Ask the Author: Garrison Kelly
Answered Questions (7)
Garrison Kelly
Most of the fictional worlds I read about are dangerous to the core, whether I have to fight off monstrous abominations, fire-breathing dragons, or just plain scummy villains. I’m perfectly happy in my Port Orchard home, as boring as it may be. They don’t cut off heads in Port Orchard…as far as I know.
Garrison Kelly
Be receptive to criticism and leave your ego at the front door. I did the exact opposite as a college student and my work suffered because of it. It’s natural to feel anxious about receiving criticism since we all have some degree of sensitivity towards our own work. But if you surround yourself with critique partners and beta readers who genuinely care for you and want the best for you and your career, you’ll be a much happier writer. No matter your skill level, you will always need criticism and you will always have room for improvement.
Garrison Kelly
“I’m lost without you, my love,” said Prince Charming. He gave his girlfriend a passionate tongue kiss before closing the casket one last time.
Garrison Kelly
I can say with complete certainty that’s never happened to me before. Usually when I go back to edit short stories or chapters of a novel, it started out as a grammatical error or the use of an unnecessary word. The only change in the story I’ve gotten from those corrections was a slight improvement. I enjoy reading stories with a tight prose, so I expect the same thing out of myself when I write.
Garrison Kelly
I draw inspiration from a lot of different sources whether they’re from other books or not. I’m a huge fan of heavy metal music and I often use it to channel aggressive feelings in my writing, especially during scenes of violence. I’m also a fan of professional wrestling as evidenced in my novella Occupy Wrestling. People like to criticize wrestling for being “fake” and I always tell them that Harry Potter is also fake, yet nobody’s complaining. Yet another source of creative fuel comes from the computer game Diablo II: Lord of Destruction. If it wasn’t for that game, I wouldn’t have such a fascination with barbarians.
Garrison Kelly
Exercising my creativity is always a fun part of the business, but my favorite part comes from the feeling of accomplishment I get after I write something. I have taken a piece of my screwed up psyche and made art out of it. I liken this to the scene in the musical Pink Floyd the Wall where the main character smashes his hotel room in a fit of rage and afterwards makes a piece of art out of the remains. It’s a creepy way to think of my accomplishments, but then again, lots of creepy things go on in my mind.
Garrison Kelly
My favorite way to deal with writer’s block is by imagining the scenes of my stories from beginning to end. Sometimes when I’m alone (or at least when I’m sure I’m alone), I’ll do a back and forth dialogue between characters out loud.
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