Ask the Author: Joseph J. Reinemann
Answered Questions (6)
Joseph J. Reinemann
The best thing is also the worst thing. You get to write all of the stories that you really wish you could be reading. Unfortunately barring sudden head traumas, it's really quite difficult to enjoy them in quite the same way as you would someone else reading them!
Joseph J. Reinemann
Three things. There are a lot of people out there who will give you step by step instructions as to how you should go about learning the craft. I won't tell you to disregard these, because there's a lot of good stuff there. But don't let yourself get too preoccupied with them either. There are so many different ways to develop this skill, and so many different shapes the final product might take. Find a way that works for you. Once you've gotten confident and started to establish a voice, those guides will start making a lot more sense to you.
The second piece of advice is not to write in isolation. Showing off your work, especially your early work, is not going to be comfortable. But hearing what someone else takes away from it is going to do more to help you grow as a writer than anything else.
Finally, learn grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Study the way other people around you use it. The subconscious effect minor deviations from grammatical norms has on the reader is extremely powerful. It can convey subtle emotions more effectively than anything else in the toolkit. And the only way to learn how to construct a sentence to take advantage of that is to know exactly what every part of it does.
The second piece of advice is not to write in isolation. Showing off your work, especially your early work, is not going to be comfortable. But hearing what someone else takes away from it is going to do more to help you grow as a writer than anything else.
Finally, learn grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Study the way other people around you use it. The subconscious effect minor deviations from grammatical norms has on the reader is extremely powerful. It can convey subtle emotions more effectively than anything else in the toolkit. And the only way to learn how to construct a sentence to take advantage of that is to know exactly what every part of it does.
Joseph J. Reinemann
I've never had any kind of ritual or methodology for inspiration. I do my best to live an interesting life surrounded by interesting people - things flow from there.
Joseph J. Reinemann
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Joseph J. Reinemann
There's a few different ways I approach writer's block. The first is denial - basically I force myself to keep writing something, even if it's not necessarily work that I'm going to end up keeping. Every now and then I'll end up surprising myself and finding a thread I can follow my way back out.
The second is avoidance. Usually when I've got a block it's only going to extend to whatever I'm working on at the time. I always make it a point to keep numerous projects going so that I can switch over to another one when I get blocked, sometimes the momentum will transfer over to that one and sometimes it won't, but it at least helps me feel less like i'm losing out on productive writing time.
And the final method is just shifting my attention. I never have been able to say why, but I'm not really the kind of writer who seeks out quiet and solitude. I usually do my best work when surrounded by noise and distraction. Find the right spot, and there's always some inspiration to be found out there.
The second is avoidance. Usually when I've got a block it's only going to extend to whatever I'm working on at the time. I always make it a point to keep numerous projects going so that I can switch over to another one when I get blocked, sometimes the momentum will transfer over to that one and sometimes it won't, but it at least helps me feel less like i'm losing out on productive writing time.
And the final method is just shifting my attention. I never have been able to say why, but I'm not really the kind of writer who seeks out quiet and solitude. I usually do my best work when surrounded by noise and distraction. Find the right spot, and there's always some inspiration to be found out there.
Joseph J. Reinemann
Currently I'm working on finishing the first draft for the third Shadows of Time novel, Titan's Fall. I've also begun basic plotting for the next entry in the Shadows of Time Shorts series, and have another novel by the name of Accountability in progress.
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