People have asked me how I write as much as I do. I'm by no means the most productive scribbler in the world, but I do have a few tips to share! I figure I'll start by telling you how I organize my work and set writing goals, and I may blather on ab...
Hello, fellow flailers, and welcome back to This is Haaard, my irregular blog about stuff that is the opposite of easy! This week, we are joined by MeganDenner for a splendid author interview.
Megan is one of my dearest friends. She's wholeheartedly passionate about her interests, so I've asked her to chat with us today about realism and research!
Read on to get to know Megan and learn a little about how she is crafting a gorgeous romance set in the world of professional ice skating...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Megan, I am tickled pink that you agreed to chat with me! To kick this interview off in traditional style, tell us a little about your writing experience. When did you start writing, and when did you begin considering yourself a "writer?"
Goodness, you're asking me to remember back quite a ways! I started writing fanfiction in the early 2000s after reading a lot of it online. That was the start of my creative writing experience, and what I did for years and years, posting some of it online, but keeping most of it hoarded away for myself to look back on now and then. I didn't start actually considering myself a 'writer' until a couple years ago when I stepped away from only writing fanfiction and started to work on Light from Above.
That's interesting! I never would have guessed that Light from Above was one of your first non-fanfic stories. What do you find the most challenging when it comes to writing?
There are a couple things that I find very difficult. First off, as someone who has ADD, there are a lot of days that focusing on writing after having to focus at work all day just seems impossible. Another difficulty I have is that I tend to be a perfectionist with my writing. I don't like to share my writing until I feel like it is as good as I can make it. A lot of times I get caught in editing things over and over, and getting frustrated that it isn't actually getting better until good friends (like Mina here) remind me that my writing is better than I often give myself credit.
I have absolutely no doubt that there are other perfectionists reading today, as well as folks who struggle with focusing for various reasons. Do you have any advice for writers who struggle with these issues?
To help me manage my ADD, I have a few strategies. First, music helps me to focus. It helps to keep that part of my mind that wants to wander away focused on something other than whatever other subject it wants to wander away to explore. When I'm editing on paper or brainstorming, I make use of a fidget cube for the same purpose. For the second, the best thing I've found is to build yourself a support network to remind you when you are getting caught up in the minutiae. Wattpad is also helping me work on getting my writing out for people to read before I have edited as much as I might like. Though I will admit there are days that all of this works better than others.
Who are your literary role models, and why? Do you draw inspiration from these folks in your writing?
My biggest literary role model is JRR Tolkien. I fell in love with his writing as soon as I read it. I love all the details and the rich tapestry of the world he created. He also cared so much about his writing. Those are the the lessons I really took to heart from him. Also, learning about his writing process makes me feel better about my own. I mean he did write that a character was "wounded by many wounds". Another role model I have is Monica McCarty who writes very realistic and well researched romance novels. Reading her Highland Guard series renewed my love of the romance genre, and really led to the idea of writing a romance based story of my own.
