Ask the Author: Tina Isaacs
Answered Questions (4)
Tina Isaacs
I get inspired by everything around me: people watching, a song I hear, a conversation I overhear, a documentary/movie I watch, a book I read. Once an idea pops into my head, I try to jot it down before it flies away, and maybe, once the opportunity arises, I transform it into a story.
Tina Isaacs
1. Write. As often as you can. Give yourself projects with clear timelines and goals. Don't be afraid of variety; trying genres and topics you may not be familiar or comfortable with. You never know if something could be your niche until you've given it a go. Start small (short stories, micro-fiction, blogposts, short commentary essays/articles) before moving on to bigger, more complicated projects like novels or a non-fiction book. It may help to look out for submission calls and competitions, using their deadlines and the different writing themes as motivation and ideas for your own writing. Don't worry if your writing doesn't get accepted - by entering, you have already completed one story/essay more than you would have if you hadn't taken part. Since EACH piece of writing is a journey towards improving your craft, making the effort is never a waste of time.
2. Write to satisfy yourself first. Don't worry so much about what is hot, what is bestselling, what is literary. Since reading is a matter of personal taste--what appeals to one reader might not appeal to another--you can't expect to satisfy everyone. You must be able to enjoy what you have written before it can appeal to others. If you write to satisfy some hypothetical reader rather than yourself, it will probably come across as pretentious and contrived. Readers can tell when something is not genuine and easily get turned off; conversely, writing that stems from a writer's enjoyment of the topic and story will almost always translate to an enjoyable experience for the reader.
3. Invest in yourself as a writer by:
a) ALWAYS IMPROVING YOUR CRAFT: There is always room to learn, even after you've been doing it for a while. Take writing courses, attend conferences, read online articles, take refreshers on basic topics like grammar and other craft components. Consider this an investment into your future. If you don't do this, you could be writing for years and always wonder why you haven't improved.
b) READING, A LOT: Take the time and spend what you need to achieve this. Read widely and often. Amass your own collection of books and subscribe to literary magazines. Good writing you can emulate; not so good writing, you can learn from. Breaking down how other writers piece together their prose is a delightful way of discovering how things can be done; in the process of finding your own unique "voice", it's useful to try these different techniques and styles, to see whether it can work for your own writing. But never lose sight of that special pizazz that makes you you.
c) BEING ACTIVE IN THE WRITING COMMUNITY: Take the time to play an active role in your local writing community by attending and participating in book launchings, readings, poetry slams, book/literary festivals, community gatherings; follow other writers on social media and offer encouraging comments to their posts. No one understands the struggles you undergo better than another writer. Just seeing other writers get their book out and getting published in literary magazines is awesome motivation for you as a writer, because it nudges the competitive spirit inherent in all of us and propels you to fight the inner procrastinator.
If there isn't a writing community near you, create one! It can start with two or three writers at first, and before you know it, you have a whole community of like-minded individuals.
2. Write to satisfy yourself first. Don't worry so much about what is hot, what is bestselling, what is literary. Since reading is a matter of personal taste--what appeals to one reader might not appeal to another--you can't expect to satisfy everyone. You must be able to enjoy what you have written before it can appeal to others. If you write to satisfy some hypothetical reader rather than yourself, it will probably come across as pretentious and contrived. Readers can tell when something is not genuine and easily get turned off; conversely, writing that stems from a writer's enjoyment of the topic and story will almost always translate to an enjoyable experience for the reader.
3. Invest in yourself as a writer by:
a) ALWAYS IMPROVING YOUR CRAFT: There is always room to learn, even after you've been doing it for a while. Take writing courses, attend conferences, read online articles, take refreshers on basic topics like grammar and other craft components. Consider this an investment into your future. If you don't do this, you could be writing for years and always wonder why you haven't improved.
b) READING, A LOT: Take the time and spend what you need to achieve this. Read widely and often. Amass your own collection of books and subscribe to literary magazines. Good writing you can emulate; not so good writing, you can learn from. Breaking down how other writers piece together their prose is a delightful way of discovering how things can be done; in the process of finding your own unique "voice", it's useful to try these different techniques and styles, to see whether it can work for your own writing. But never lose sight of that special pizazz that makes you you.
c) BEING ACTIVE IN THE WRITING COMMUNITY: Take the time to play an active role in your local writing community by attending and participating in book launchings, readings, poetry slams, book/literary festivals, community gatherings; follow other writers on social media and offer encouraging comments to their posts. No one understands the struggles you undergo better than another writer. Just seeing other writers get their book out and getting published in literary magazines is awesome motivation for you as a writer, because it nudges the competitive spirit inherent in all of us and propels you to fight the inner procrastinator.
If there isn't a writing community near you, create one! It can start with two or three writers at first, and before you know it, you have a whole community of like-minded individuals.
Tina Isaacs
The learning experience. Firstly, writing about characters who deal with a multitude of situations reveals the complexity of human nature, which in itself is an enriching part of personal development. Secondly, when doing research on a topic I am writing about (I try to dig deep even if I'm only touching on small aspect in my writing), I learn so many new things I may never have the chance of actually experiencing: new locations, occupations, diseases, history, societies etc. It's so fascinating!
Tina Isaacs
I usually have a couple of projects going on at the same time. Right now, that's my debut novel project and a short story. When I get stuck on one project, I switch to the other one. Alternatively, I pick up a book (either from a trusted favorite author, a recommendation list or a random pick) to read.
I find taking the time away from the "blocked" project really helps, because time away gives your mind a rest and will improve your writing in the long run. Often, ideas come to me about improving or tweaking the work when I'm away from it.
I find taking the time away from the "blocked" project really helps, because time away gives your mind a rest and will improve your writing in the long run. Often, ideas come to me about improving or tweaking the work when I'm away from it.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more