Ask the Author: Patrick Matthews
Answered Questions (9)
Patrick Matthews
I started writing when I was twelve, just because I had a story that I wanted to try to tell. Since then, I've always been writing. I do it whenever I can. The goal of being published came much (much) later.
Patrick Matthews
My stories start with at least three ideas. Once I'm ready, I write what I call "The First Fifty." and go from there. I have a more complete answer at https://www.pat-matthews.com/stories/.... As for knowing when it's done... that is a tough one. Unfortunately, I don't have a good answer. Sorry about that!
Patrick Matthews
Hey Samantha, sorry it took me so long to answer. I've been off Goodreads for a while... the answer is yes, there is a sequel. It just came out, and it's called The Boy With The Sword. I hope you enjoy it!
Patrick Matthews
Writer's block bugs me, not because I have a problem with it, but because it's got this weird larger-than-life status. People frequently ask me about it, and they speak about it in mystical terms, like it's some supernatural force keeping them from writing.
Every job I've ever tried to do has challenged me. Everything I've ever tried to accomplish has had obstacles. In writing, there are three challenges:
1. Figuring out what to write
2. Figuring out how to write it
3. Getting the time to write
4. Making it better
Writer's block is just a phrase people have dreamed up for when they have problems with challenges #1 and/or #2, and the answer to beating it is the same answer for every other challenge. You work at it.
When I start feeling blocked, I get up, stretch, maybe grab a drink of water or do some pushups, then sit down at the keyboard and start typing. In the worst case, I switch to another project and then come back to the original one.
I'm not a passive writer. I don't sit and wait for ideas to come. I aggressively go after my stories. I write and rewrite and work at it, always trying to find another idea or another way of looking at things.
Every job I've ever tried to do has challenged me. Everything I've ever tried to accomplish has had obstacles. In writing, there are three challenges:
1. Figuring out what to write
2. Figuring out how to write it
3. Getting the time to write
4. Making it better
Writer's block is just a phrase people have dreamed up for when they have problems with challenges #1 and/or #2, and the answer to beating it is the same answer for every other challenge. You work at it.
When I start feeling blocked, I get up, stretch, maybe grab a drink of water or do some pushups, then sit down at the keyboard and start typing. In the worst case, I switch to another project and then come back to the original one.
I'm not a passive writer. I don't sit and wait for ideas to come. I aggressively go after my stories. I write and rewrite and work at it, always trying to find another idea or another way of looking at things.
Patrick Matthews
When I started writing, I thought the best thing would be seeing my book in stores. I'll admit it: that was cool.
But it didn't hold a candle to actually meeting and talking to readers. I speak as often as I can at schools. I love interacting with kids, hearing about what they're writing and talking about what I'm writing.
But it didn't hold a candle to actually meeting and talking to readers. I speak as often as I can at schools. I love interacting with kids, hearing about what they're writing and talking about what I'm writing.
Patrick Matthews
Every writer says the same thing to this question: "write." So let's just take it as a given that if you want to be a writer, you should be writing.
My better advice is to adventure. Seize life with both hands and experience everything you can. Go hiking/climbing/swimming/kayaking/exploring/whatever'ing. The more you experience, the more you can write.
Don't close yourself in a room and imagine what life might be. Don't sit in a coffee shop and listen in on other people's lives. Get out there and do it yourself. Feel everything you can, and, for a portion of every day, write about it.
My better advice is to adventure. Seize life with both hands and experience everything you can. Go hiking/climbing/swimming/kayaking/exploring/whatever'ing. The more you experience, the more you can write.
Don't close yourself in a room and imagine what life might be. Don't sit in a coffee shop and listen in on other people's lives. Get out there and do it yourself. Feel everything you can, and, for a portion of every day, write about it.
Patrick Matthews
I'm always working on multiple works at a time. Currently, I'm working on a modern day fantasy, the sequel to Dragon Run, and a science fiction story about aliens.
Patrick Matthews
I'm inspired by my readers. I love the idea of sharing an adventure with a reader. Every time I start to slow down, or start to doubt what I'm doing, I think back to the adventures that I've had reading books.
Through books, I've adventured on Mars, The WitchWorld, Pern, Skaith, and hundreds of other worlds. I love the idea that I could be the person providing those adventures for other people.
Through books, I've adventured on Mars, The WitchWorld, Pern, Skaith, and hundreds of other worlds. I love the idea that I could be the person providing those adventures for other people.
Patrick Matthews
Wow. I didn't realize I hadn't been on Goodreads in so long! Sorry for the delay in answering. I'm always working on more than one project at a time, which makes answering this question tough.
I can talk about Dragon Run, though. That book started out with a simple question: "wouldn't it be cool if dragons ran the world?"
Almost immediately, I discovered more interesting ideas:
1. What if we were all ranked, assigned visible numbers that rated us as people?
2. What if people were happy and comfortable with being ruled?
3. In this world of magic and dragons, what would happen if one person didn't have any magic? What if he was just a regular kid?
Where did I get those ideas? The first one just came from me wondering. The others grew out of my writing and editing.
I can talk about Dragon Run, though. That book started out with a simple question: "wouldn't it be cool if dragons ran the world?"
Almost immediately, I discovered more interesting ideas:
1. What if we were all ranked, assigned visible numbers that rated us as people?
2. What if people were happy and comfortable with being ruled?
3. In this world of magic and dragons, what would happen if one person didn't have any magic? What if he was just a regular kid?
Where did I get those ideas? The first one just came from me wondering. The others grew out of my writing and editing.
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