Ask the Author: Twisted Hilarity
Answered Questions (6)
Twisted Hilarity
Hey Ricardo!
So glad you are enjoying it. Do you know, I hadn't even thought of a patron account. I don't have such a thing currently, but...I will look into that and let folks know if I do. :-) Thanks for mentioning it.
So glad you are enjoying it. Do you know, I hadn't even thought of a patron account. I don't have such a thing currently, but...I will look into that and let folks know if I do. :-) Thanks for mentioning it.
Twisted Hilarity
For writing a happy ending, what inspires me are the tragedies in the world around us. Inequality, injustice, bigotry, cruelty, you name it - it often makes me want to write something where, for once, all the good guys get their happily ever after.
Life can be so difficult, and we get so much reminder of that whenever things go wrong. But writing a story where things go right, and people are saved, and lovers stay united? That, to me, is the best reminder that these, too, happen in the real world. It gives me hope; makes my whole day better, really.
And knowing that sometimes, it made someone else's day a bit brighter, that's rather inspiring as well.
Life can be so difficult, and we get so much reminder of that whenever things go wrong. But writing a story where things go right, and people are saved, and lovers stay united? That, to me, is the best reminder that these, too, happen in the real world. It gives me hope; makes my whole day better, really.
And knowing that sometimes, it made someone else's day a bit brighter, that's rather inspiring as well.
Twisted Hilarity
Write because you love it (even if you hate it sometimes!).
Because your love of the writing is...well, it's your cake. Fans and acceptance letters and good reviews are just frosting. They're awesome to have, and they make things even better, but when no one likes what you've written, when no one wants to publish what you have, when you can't make enough money from it, when there are nasty comments and trolls galore?
You'll still make it through as long as you have your cake. But if you don't, when that frosting disappears, you've got nothing left to help you continue writing.
So just make sure you have cake.
Because your love of the writing is...well, it's your cake. Fans and acceptance letters and good reviews are just frosting. They're awesome to have, and they make things even better, but when no one likes what you've written, when no one wants to publish what you have, when you can't make enough money from it, when there are nasty comments and trolls galore?
You'll still make it through as long as you have your cake. But if you don't, when that frosting disappears, you've got nothing left to help you continue writing.
So just make sure you have cake.
Twisted Hilarity
Hey Em,
I don't have a downloadable version of it at the moment, I'm afraid, no. It's also up at Adultfanfiction.net, though if that's any easier for you to read?
I don't have a downloadable version of it at the moment, I'm afraid, no. It's also up at Adultfanfiction.net, though if that's any easier for you to read?
Twisted Hilarity
Hey Jessica!
We definitely are planning to keep working on that one! My co-author has had some pretty huge changes the last few years (new child in the family kind of changes, more than once!) so it's likely to be slow going, but we haven't give up on it. ^_^
We definitely are planning to keep working on that one! My co-author has had some pretty huge changes the last few years (new child in the family kind of changes, more than once!) so it's likely to be slow going, but we haven't give up on it. ^_^
Twisted Hilarity
My writer's block often comes because I can't think of what the characters would do next. My solution: flesh out my characters and their world.
Sometimes, I fill out character sheets that give me a bit more information - favorite foods, favorite sport, secret fears, that sort of thing. These can be very helpful, and often help me see where I haven't fleshed out my character. However, the problem I have with these is that they often don't engage my emotions. The character tends to feel like a list of facts, not a person.
I do better when I have a character that feels like a real person to me. So what often works best for me personally is to imagine short, emotional scenes from my character's life. If I'm very frustrated by the block, I'll go on a walk and imagine the scenes in my head. If I'm simply feeling blank, I'll write the scene down. Maybe the time my hero was picking walnuts during a rainstorm and was trapped in a tree overnight by a herd of wild pigs. Or the time my villain rescued a child from a pedophile because the little one reminded him of his brother who starved to death in the slums.
These tend to bring my characters to life in my own head. It may help me learn more about their culture, or their family, or their motivations and, quite often, what their big, red buttons are. Once I know them, their reactions in a given situation are as easy to predict as a good friend's would be, and the block usually disappears.
If I am REALLY stuck, to the point I can't even imagine a scene, I'll pick a few random things - a setting, an object - and think of what my character WOULD do with these. For example, a kitten in a bank vault. Just from that, I already have to imagine in what circumstances my character would encounter these, and how they'd react, and so on. If nothing else, it helps jump start my thinking a bit, and that can be all I need to things flowing again.
Sometimes, I fill out character sheets that give me a bit more information - favorite foods, favorite sport, secret fears, that sort of thing. These can be very helpful, and often help me see where I haven't fleshed out my character. However, the problem I have with these is that they often don't engage my emotions. The character tends to feel like a list of facts, not a person.
I do better when I have a character that feels like a real person to me. So what often works best for me personally is to imagine short, emotional scenes from my character's life. If I'm very frustrated by the block, I'll go on a walk and imagine the scenes in my head. If I'm simply feeling blank, I'll write the scene down. Maybe the time my hero was picking walnuts during a rainstorm and was trapped in a tree overnight by a herd of wild pigs. Or the time my villain rescued a child from a pedophile because the little one reminded him of his brother who starved to death in the slums.
These tend to bring my characters to life in my own head. It may help me learn more about their culture, or their family, or their motivations and, quite often, what their big, red buttons are. Once I know them, their reactions in a given situation are as easy to predict as a good friend's would be, and the block usually disappears.
If I am REALLY stuck, to the point I can't even imagine a scene, I'll pick a few random things - a setting, an object - and think of what my character WOULD do with these. For example, a kitten in a bank vault. Just from that, I already have to imagine in what circumstances my character would encounter these, and how they'd react, and so on. If nothing else, it helps jump start my thinking a bit, and that can be all I need to things flowing again.
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
Nov 21, 2015 03:32PM · flag