Questions
Ideas are everywhere. I usually start with one small incident that actually happened to me and create a story around it. The book I‘m working on now comes from two stories I heard about in the news. I‘ve taken those two stories, combined and changed them, and have come up with something new.
Q: Do you ever get writer‘s block
Yes. Everyday. I always find it hard to get started in the morning. I usually check my e-mail, return calls and make appointments before I can face the story I‘m working on. I think that‘s a kind of writer‘s block. But once I do get started, watch out! I can‘t stop, so don‘t get in my way!I rarely have trouble deciding what to write about. Sometimes I go a few months between books while I sort through my many ideas and decide what format to write in and who the characters will be. But as far as not knowing what the next sentence or paragraph or chapter will be about - that rarely happens. It helps if you have at least a rough outline - even if it‘s in your head - to help you know what is going to happen next.
Q: Do you like being a writer? Why?
I LOVE being a writer. I can set my own hours, I can wear anything I want to at work, I can use my imagination, and I am my own boss. Sometimes I think writing is a compulsion or an obsession as much as anything else.
Q: What don‘t you like about being a writer?
Unfortunately, there are a few downsides to being a writer. It is hard to earn a living, for one. A writer usually earns about 10% of the price of each book sold. That works out to be between 79 - 89 cents a book for me. Also, you often don‘t know if the book you have just spent a year or more writing will ever find a publisher. And finally, a writer has to deal with a lot of rejection letters.
Q: How should I prepare myself to be a writer?
Read, read, and read. And practice. Keep a journal, write
letters, write stories. When you start submitting your stories to
publishers, don‘t let rejection letters discourage you. All writers get
them. It doesn‘t mean you are a lousy writer, it just means that
particular publisher can‘t - for whatever reason - publish your story.
Send it somewhere else.
Another good way to prepare yourself is to connect with other writers
and ask them to critique your work. You don‘t have to make all the
changes they suggest, but it does help you to look at your work
differently. Get as many opinions as you can. And give your writer
friends your honest opinion about their work. By doing that, you
develop your editor‘s eye, which will help you in your own writing.
Q: Do you know how a story ends before you start?
Yes, I think it is important to know how it ends. Otherwise, your story doesn‘t lead anywhere. I think writing a book is like going on a trip. You know where you are starting from, you know where you are going, and you may even know some of the stops you are going to make along the way. What you don‘t yet know is what adventures you will have during the trip. It is the same with writing a book. As you work, ideas come to you, which are like those trip adventures.