Ask the Author: H.B. Bendt
Answered Questions (10)
H.B. Bendt
Olivie Blake's "Atlas" trilogy, definitely. I might also tackle Stephen King's "The Stand", which, I believe, should still count as two books on any kind of reading tracker.
H.B. Bendt
Don't listen to naysayers.
While it's important to be realistic and aware of the effort and workload that goes into being a writer, it is equally as important, I believe, to not pay attention to people who will try to convince you it's impossible or that there is no point. Also, any advice to do something "proper" or "reasonable" instead is moot. Make sure you can afford living, but also make sure to follow your dreams. It is absolutely possible to do both.
While it's important to be realistic and aware of the effort and workload that goes into being a writer, it is equally as important, I believe, to not pay attention to people who will try to convince you it's impossible or that there is no point. Also, any advice to do something "proper" or "reasonable" instead is moot. Make sure you can afford living, but also make sure to follow your dreams. It is absolutely possible to do both.
H.B. Bendt
As someone who's been adopted as an infant, I suppose finding my birth parents would be an interesting book plot!
H.B. Bendt
Not mine but it gives me the chills: 'I can't move, breathe, speak, or hear and it's so dark all the time. If I knew it would be this lonely, I would have been cremated instead.'
H.B. Bendt
Being able to daydream for a living. For hours. This is not me dissociating anymore, this is me brainstorming now, thank you very much. Also, falling into a Wikipedia rabbit hole while looking up what kind of a place Tralee is, and then calling it 'research' instead of 'spiralling'.
H.B. Bendt
Any fictional book world - truth be told, most fictional worlds are pretty horrible. I guess Tolkien's Middle-Earth? Settle down in Hobbiton to have a peaceful and quiet life and write my books. Knowing me though, I would entirely ignore anyone knocking on my door, and pretend I'm not home. I'm very much a millennial after all.
H.B. Bendt
Outlining.
Yes, I know, I hate it too, but it's the easiest way to avoid writer's block. Plenty of writers say outlines are restrictive, and I used to say that as well when I still thought I was a pantser, but since I've started outlining, I always know where to go with my plots and what is needed at any given time. And if a part of the storyline changes drastically, simply because it felt right - which can happen, of course - I simply have to shift some scenes around.
Yes, I know, I hate it too, but it's the easiest way to avoid writer's block. Plenty of writers say outlines are restrictive, and I used to say that as well when I still thought I was a pantser, but since I've started outlining, I always know where to go with my plots and what is needed at any given time. And if a part of the storyline changes drastically, simply because it felt right - which can happen, of course - I simply have to shift some scenes around.
H.B. Bendt
The second novel in the 'Hitmen Chronicles' series, of course!
H.B. Bendt
Technically, anything can inspire me.
What mainly does the trick is to listen to music fitting the scene I'm working on, or simply sit down to read someone else's works and get immersed in the fun of storytelling again, until my brain starts itching and wants to return to my story. It may not be entirely polite, I admit that, but reading someone else's novels (it doesn't matter whose, by the way) occasionally has me go 'hey, I can do this too!' and then I sit down at the laptop again to write.
What mainly does the trick is to listen to music fitting the scene I'm working on, or simply sit down to read someone else's works and get immersed in the fun of storytelling again, until my brain starts itching and wants to return to my story. It may not be entirely polite, I admit that, but reading someone else's novels (it doesn't matter whose, by the way) occasionally has me go 'hey, I can do this too!' and then I sit down at the laptop again to write.
H.B. Bendt
I knew I wanted to write a story where the 'good guy' doesn't win. A story that, perhaps, didn't even have a good guy, but is essentially dominated by horrible people. I've always been intrigued by the morally grey, or even deranged, and I love seeing the humanity in villains.
I also knew that I wanted LGBTQ+ representation, but without the usual plotlines of coming out, first relationships, and suffering under homophobia. I wanted a story that, 'normally' would happen to straight characters, but have it happen to queer characters instead. What came out of it, is a story about an anxious bisexual murderer, falling for a sarcastic homosexual murderer. And I loved writing every page of it.
I also knew that I wanted LGBTQ+ representation, but without the usual plotlines of coming out, first relationships, and suffering under homophobia. I wanted a story that, 'normally' would happen to straight characters, but have it happen to queer characters instead. What came out of it, is a story about an anxious bisexual murderer, falling for a sarcastic homosexual murderer. And I loved writing every page of it.
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