Ask the Author: A.R. Cook
Answered Questions (7)
A.R. Cook
Good question; there are so many I'd love to visit. I'd probably start with Pern, see if I could bond with a dragon. Or Narnia, just for sight-seeing. Although I always loved those Dragonology books, so if I could visit the places those books documented and study dragons, I'd sign up for that!
A.R. Cook
My book series pulls a lot from mythology, particularly Greek and Norse, which were genres I studied in school. It all started from a short story I wrote around the time I was in junior high or high school (don't ask how long ago that was), and then it sat on the shelf for years until I stumbled across it again one day and decided to expand on it. Much of the story changed, including basing the main character on the 16-year-old version of my husband.
A.R. Cook
It can depend on what you're writing--sometimes listening to classical music gets me in the mood to write when I don't know what to write. But I've also been in the middle of a story where I hit a dead end, and I'll experiment by throwing another "wrench" at the characters, see what happens when something out of left field happens to them. It may not always work, but it keeps my mind working.
A.R. Cook
You can write whenever, however you want. There is no set criteria, there is no rule book (except for being grammatically correct). It is a completely freeing activity, and you don't need anyone else's permission to do it.
A.R. Cook
You'll be surprised where your inspiration will come from, sometimes. I might be listening to music, or reading an article in the paper, or visiting an art museum, and something will tickle my brain and make me want to work that into a story. Being out in nature is inspiring too, without all the noise pollution and technological distractions of being indoors.
A.R. Cook
Read and write every day. Even if you only read a few pages, or write a few sentences--whether it's for a diary, a story, or just how you feel--a little every day keeps your creative juices flowing and keeps you from getting lazy about writing.
A.R. Cook
I am working on the third book in my YA fantasy series The Scholar and the Sphinx.
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