Ask the Author: Lynda A. Calder
Answered Questions (10)
Lynda A. Calder
"Hang on, let me just put the phone down to answer the front door," Jenny said.
After a long pause, Marcia called out, "Jenny, are you there?"
After a long pause, Marcia called out, "Jenny, are you there?"
Lynda A. Calder
Fittingly, this question came to me on the birthday of the author and main protagonist of my preferred fictional book world. I would LOVE to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To take the classes and live the life of a Hogwarts student would be amazing. Doing potions with Prof Snape, Transfiguration with Prof McGonagall and Arithmancy with Prof Vector! I would love to be in Ravenclaw and play Quidditch. And who hasn't fantasised about being in this world? I did join an online forum where we could play out this fantasy and the Prof for Defence Against the Dark Arts was amazing. He taught me a lot about writing and description and emotion in words.
Lynda A. Calder
At the moment I am re-reading the Harry Potter series. It's been a few years and having just seen the first movie with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra I felt inspired. Not least inspired by the fact that all those little tid bits that didn't make the movie had gone from my head. I'm going to enjoy them slowly and just dwell in the land while I prepare to get one of my manuscripts moving forward again.
Lynda A. Calder
Inspiration, initially, comes from dreams. "The Enigma Diaries" was all due to a small snippet of a dream and then is just grew from there. The "what if" is also a great inspiration - thinking about situations where "What if" this happened. For example, the new YA I am working on was inspired by sitting at my son's many violin lessons looking out a small, round window wondering, "What if that window was the portal to another dimension, another world."
Lynda A. Calder
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Lynda A. Calder
The most recent thing I am writing "Bringer" I was inspired to write when sitting in my son's violin lessons week after week and staring out this tiny window at the world outside and I thought, what if that world out that window was not the world you entered when you went out the door. What if it were some other world? And thus "Bringer" came about. Now I need to finish writing it. But with "The Enigma Diaries" trilogy, that was inspired by a dream where I was the protagonist walking around a destroyed city with empty cars and buildings and it had become that way because of supernatural beings that had invaded. Three books later (third book still being written) I think I used that dream pretty well!
Lynda A. Calder
Having others read and enjoy your work and then having a conversation with them about it. I want to be able to do that more and more. The theories people have and the guessing and the intrigue and meaning they build into what I have written is fantastic.
Lynda A. Calder
Most writers say to write through it. I can't do that. I find that if I go back to the beginning, I sometimes find something that will enhance the point I am up to and then I can continue when I get there. Other times, I just set it aside and work on something else for a while and come back to it.
Lynda A. Calder
Learn your craft. Accept advice graciously.
Lynda A. Calder
I'm currently working on Book 3 in The Enigma Diaries Trilogy and a YA called "Bringer".
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