Ask the Author: Nicole Hubbard
Answered Questions (6)
Nicole Hubbard
With DA Shadow Phantom, I was writing with a friend, so when one of us had writer's block, the other one would take over until the idea impaired one began firing on all synapses again.
When writing alone, sometimes I have to set the story aside for days or even weeks. That's when my mind gets out of the nitty-gritty details and back into the plot as a whole. I take an objective look at the story from different angles and soon new ideas arise.
Often, what causes writer's block is that you want to get things perfect the first time. The main thing to do is just to keep writing, no matter how ridiculous you think it sounds. You can always edit later. I've taken out entire scenes, even entire chapters before in hindsight. Once you see how the story went as a whole, it's easier to see what needs to stay in, be taken out, or if it's still missing something.
When writing alone, sometimes I have to set the story aside for days or even weeks. That's when my mind gets out of the nitty-gritty details and back into the plot as a whole. I take an objective look at the story from different angles and soon new ideas arise.
Often, what causes writer's block is that you want to get things perfect the first time. The main thing to do is just to keep writing, no matter how ridiculous you think it sounds. You can always edit later. I've taken out entire scenes, even entire chapters before in hindsight. Once you see how the story went as a whole, it's easier to see what needs to stay in, be taken out, or if it's still missing something.
Nicole Hubbard
The best thing about being a writer is that you never have to grow out of the imagination you had as a kid. Being an adult doesn't mean your life has to be boring. Your mind can continue to grow and you can imagine wilder and wilder things. Writers have entire worlds besides what is lovingly referred to as the real one, where they can live a thousand lifetimes.
Nicole Hubbard
If you like to write, then do it. Don't let yourself be intimidated into silence because you think everyone else is so much better than you are. You have your own unique story to tell in your own way.
The biggest reason why stories don't get written is because writers lose heart or lose interest because they think their story isn't good enough. Most writers' stories go through many, many drafts before a finished product emerges. Some books I rewrote entirely, scrapping the old versions and merely using them as a reference.
The biggest reason why stories don't get written is because writers lose heart or lose interest because they think their story isn't good enough. Most writers' stories go through many, many drafts before a finished product emerges. Some books I rewrote entirely, scrapping the old versions and merely using them as a reference.
Nicole Hubbard
Currently, I am working on crafting a graphic novel/manga for DA Shadow Phantom, Vol 1. When I wrote the literary version of this story, I always had the scenes in mind as those straight from the mangas I enjoy reading, so I figured I would eventually put this dream on paper.
It's still a ways from being finished, but progress is being made, and I am quite happy with the results.
It's still a ways from being finished, but progress is being made, and I am quite happy with the results.
Nicole Hubbard
Ideas come various ways. Sometimes, I get a single image or scene in my head, and as I begin to write out what I see, a story begins to form. A few times, stories have stemmed from an abstract journal entry where I was struggling to portray my feelings. Some character usually ends up with those burdens and/or character flaws.
I love taking walks, and as my mind wanders, since it always does, I begin to ask myself random questions about stuff you never think about in everyday life. What if I just lived in this park for a few days? Where would I hide, and who would I meet? What if I could turn into a bird and watch people from the trees? What sorts of things would I find out? Would my old life seem small and far away if I could see it from a bird's eye view?
Some of these odd and random questions went into creating the scenario for Dalan Raymer as I went about writing the DA Shadow Phantom series.
I love taking walks, and as my mind wanders, since it always does, I begin to ask myself random questions about stuff you never think about in everyday life. What if I just lived in this park for a few days? Where would I hide, and who would I meet? What if I could turn into a bird and watch people from the trees? What sorts of things would I find out? Would my old life seem small and far away if I could see it from a bird's eye view?
Some of these odd and random questions went into creating the scenario for Dalan Raymer as I went about writing the DA Shadow Phantom series.
Nicole Hubbard
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