Ask the Author: Edith Pawlicki
Answered Questions (9)
Edith Pawlicki
I have always been obsessed with fantasy - I read it throughout my childhood. I think that it's because I love feeling surprise and wonder. After reading many books, that feeling was becoming more elusive, and I decided to see if I couldn't find it again through writing. There's too many authors to list but Anne McCaffrey, David Eddings, Tamora Piece, Robert Jordan, Tanya Huff, Brandon Sanderson, David Farland, and Sharon Shinn all had a big impact on me.
Edith Pawlicki
I would love to ride a dragon on Pern, and maybe listen to some bard songs while I'm there!
Edith Pawlicki
No because I hate horror!
Edith Pawlicki
For me, if I'm having trouble getting down the next scene or sentence, it's usually because I am putting too much pressure on myself to make it perfect. I remind myself that nothing is perfect and it's easier to fix a terrible page than a blank one (to paraphrase Jodi Picoult). Then I just start writing, even if it truly is so bad that I end up deleting it later! Getting through that hump lets me find a grove again or helps me realize what I should be writing.
Edith Pawlicki
I create character and worlds in my head and enact scenes whether I wrote them down or not. Writing helps me make those elements stronger and more interesting; it helps me reach epiphanies and go on amazing adventures from wherever I am.
Edith Pawlicki
Write a lot, identify your weaknesses, and read advice on how to fix them. There's so many free resources on becoming a better writer that if you are willing to put in the time, you can definitely improve in the craft. The resource that helped me the most was David Farland's Story Doctor newsletter and classes (he offers them at a reduced price for auditing each November!): https://mystorydoctor.com/
Edith Pawlicki
I'm currently writing a new series, an urban fantasy set in Nara, Japan. I'm also plotting a fourth (and fifth?) Immortal Beings book and a spinoff in the world of Minerva!
Edith Pawlicki
I almost always start with a character, dreams are a big source of inspiration, but so are shows and books and just life. Mindy Kaling once said something that I really connected with, that she gets more inspired from bad media that had potential because she starts asking herself what would have made it awesome. I've definitely done that!
Edith Pawlicki
I woke up from a dream where a woman was using the fact she could sense the emotions of people around her to track them in a competitive war game, however, she ended up losing because she became overwhelmed by the emotions of one her opponents. I just kept thinking about it, asking questions like, "How would that ability develop? Why was she playing a war game?" and Minerva was the answer to those.
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