Ask the Author: Meredith Mansfield
Answered Questions (3)
Meredith Mansfield
Hmm. Well I suppose there are two answers to that.
The idea for my most recent release, The Shaman's Curse, goes back so far I can't even remember where it started. I can trace its lineage back to that horrible thing I wrote in college.
In general, though, ideas come from all kinds of places. Two of my stories have started with challenge prompts on a writers' forum. (The Bard's Gift is one of those. The other isn't published yet.) Another (Blood Will Tell) started with a dream. "Heart of Oak" was inspired by a drive through the California redwoods, though it's not set there.
You never know when inspiration will strike, so keep a pad and pencil handy.
The idea for my most recent release, The Shaman's Curse, goes back so far I can't even remember where it started. I can trace its lineage back to that horrible thing I wrote in college.
In general, though, ideas come from all kinds of places. Two of my stories have started with challenge prompts on a writers' forum. (The Bard's Gift is one of those. The other isn't published yet.) Another (Blood Will Tell) started with a dream. "Heart of Oak" was inspired by a drive through the California redwoods, though it's not set there.
You never know when inspiration will strike, so keep a pad and pencil handy.
Meredith Mansfield
I'm currently working on the sequel to my latest release, The Shaman's Curse.
The sequel is The Ignored Prophecy.
The sequel is The Ignored Prophecy.
Meredith Mansfield
There are a number of answers to this depending on what's causing the block.
If something's just wrong and I can't identify what, then getting up and doing something else may work. Walk the dogs. Do a little cleaning or yard work.
If it's a problem of motivation, I may try working on something else. I usually have at least one or two projects waiting in the wings. It's good to have different stories in different phases of the writing process at these times.
Or, if I've set myself a deadline, I may just try to power through, especially in an early draft. Even if that first draft isn't very good. I can always fix it in the later drafts.
If something's just wrong and I can't identify what, then getting up and doing something else may work. Walk the dogs. Do a little cleaning or yard work.
If it's a problem of motivation, I may try working on something else. I usually have at least one or two projects waiting in the wings. It's good to have different stories in different phases of the writing process at these times.
Or, if I've set myself a deadline, I may just try to power through, especially in an early draft. Even if that first draft isn't very good. I can always fix it in the later drafts.
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