Ask the Author: Ann Fields
Answered Questions (6)
Ann Fields
Freedom! Being free to explore ideas and people. Being free to work (write) whenever or wherever. Being free to use my creativity. Being free to employ the imagination and brilliant words. Ahhhh, freedom!
Ann Fields
Having bills to pay helps inspire me to turn on the computer every day rather than the TV (just teasing, sort of). But there are other inspirations. Some people are intimidated by a blank page, but me, I love the challenge of filling that page with words. When I read a well-written book by one of my favorite authors (I just finished Walter Mosley's "The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey". It was amazing!) that inspires me to write. Knowing I have so many stories and ideas to share inspires me. Inspiration abounds!
Ann Fields
Because I participate in community/vendor events, I run into lots of people who want to write. Regardless of the genre or level of writing ability, I tell them all the same thing...1) know why you want to write; 2) know your writing goals (what do you want to achieve?); 3) take craft classes in your chosen genre; 4) align with a writers support group (either a critique group or a writers group); 5) write, read, write, read, write, read, write, read.
Ann Fields
Fortunately, I have never encountered writer's block and I have been writing professionally since 1995. I have, however, encountered editing block. This is the point in my writing where I am cutting, refining or as they say in the construction business, "make ready" the scene. As I think more about it, it's not really an editing block either; it's just the plain ole hard part of writing. So how do I deal with the hard part of writing? 1) Push through it; 2) Take a walk around the house or neighborhood; 3) Temporarily do something else, like wash dishes, check snail mail, return a quick call; 4) Work on a different part of the manuscript. I have used all of these tricks and they have helped me complete eleven books to date.
Ann Fields
I had not planned to write a series when I wrote "Fuller's Curse" but when I finished that book, I knew the characters had more to say. This was validated when Governor (one of the main characters in "Fuller's Curse") told me he was in jail. Well, this was news to me so I started to work on "Tremont's Curse" to figure out why my character was in jail. So where did I get the idea for my 2017 book, "Tremont's Curse?" From my characters in the previous book.
Ann Fields
"Tremont's Curse" is the second book in the "Curse" series. I am currently writing it, trying to keep the characters in line but they are turning the tables on me, taking me places I had not intended to go. For those of you who read "Fuller's Curse" the first book in the series, you will read more about Sap, Ester, Mary and the almighty Governor. I really like how these characters (and more) are shaping the story and can't wait to release it in 2017.
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