Ask the Author: Laura Monagan
Answered Questions (5)
Laura Monagan
Somebody once commented that writing is the only profession where people think it's perfectly acceptable to have a "block." Nobody else is allowed to wake up in the morning and complain that they can't go to work because they have dentist or auto mechanic or software programmer or fire fighter block. I routinely start my writing session by going back and reading aloud the last passage I worked on. Or, I just dive into any part of the story and read a few paragraphs. That gets the juices flowing. By the way, I think the Coen brothers' movie, "Barton Fink," has the best depiction of writer's block I've ever seen. The message is clear: the answer to writer's block is all around you.
Laura Monagan
Keep at it! Stay true to the story you want to tell and learn along the way.
Laura Monagan
I recently finished writing a novel, historical fiction, called Blues for the Unsung Queen. It's a reimagining of the life of Queen Dido, the legendary founder of Carthage in North Africa. I just finished recording an audio version of the book. Now I'm working with a friend to organize a book tour in Tunisia.
Laura Monagan
The question has three problems: "how," "get," and "inspired." In my experience, if I'm feeling inspired, I have no idea how I got there. I could describe it in metaphors -- the big wave, the wild wind, the crackling wildfire -- but what inspiration is or how to get there, I have no clue.
Laura Monagan
I got the idea from my time living in Tunisia. References to Queen Dido were everywhere, and I decided to learn more about her. I gathered more and more information and eventually turned it into a novel.
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