Ask the Author: Matthew Hanlon
Answered Questions (4)
Matthew Hanlon
The free coffee at Dunkin Donuts. Try it out. Pop into your local Dunks (if you live in heathen lands where they don't have Dunkin Donuts you'd better move), march up to the counter, salute the person at the till and say, "I'm a writer, I'll take my free coffee now, thanks."
Hands down, the best thing. Oh, that and the groupies.
Hands down, the best thing. Oh, that and the groupies.
Matthew Hanlon
So I deal with writer's block by just sitting down and typing. It helps that I use an app like Writer.app, which doesn't let you delete anything, so my internal editor gets shut off and the stuff will just stick to the page.
If I get *really* stuck, and, knock on wood, I don't think I ever have, I just sit down and start typing. Start with some object near the desk, an orange, say. Or a backhoe, elephant, cheese sandwich, elliptical trainer, threshing tools, wooden Dutch shoes, ukelele (it helps to have a crowded office). Start describing the object, give it a life, give it a story, make it prefer skydiving to sitting on your desk. I know a *ton* of literary magazines are dying to get your skydiving orange story.
If that fails, or perhaps you're feeling claustrophobic with all the stuff piled up in your office I find that a good walk will often kickstart those writerly juices.
If I get *really* stuck, and, knock on wood, I don't think I ever have, I just sit down and start typing. Start with some object near the desk, an orange, say. Or a backhoe, elephant, cheese sandwich, elliptical trainer, threshing tools, wooden Dutch shoes, ukelele (it helps to have a crowded office). Start describing the object, give it a life, give it a story, make it prefer skydiving to sitting on your desk. I know a *ton* of literary magazines are dying to get your skydiving orange story.
If that fails, or perhaps you're feeling claustrophobic with all the stuff piled up in your office I find that a good walk will often kickstart those writerly juices.
Matthew Hanlon
I would advise anyone aspiring to write to follow Joe Lansdale on Twitter or Facebook, and he'll shout at you every few days that you should really just be writing.
And it's great advice. Set some time up, make it a routine, but make sure you give it a good shot every day or every couple days to keep the muscles limber. Hopefully you'll find the regularity of it, even at half hour bursts, gets your pen or fingers going like I do.
And it's great advice. Set some time up, make it a routine, but make sure you give it a good shot every day or every couple days to keep the muscles limber. Hopefully you'll find the regularity of it, even at half hour bursts, gets your pen or fingers going like I do.
Matthew Hanlon
I'm currently querying new agents and publishers with my latest novel, titled, for now, "Butterfly." It's a story about marriage, family, hockey, plumbing, blacksmiths, time travel, and the FBI.
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