Ask the Author: Christopher Hegan
Answered Questions (4)
Christopher Hegan
A film script. Radio plays. A sequel to The Musket Girl. And trying everything I can to find readers for my wonderful book.
Christopher Hegan
Don't be an aspiring writer. Be a writer. And once writing, whenever anyone asks what you do, answer, "I'm a writer." They will believe you, and their belief reinforces your self-belief because that's the way we work. OK, so they'll then ask "What have you written?" Just tell them what you're working on. The comes the question: "Have you been published?" Answer: "Not yet." And leave it at that. Don't make excuses. Don't say anything that starts with "But ..."
Christopher Hegan
The greatest thing about being a writer is the total freedom to just make stuff up.There are no rules. No-one can say, "No. You can't have that lake suddenly freeze, and for the ice to crack in the shape of a lightning bolt."* But you damn well can.
And there's the other great thing about writing. One idea begets another. As I wrote that I thought: Think of some impossible thing. OK. Lake spontaneously freezes.
Then what? OK. Aaah, it cracks in the shape of a lighting bolt. And bang! we're away. Just like that.
What's not to love?
And there's the other great thing about writing. One idea begets another. As I wrote that I thought: Think of some impossible thing. OK. Lake spontaneously freezes.
Then what? OK. Aaah, it cracks in the shape of a lighting bolt. And bang! we're away. Just like that.
What's not to love?
Christopher Hegan
Believe it or not, I've never had serious writer's block. Something always turns up. Although I must admit I have used a variant of Raymond Chandler's remedy: "When in doubt have a stranger walk into the room with a gun in his hand." In fact, there's one in the first chapter of The Musket Girl. After the band of gun-runners were gone I thought "What can I do to make this more interesting?" So I had the silent, bearded stranger appear, shadowing the gang. Later, to ice the cake, I made him oddly familiar to Winnie.
I honestly had no idea where that was going, but he turned into the pivotal character of ... well, read the book. :)
I honestly had no idea where that was going, but he turned into the pivotal character of ... well, read the book. :)
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