Ask the Author: B.C. Hedlund
Answered Questions (5)
B.C. Hedlund
I think the best thing about being a writer is being able to explore. You can really do anything with words if you want to. Words don't write the story, they just provide the writer with the tools they need to write it. The magic of being a writer is being able to spin words into new worlds and people, and just see it come to life. To see the characters come to life on the page and to follow them through their story. There's a sort of magic to writing that you can't really put into words, and I think that's truly the best thing about being a writer - that you get to be a part of that magic.
B.C. Hedlund
I get inspired to write by observing the world around me. I base a lot of my work off of things I've experienced, or have seen, and I'm fascinated with the structure and workings of society and humanity in general. I like working with the unanswerable questions, the concepts that every writer/artist tries to capture, because they are concepts that cannot be captured in their entirety. My favorite way to get inspired is by taking a road trip. I'll pick a random place I haven't been and just go explore. It's a good way to get away from my everyday environment and open myself up to new experiences and ideas.
B.C. Hedlund
I deal with writer's block in a lot of ways. Sometimes I'll sit in front of my computer and just wait for something to pop into my head, which, although I am guilty of doing it, is not a recommended approach. Sometimes I look up quotes - I really enjoy quotes, especially those from other authors - that deal with more in depth topics because it usually helps me generate ideas of my own. When I'm dealing with severe writer's block, I usually step away from the project for a bit, sometimes I'll step away from writing for a couple hours or days to catch my bearings. I try to get back in touch with the characters, and I'll usually just do some light writing to collect my thoughts until I fully reconnect with my characters and the story, and start writing again.
B.C. Hedlund
My best advice for aspiring writers is, although it is a pretty universal response, to write. Just write. Write something. Writing something is always better than writing nothing. You can turn a shitty something into an amazing book, but you can't turn nothing into something. So write. Never give up. Sometimes it takes persistence, and a lot of rewriting, to see the results you want to see. But never give up. Be passionate about your work. And write.
B.C. Hedlund
I definitely won't be able to get through my entire summer reading list, but some of the top books on it are Turtles All The Way Down by John Green, Holding Up The Universe by Jennifer Niven, Emma by Jane Austen, Catch 22, To The Lighthouse, The Age of Innocence, and The Sun Also Rises. I don't know if I'll get through them all, but my goal is to do so.
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