Ask the Author: H.C.H. Ritz
Answered Questions (4)
H.C.H. Ritz
Absence of Mind came from the night I climbed into bed wishing that my working memory was more functional! I'm a bit absent-minded. I rely on my smartphone for reminders, but I find the interface clunky, and it's annoying to have to carry around the device. I wished for a smartphone in my brain. I imagined telling it mentally, "Remind me to go jogging in the morning, and if I don't want to do it, tell me why consistent exercise is so important for good sleep and how it boosts mood. Don't let up 'til I actually go jogging! Oh, and tell me what the weather is when I wake up so I know how many layers to wear." Ah, now that would be an elegant solution. And then I spent the next couple of months developing a story that just so happened to incorporate that idea.
H.C.H. Ritz
I'm still an aspiring writer ;-)
But here's what I've learned so far:
Figure out how to fit writing into your life. Maybe this means finding the right daily routine for you that supports writing on a consistent basis (read the book Daily Rituals for some fantastic inspiration on that!). Or maybe it's something a little more unusual... I found that making a wager with a fellow writer was very helpful on my second book. Whatever works!
Read "how to" books about fiction structure and technique.
Join a supportive, knowledgeable critique group.
Have specific goals.
Take a patient, scientific approach to figuring out how *you* best get words on the page (every mind is different!). I need classical music, chocolate, and a highly structured approach.
If you struggle with paralysis or "writer's block," try the Snowflake method (by Randy Ingermanson) to develop a clear picture of your story before you write, then turn off your analytical brain, lower your expectations, and just write the story straight through. Trust your critique group to catch the resulting problems. Then do it again. Do this until your inner critic will leave you alone consistently and let you write.
Know that it gets easier. Writing my first book was like finding a lost polar bear in a blizzard in the Arctic with no map while suffering from vertigo. Writing the second book was like driving across the country on a deadline with an outdated map. I'm hoping that writing the third book will be more like hopping on a bus to my favorite coffeeshop ;-)
But here's what I've learned so far:
Figure out how to fit writing into your life. Maybe this means finding the right daily routine for you that supports writing on a consistent basis (read the book Daily Rituals for some fantastic inspiration on that!). Or maybe it's something a little more unusual... I found that making a wager with a fellow writer was very helpful on my second book. Whatever works!
Read "how to" books about fiction structure and technique.
Join a supportive, knowledgeable critique group.
Have specific goals.
Take a patient, scientific approach to figuring out how *you* best get words on the page (every mind is different!). I need classical music, chocolate, and a highly structured approach.
If you struggle with paralysis or "writer's block," try the Snowflake method (by Randy Ingermanson) to develop a clear picture of your story before you write, then turn off your analytical brain, lower your expectations, and just write the story straight through. Trust your critique group to catch the resulting problems. Then do it again. Do this until your inner critic will leave you alone consistently and let you write.
Know that it gets easier. Writing my first book was like finding a lost polar bear in a blizzard in the Arctic with no map while suffering from vertigo. Writing the second book was like driving across the country on a deadline with an outdated map. I'm hoping that writing the third book will be more like hopping on a bus to my favorite coffeeshop ;-)
H.C.H. Ritz
I'm finishing up Absence of Mind, a near-future sci-fi thriller. It's 2034, and Phoebe Bernhart is a nurse in the neuro ward when her youngest brother becomes one of the first victims of a bizarre new epidemic of paranoia and aggression. She suspects a technological cause and teams up with a strange new acquaintance, a software engineer named Mila Bremer. Maybe Mila will end up holding the cure... or maybe she'll turn out to be part of the cause... or maybe she'll just prove to be indifferent to the fates of thousands of people, including Phoebe's brother. Check out the trailers on my Facebook page! www.facebook.com/hchritz
H.C.H. Ritz
I don't have much trouble getting inspired to write---I have trouble getting too distracted to write! There are so many little things that need to be done in a given day. But I think I've fallen into a routine that really helps me, which is to handle some of that annoying personal business first, have a late lunch, then write for as long as life lets me. With Pandora on, and Gmail and Facebook closed!
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