Ask the Author: Lee Parry
Answered Questions (6)
Lee Parry
I generally don't! I will go months without writing if writer's block hits, one of my more annoying habits. I find the first sentence is the one that makes or breaks a chapter. When I do come back to a piece, I'll try out a variety of opening sentences until something clicks, and then follow it where it goes.
Lee Parry
The point where a plot or character stops being something you created and starts becoming something in of itself. When a character's actions are dictated by their personalities rather than your whims, when a plot goes in its own organic direction rather than following your initial sketches; that is an extremely satisfying feeling as a writer.
Lee Parry
Don't let self-doubt drag you down. It took me ten years or so to finish and self-publish my first novel, and several times I questioned what I was doing, why I was doing it, whether anyone would even bother to read it, if the story and characters were believable etc. etc. Second-guessing yourself is the death of the creative process.
If you have a friend willing to read your work and honest enough to give you a straight critique, ask them to look over what you've done. A fresh set of eyes really can help after you've read your own work so many times you can't see the trees for the forest.
If you have a friend willing to read your work and honest enough to give you a straight critique, ask them to look over what you've done. A fresh set of eyes really can help after you've read your own work so many times you can't see the trees for the forest.
Lee Parry
I'm working on a novelette that is a rough mash-up of Steampunk and Noir. As has been the case in the past, I've started and restarted some four or five times as I attempt to find a voice for the story and its characters.
Lee Parry
Other people's work inspires me to write. I remember reading a pointed question in an article about how to go about living one's life, in which the author asked 'how much time do you spend consuming other people's work rather than creating your own?' This question has stuck with me, and when I read something that's particularly creative or moving, it challenges me to create something myself. I may not equal or better the work that moved me to write, but I can at least say that my time is split between consumption and creation!
Lee Parry
Various ideas and concepts featured in my book were inspired by other science-fiction and Victorian-era sources; 'the eyes of Heisenberg' by Frank Herbert, featuring a ruling class of biologically immortal 'Optimen', was an influence on the Pantheon of my book. Sherlock Holmes was a major influence on the aesthetics of the story, and some plot developments were influenced by a possibly strange source -- Bioware's 'Jade Empire' computer RPG.
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