Ask the Author: Pat Flewwelling
Answered Questions (4)
Pat Flewwelling
In short: all the time, and not by choice.
I've quit loudly and quietly, I've sworn off publishing, I've sworn off writing completely, I've lied and said I've quit, everything. Usually once every two years, I've given up.
And then I have a stupid crazy dream, or I'm inspired by a blank page or a thunderstorm, or I look over my list of every story I've written. Then, I hear a snippet of dialogue, or I have a mental image I can't shake. Whether I want to or not, I'm back at it, a thousand words here, a 6000-word story there.
Lately, I've been able to divorce myself a little from writing. It's no longer the sum total of my being and purpose. If I'm not enjoying it, I don't do it. Plain and simple. The world will roll on if I do write, and it will roll on if I don't. If it's a sense of accomplishment I'm craving, it doesn't have to be slaked by writing alone. There's more I can learn, do, create, clean, whatever.
Every time I quit, I learn a new reason why writer's block isn't a bad thing. Once I accept that, I can write for the love of story again.
I've quit loudly and quietly, I've sworn off publishing, I've sworn off writing completely, I've lied and said I've quit, everything. Usually once every two years, I've given up.
And then I have a stupid crazy dream, or I'm inspired by a blank page or a thunderstorm, or I look over my list of every story I've written. Then, I hear a snippet of dialogue, or I have a mental image I can't shake. Whether I want to or not, I'm back at it, a thousand words here, a 6000-word story there.
Lately, I've been able to divorce myself a little from writing. It's no longer the sum total of my being and purpose. If I'm not enjoying it, I don't do it. Plain and simple. The world will roll on if I do write, and it will roll on if I don't. If it's a sense of accomplishment I'm craving, it doesn't have to be slaked by writing alone. There's more I can learn, do, create, clean, whatever.
Every time I quit, I learn a new reason why writer's block isn't a bad thing. Once I accept that, I can write for the love of story again.
Pat Flewwelling
The pay.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Totally kidding.
Writing is the best part of being a writer. The ability to design an animated, multi-sensory moving-picture using nothing but the bio-electrical energy in my brain, and, by means of arbitrary markings on a printed or digital page, reconstruct that same image by manipulating the bio-electrical energy in your brain. If that's not cool, I don't know what is.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Totally kidding.
Writing is the best part of being a writer. The ability to design an animated, multi-sensory moving-picture using nothing but the bio-electrical energy in my brain, and, by means of arbitrary markings on a printed or digital page, reconstruct that same image by manipulating the bio-electrical energy in your brain. If that's not cool, I don't know what is.
Pat Flewwelling
I'll start with the last question first. The answer is, No. I do try to give humans and their alters more or less the same mass, so Were-Chi-Hua-Huas are definitely out.
Other than that, I try to come up with the human character first, figure out what like-mass animal would most suit them, then add character traits of their animal self into their human self.
I think I have all your books too! Our books are awesome.
Other than that, I try to come up with the human character first, figure out what like-mass animal would most suit them, then add character traits of their animal self into their human self.
I think I have all your books too! Our books are awesome.
Pat Flewwelling
I sign up for a continuing education course, preferably one with homework. I sit down to do an assignment, and Bob's your uncle - I get an irresistible idea. Either I drop everything and write it (and be late with my homework), or I'm darned inspired and I have an idea to work on once the course is over. Either way, problem solved.
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