Ask the Author: Matt Perkins
Answered Questions (5)
Matt Perkins
Don't be an aspiring writer. Just write. You're either a writer or you aren't. Just do it. You have nothing to lose.
Assume that the first thing you write is going to be complete shit. Assume that for the second and third things as well. Even when you start to get good at it, you'll write some awful garbage from time to time. That's part of the process. The sooner you let go of the notion that everything you create has to be perfect, the sooner you'll actually finish a book. That thing you think is an amazing idea today might end up in the trash next month. So be it. It's not the only idea you'll ever have.
Assume that the first thing you write is going to be complete shit. Assume that for the second and third things as well. Even when you start to get good at it, you'll write some awful garbage from time to time. That's part of the process. The sooner you let go of the notion that everything you create has to be perfect, the sooner you'll actually finish a book. That thing you think is an amazing idea today might end up in the trash next month. So be it. It's not the only idea you'll ever have.
Matt Perkins
I don't believe in writer's block - not in the traditional sense anyway. Chuck Wendig has a great answer for this, and I agree with him: writer's block is an excuse that masks another underlying cause.
If I find I'm not coming up with anything on a particular chapter or scene, I switch to another one. There's no rule that says you have to write a novel in order from beginning to end. If something is repeatedly blocking me, it's usually a sign of a problem with the story. My favorite parts of Winterwakers all came to me very quickly and naturally. If I don't get that natural flow, I take a step back and think about alternatives that don't feel as forced.
If I find I'm not coming up with anything on a particular chapter or scene, I switch to another one. There's no rule that says you have to write a novel in order from beginning to end. If something is repeatedly blocking me, it's usually a sign of a problem with the story. My favorite parts of Winterwakers all came to me very quickly and naturally. If I don't get that natural flow, I take a step back and think about alternatives that don't feel as forced.
Matt Perkins
I don't really need to get inspired. I just sit down and do it. Sometimes I like to meditate for five or ten minutes first. I usually listen to music while I write, but it has to be music I already know well or it will distract me.
I guess my real inspiration for writing is to be able to see the end result. I want to finish what I'm writing, and I want it to be good enough for other people to read and enjoy. That's plenty of motivation for me.
I guess my real inspiration for writing is to be able to see the end result. I want to finish what I'm writing, and I want it to be good enough for other people to read and enjoy. That's plenty of motivation for me.
Matt Perkins
I'm working hard at finishing Parts 2 and 3 of Winterwakers, which is taking up all of my writing time at the moment. I also have a short story on the back-burner; it's called Development, and it will be a free gift to all my e-mail list subscribers. You can always see what I'm currently working on at my site: http://matt-perkins.com/ (and you can also sign up for my e-mail list there, and get Development when it's finished).
Matt Perkins
Vancouver gets dark and gloomy in the winter, which can make me feel pretty sluggish and slightly depressed (there's actually a name for this: seasonal affective disorder). On one particularly bad winter, as I was struggling to find the motivation to get out of bed, I wondered what it would be like if humans hibernated; perhaps we were meant to in some way. The idea tumbled around in my head for a few months, and I remember deciding that a story about people hibernating would be pretty dull. But I couldn't let go of the idea, so I came up with a twist: what if some people COULDN'T hibernate? What if those people were a tiny minority who stayed awake while everyone else slept? That seemed like a much better story. Winterwakers grew from there.
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