Ask the Author: Helen Brower
Answered Questions (4)
Helen Brower
I re-discovered some old (and I do mean old) stories I wrote based on experiences from my youth and from the time I spent living in Europe. I'm busy editing and updating them and entering them in my computer as almost all were written pre-computer! Yes, typewritten with carbon copies, etc. They're bringing back a lot of memories (happy and sad.)
Helen Brower
When I started writing, writer-friends all told me the same thing: "Write every single day." It sounded like good, but unrealistic advice, but in time, I realized they were right--sort of. Even if you're not in the mood to write, per se, you can do lots of other things that are necessary to move your book along. You can, for example, spend a couple of hours doing that research you've been putting off, or spend some time copy editing and proofreading. Sometimes, just working out a thorny plot problem can be productive. If it contributes to the progress of your book (or short story, or poem, or article), it's time well spent.
Helen Brower
I do something completely unrelated to my book. I can spend hours (days? weeks?) watching TCM, especially if there's a 1930s screwball comedy scheduled, or I might sit down at my easel and spend a couple of hours painting, something I always find completely absorbing. If it's a gloomy afternoon, I'll probably invite my kitty to jump on the sofa with me and take a nice, long, luxurious nap. The main thing is to NOT panic. Just remember: in time, the block always lifts and you'll be back at the computer pounding away.
Helen Brower
I was a travel writer for many years but always had a secret desire to try my hand at fiction, particularly mystery fiction. After living in Delray Beach, Florida for several years, I happened to spot an article in the New York Times that described Delray as the recovery capital of America. Wow, who knew? The article set my imagination buzzing and before I knew it, I had come up with the suspenseful plot of my first novel. And the title? Well, that practically wrote itself: "Rehab Is Murder."
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