Ask the Author: Wanda S. Paryla
Answered Questions (6)
Wanda S. Paryla
I am more than a casual observer. I find inspiration everywhere. Everyday. I can create an entire story just from a look upon someone stranger's face. Now bringing that inspiration to the page is just a little harder.
Wanda S. Paryla
Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara will always be my favorite couple. They're so dynamic. I think my appreciation of them comes more from Margaret Mitchell's ability to create a stong, enigmatic characters, more so than from a romantic point of view. Out of every fictional couple I've read, or seen on the screen, I don't think anyone has beat them yet. Not my opinion anyway.
Wanda S. Paryla
I'm working on a few projects. I think having more than one project going at a time is a fine way to avoid what some call "writer's block". It's also good for avoiding dead ends. If you're running dry on ideas for one project, you can take a break and move on to the next. Currently, I'm slowly working on three novels: The Devil Plays Dice (sequel to Someday Always Comes), Angel Maker, and the tentatively titled Chicago Down. I also have other manuscripts lying around, some are half-finished, and I like to use them to fill space when I need a break from actual writing. So I'll work on editing those.
Wanda S. Paryla
After I get done crying about "writer's block," I just start writing anything. When I feel I'm at a dead end, I write a Haiku poem. They are very easy and can get you thinking. Also, I journal. I've done it off and on most of my adult life and I find it is a great way to sort out feelings and hammer out ideas. I also work on more than one project at a time, so if I feel I need a break from one story, I can move on to the other until I find inspiration to go back to the other manuscript. I also have older manuscripts and stories around that I tend to edit when I'm stuck. Keeps the mind busy, and who know...I might revive an old story. This way, I can always be working on my writing in some way.
Wanda S. Paryla
It's a great way to sort out feelings. It's an even more fantastic venue in which to play out all the sides of you, and to do many things you might never do in reality. I find poetry is a good way to work through emotions: sadness, anger, a rough day; to celebrate, be happy, and even gloat.
Wanda S. Paryla
Do not ever give up on your writing. It's yours. Just keep plotting and conspiring. If you have weak moments, know that we all do. Many times I have stopped writing for months, even years. This does not mean you have failed. You only fail when you totally give up.
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