Ask the Author: Rebecca Ferrell Porter
Answered Questions (5)
Rebecca Ferrell Porter
I'm an insomniac, always have been, but those insane hours are sometimes well worth it. The key scene in Cairn: A Dragon Memoir popped into my head as I tossed and turned, aching to rest before another day at the office.
I remember being stunned, and like I often do, I rushed to my living room and grabbed my notebook. All authors have notebooks, electronic or like mine, a tattered, spiral bound version.
Sometimes, I write a few phrases, or maybe a whole scene, but this time was electric. I drew pictures, and even a little cartoon as my nerves kept firing with the voice of this new idea. I wrote an entire scene and then a character diagram so vivid, I knew the voice better than my own. I couldn't let it go.
That was the moment I knew the story. I could smell the flowers and feel the frigid north sea on my skin. All I had to do at that point was spend the days, week, and ultimately months to make it best novel I could produce.
I can't wait for it to happen, again.
I remember being stunned, and like I often do, I rushed to my living room and grabbed my notebook. All authors have notebooks, electronic or like mine, a tattered, spiral bound version.
Sometimes, I write a few phrases, or maybe a whole scene, but this time was electric. I drew pictures, and even a little cartoon as my nerves kept firing with the voice of this new idea. I wrote an entire scene and then a character diagram so vivid, I knew the voice better than my own. I couldn't let it go.
That was the moment I knew the story. I could smell the flowers and feel the frigid north sea on my skin. All I had to do at that point was spend the days, week, and ultimately months to make it best novel I could produce.
I can't wait for it to happen, again.
Rebecca Ferrell Porter
This answer contains spoilers…
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Rebecca Ferrell Porter
Study your craft. Take courses in creative writing, story structure, acting, and grammar. Next, relax. Don't force the story. Just allow it to come whether in fits and starts, or all at once. You will find the process that works for you.
And finally, learn from your mistakes. Expose your work to people who will give you honest and even brutal critiques. There are dozens of sites on the web where you can do this for free. Join one, and take a deep breath. You will get replies that help, and others that hurt. But even when it seems personal, offer thanks. Then days later, return to the comment that was too much to stomach and really allow it to sink in. You'll be surprised how often that becomes the most helpful bit of information.
So keep writing, keep dreaming, and never let an opinion destroy your confidence.
And finally, learn from your mistakes. Expose your work to people who will give you honest and even brutal critiques. There are dozens of sites on the web where you can do this for free. Join one, and take a deep breath. You will get replies that help, and others that hurt. But even when it seems personal, offer thanks. Then days later, return to the comment that was too much to stomach and really allow it to sink in. You'll be surprised how often that becomes the most helpful bit of information.
So keep writing, keep dreaming, and never let an opinion destroy your confidence.
Rebecca Ferrell Porter
Simple. I go for a walk. I take a shower. I write down my dreams. I practice vivid imagining. So far, I've been lucky. I have more ideas than can possibly fit into a single trilogy, but one day it will happen. I have a favorite hike in mind to push through the wall. I have confidence it will work, it always has before.
Rebecca Ferrell Porter
Writing is my safety valve, my escape from reality, and my cozy corner. There is nothing to match the feeling you get when you blend the annoyances of life into the story, or sprinkle the beauty of a garden into a scene. I am in control. My characters are real, in a sense, but they do my bidding. That kind of power is addictive.
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