Ask the Author: Ina Zajac
Answered Questions (7)
Ina Zajac
Anita, So sorry that I'm just now responding. Thanks so much for the well wishes. Good vibes are always appreciated.
Ina Zajac
My father who passed away in 2001 was a writer. He told me the secret to beating writer's block. It works. Sit down and start writing anything. Anything.
"I don't feel like writing. Banana, carrot, fancy pants. I'm so lame. I like baseball. Why are baseball players wearing their pants so baggy these days?.... I remember my dad taking me to baseball games. God, I miss my dad..."
Write anything. Soon you will get onto something. Maybe something big.
"I don't feel like writing. Banana, carrot, fancy pants. I'm so lame. I like baseball. Why are baseball players wearing their pants so baggy these days?.... I remember my dad taking me to baseball games. God, I miss my dad..."
Write anything. Soon you will get onto something. Maybe something big.
Ina Zajac
There isn't much (if any) math involved.
I love research
I love the feeling of being "in the zone" where everything is possible.
I love being able to make men say exactly what I want them to. "You're pretty."
Hopefully, sometimes I write things that other people are thinking. Hopefully, I connect with people in a way that improves their life experience. Maybe it's something that makes them laugh. Maybe it's something that makes them realize they are right where they are meant to be.
I love research
I love the feeling of being "in the zone" where everything is possible.
I love being able to make men say exactly what I want them to. "You're pretty."
Hopefully, sometimes I write things that other people are thinking. Hopefully, I connect with people in a way that improves their life experience. Maybe it's something that makes them laugh. Maybe it's something that makes them realize they are right where they are meant to be.
Ina Zajac
Cut yourself some slack. You are much better than you think you are. Write for yourself. Don't pay attention to what others are doing. Read books that speak to you, and then read some more. Don't show your work to others until you get to the point where you are confident enough to defend your work. Being open to editing is important, but wait until your ideas are fully formed. Here is my analogy about that.
You want a beautiful flower. Do you?
1. Plant a seed in a small pot of soil and water it.
2. Ask somebody to dig it up and tell you what they think.
3. Bury it. Wait a day.
4. Dig it back up and have somebody else tell you what they think.
5. Repeat 1-4. Repeat again.
OR do you
1. Plant a seed in a small pot and water it.
2. Give it time and water it.
3. Watch it sprout and water it.
4. Watch it grow and water it.
5. When it's fully formed ask somebody if they think it needs a bigger pot. Ask them to help you transfer it into a bigger pot.
You want a beautiful flower. Do you?
1. Plant a seed in a small pot of soil and water it.
2. Ask somebody to dig it up and tell you what they think.
3. Bury it. Wait a day.
4. Dig it back up and have somebody else tell you what they think.
5. Repeat 1-4. Repeat again.
OR do you
1. Plant a seed in a small pot and water it.
2. Give it time and water it.
3. Watch it sprout and water it.
4. Watch it grow and water it.
5. When it's fully formed ask somebody if they think it needs a bigger pot. Ask them to help you transfer it into a bigger pot.
Ina Zajac
I have a demented imagination and I daydream a lot. I have worked many years as a journalist/feature writer and I am intrigued by things like body language and human nature.
People who know me well may be surprised to learn how dark I can be because I am typically a very happy-go-lucky kind of person. I am corny. I laugh a lot. Perhaps that is how and why my writing is so dark, if that makes sense.
I actually wrote scenes out of order without fully realizing what the whole picture would look like. It was an ugly process, like eating an elephant with a spoon. After the first draft I felt I had a better idea who my characters were, and revised accordingly. Someday, if anybody is interested, I will share which scenes came first and why.
People who know me well may be surprised to learn how dark I can be because I am typically a very happy-go-lucky kind of person. I am corny. I laugh a lot. Perhaps that is how and why my writing is so dark, if that makes sense.
I actually wrote scenes out of order without fully realizing what the whole picture would look like. It was an ugly process, like eating an elephant with a spoon. After the first draft I felt I had a better idea who my characters were, and revised accordingly. Someday, if anybody is interested, I will share which scenes came first and why.
Ina Zajac
Book 2 in the Pretty Lights series.
Ina Zajac
Inspiration comes when I'm not looking for it -- while I'm stopped at a red light in traffic, unloading the dishwasher, or standing in the shower. I meditate everyday and often get my best ideas while I'm zoned out, thinking about nothing.
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