Ask the Author: Sharlay
Answered Questions (6)
Sharlay
When I first started writing, I'd sit at the computer and feel sorry for myself! lol
Now...I write through it. I find a way. If I have to leave the room, go into another room and physically start acting out scenes and characters from my book until the next part comes then I do that. Sometimes I listen to a certain type of music depending on the theme of the book. Whatever it is, find it and use it. Writers block only exists if you believe in it...take that belief away and what do you have? A solution and something to write about ;)
Now...I write through it. I find a way. If I have to leave the room, go into another room and physically start acting out scenes and characters from my book until the next part comes then I do that. Sometimes I listen to a certain type of music depending on the theme of the book. Whatever it is, find it and use it. Writers block only exists if you believe in it...take that belief away and what do you have? A solution and something to write about ;)
Sharlay
There is no better feeling than doing what you love, sharing it with the world and hearing someone say 'that changed my life'. That to me is one of the best things about being a writer. You have the ability to connect with someone who is thousands of miles away, you've never met and all from the comfort of your home and yet you can do something to impact them positively, even though you had no idea you were doing it. Best feeling in the world...
Sharlay
1. Don't be afraid to make mistakes over and over again. There is always something new to learn and you will never learn it all, so always be prepared to learn throughout your entire writing career.
2. Decide what kind of writer you want to be and stick to it. Don't try and follow trends and the genre that works right now because if you're not passionate about what you are writing readers can tell. Readers have this really amazing superpower where they just know when a writer is not telling a genuine story from their hearts. So, don't give in to the trend. Write what you love...that's why you wanted to write in the beginning isn't it?
3. WRITE! WRITE! and WRITE some more. Don't stop. Don't expect the first book that you write to just take off, write because you love to. Write all the stories that you have always wanted to tell. The right people will find your books. You cannot be afraid of hard work, dedication and very little sleep. It comes with the territory so be ready and maybe buy some red bull!!! lol
2. Decide what kind of writer you want to be and stick to it. Don't try and follow trends and the genre that works right now because if you're not passionate about what you are writing readers can tell. Readers have this really amazing superpower where they just know when a writer is not telling a genuine story from their hearts. So, don't give in to the trend. Write what you love...that's why you wanted to write in the beginning isn't it?
3. WRITE! WRITE! and WRITE some more. Don't stop. Don't expect the first book that you write to just take off, write because you love to. Write all the stories that you have always wanted to tell. The right people will find your books. You cannot be afraid of hard work, dedication and very little sleep. It comes with the territory so be ready and maybe buy some red bull!!! lol
Sharlay
I'm working on a new series called Beautiful Lies. There are six books within this series. Each book tells you the story of a different character that you will have met in book one. I sometimes bounce between the six books because of overlapping scenes but my main focus at the moment is book 5. It may seem strange that I started with book five but the main character in this book was begging to tell me their story and I had to give in to that little voice in my head and I'm glad that I did actually! :)
Sharlay
I'm inspired to write in many different ways, from books that I read, from films, music, life and watching the world around me. I think that inspiration is found everywhere. Every story uses an element of reality even if it is fantasy because you pull on something real and heighten it to create a story. Therefore in reality, everything becomes an inspiration...becoming a writer just means that you look at that 'everything' in a very different way...
Sharlay
My most recent book that I am working on is taken from the Beautiful Lies series. My initial idea for book one was in some part difficult to figure out in certain sections. I needed to really understand particular secondary characters and their involvement in book one, therefore I ended up coming up with six different stories, following the lives of six separate characters from book one. The story that I am writing now is actually book 5! The need to understand each character in depth lead to me discovering that each character had a story of their own that I had to explore!
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