are among a writer's best friends.
Join writer's organizations. Get their newsletters, go to their conferences, and participate in their critique groups. You may find your best critics among other writers whose work you can review in turn.
Finally, don't give up. Most writers accumulate numerous rejections before they see their first acceptance, and rejections can come even after you've been in publishing a while. It's a tough business, but worth it for those who hang in there. May you find your niche in the market and love the work as much as I do.
Susan Aylworth
A block is nothing more than a clue that my story is going in the wrong direction. When I can read back over my work and find where I took the wrong turn, then my characters can lead me through making their stories more authentic and meaningful. I do not enjoy hitting a block, but I love the rush of inspiration that comes when I break through it and move forward, when my characters tell me where they want and need to go.
Susan Aylworth
So many gifts come from being a writer. We were all working independently from home before that became the thing to do. I love getting to "meet" the fascinating people who show up in my books, and inhabiting their worlds, which are often quite different from my own. The very best gift of publishing comes when readers appreciate my work and find light and inspiration in the pages of my books. That is a powerful, almost magical elixir I can drink any day!
Susan Aylworth
When writing the four Seasons of Destiny novels, a singing group "appeared" in the town. By the end of the fourth book (Winter Skye), I knew the five women in the Daughters of Destiny well, and they began to clamor for stories of their own. I'm working now on Book 1. Camille's story is both fun and rewarding. I'm getting excited for all five women to find matches of their own.
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