Ask the Author: Max Redford
Answered Questions (2)
Max Redford
I don't necessarily get inspired to write as much as writing is just what I do. Better phrasing would be what inspires my writing - yes, this is a rather writerly answer (and if you're not a writer you will be wondering if 'writerly' is even word; for the record, it is a word. That's the groovy thing about writers is that we get inspiration from words themselves. Hear - or better yet, read - a catchy word like phantasmagorical or a phrase like protoplasmic orgasm worship and hell yeah you're full-tilt boogie rockin' tithe dead start pissin' adipose tissue from shredded urethra - trust me, not a pretty picture, especially if you're barefoot at the time.
Inspiration . . . ? Right. Inspiration. There's lots of crazy bats flappin' 'round in my head at any given moment and they drop the weirdest thoughts into my consciousness when I least expect it. The bats are actually those bottom feeder fish that scavenge around inside the deep recesses of my head looking for forgotten nuggets of wisdom and trivia that's been shoved in a nook of my cerebellum and they chew on it for a bit before shitting out pearls - okay, maybe they're bat-fish-oyster mutants that live in my brain.
So yeah, that's how writers get their inspiration . . . bat-fish-oyster mutants.
Inspiration . . . ? Right. Inspiration. There's lots of crazy bats flappin' 'round in my head at any given moment and they drop the weirdest thoughts into my consciousness when I least expect it. The bats are actually those bottom feeder fish that scavenge around inside the deep recesses of my head looking for forgotten nuggets of wisdom and trivia that's been shoved in a nook of my cerebellum and they chew on it for a bit before shitting out pearls - okay, maybe they're bat-fish-oyster mutants that live in my brain.
So yeah, that's how writers get their inspiration . . . bat-fish-oyster mutants.
Max Redford
Read. Read the old stuff and the new stuff. The good stuff and the bad stuff. The weird stuff and the serious stuff. Read it all. Get exposed to everything you can get your hands on. And write. Write. Write. Experiment with your writing and with words and sentences; write everyday even when you don't feel like it. Most importantly, dare to be a force to be reckoned with, never settle for second-rate when you can be your own burning star.
When reading or when watching television pay attention to storytelling techniques, patterns, and structures - once you start to see those things in other people's stories they'll start to come more natural in your own work. Combine well-read and mastery of storytelling patterns to become a better writer. And never stop learning.
When reading or when watching television pay attention to storytelling techniques, patterns, and structures - once you start to see those things in other people's stories they'll start to come more natural in your own work. Combine well-read and mastery of storytelling patterns to become a better writer. And never stop learning.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more