Ask the Author: Maggie Mooha
Answered Questions (6)
Maggie Mooha
You are not going to believe this, but it came to me in a dream - just the bare bones of it. I saw three people, two women and a man, and he was dressed in the uniform of an infantry soldier during the Crimean war. I knew it was a love triangle and I just grabbed that ball and ran with it.
Maggie Mooha
Sometimes, it is reading someone else's work and I think "I could do a better job at that." Sometimes, I just get an idea and it just grows from there. I love history, so I have been working mainly in historical fiction. It gives me the opportunity to learn a lot as I work.
Maggie Mooha
I have a historical romance novel finished and it is sitting at the publisher right now. I suspect I'll have an editor assigned any day. Also, my last two books are getting cover make-overs.
Maggie Mooha
Get honest feedback on your work. I vacillate between thinking my writing is great to thinking its awful. Having some people who you trust to give you feedback is invaluable. Also, find a good editor and proofreader. If you are looking to be traditionally published, your publisher will do get that for you. If you are self-publishing, hire someone. Nothing turns readers off more than spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes. Also, don't get discouraged looking for a publisher. It took me a year to find one for my first book, then suddenly, two publishers wanted it the same week!
Maggie Mooha
It keeps my mind engaged. During the lockdown, I wrote another book that entailed a lot of research. I was immersed in the Crimean War and my characters' lives for months. It really helped. When things were better, traveling to the places I was writing about was one of the great pleasures of writing. I hope I get to do that again soon.
Maggie Mooha
If I am ever stuck, I go to the pool and swim or walk the dog and somehow things clear up. Sitting and staring at a blank page or screen never works.
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