Ask the Author: Anna Mackenzie
Answered Questions (5)
Anna Mackenzie
The best thing? Following all the possibilities and getting to know the characters who jostle for attention; figuring out who they are, what happens to them, what their unique story is. Then sharing it.
Anna Mackenzie
I don't suffer writer's block, I suffer writer's unblock - I never seem to have enough time!
But my advice for anyone who struggles with this is to return to the beginning and edit your way through (don't just read it - hone it!). By the time you reach the sticking point, you should know where you're going next. If not, read through again, looking for a wrong turn. Don't ever be afraid to use that delete key.
But my advice for anyone who struggles with this is to return to the beginning and edit your way through (don't just read it - hone it!). By the time you reach the sticking point, you should know where you're going next. If not, read through again, looking for a wrong turn. Don't ever be afraid to use that delete key.
Anna Mackenzie
Read. Analyze good writing and bad - what separates them? What works for you as a reader? Why? Read great writing and read in the genre you are working in.
Finish your work. Many writers start a novel, write a few chapters, then give up and move on to something else. If you are struggling with writing a novel, try writing short stories until you find your voice and metier.
Finish your work. Many writers start a novel, write a few chapters, then give up and move on to something else. If you are struggling with writing a novel, try writing short stories until you find your voice and metier.
Anna Mackenzie
My next novel begins in 1914, in a setting far removed from the war to come. Inevitably my characters become caught up in the trauma and angst that rocked Europe, but not in the most predictable ways.
Anna Mackenzie
'Donnel's Promise' is the sequel to 'Cattra's Legacy', so the characters, and to some extent the story arc, were already established.
I wrote it in a number of places - Belgium, where I had a writing residency, and in airplanes, trains and temporary abodes in England, Scotland and the US, as well as at home in New Zealand. Each place added something to the book, offering up background texture, settings, or moments of insight.
I wrote it in a number of places - Belgium, where I had a writing residency, and in airplanes, trains and temporary abodes in England, Scotland and the US, as well as at home in New Zealand. Each place added something to the book, offering up background texture, settings, or moments of insight.
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