F A Q

Favorite Genre Of Books? I typically enjoy Fantasy and Fiction, and all the sub genres of them, but I will give almost anything a try so long as it is well written and highly interesting. I say highly because I often have a short attention span, and if the story doesn't grab my attention within the first few chapters, I usually end up shelving it. What Genre Do You Write? Dark Fantasy has always drawn my attention, so I imagine I'll write a good quantity of that going forward, but similar to my reading interests, I'll probably delve into general Fiction and Fantasy as well, but who knows? I plan to write whatever crosses my mind. Do You Use Writing Prompts? Sometimes! It has to be a theme that really burrows into me and gets me thinking. "Dripping" was actually based on a prompt from a friend during Halloween, so I'm not opposed to them, it just depends on what else I have going on. When Did You Start Writing/How Did You Get Into Writing? I got into writing at first because I loved to read when I was young, books were my closest companions- I was a rather lonesome child- but as I got older it became a method of therapy. I developed severe depression and anxiety in my pre-teen years, so far to the point that I actually developed selective mutism. Selective mutism is a condition where you have such severe anxiety over speaking that you become physically incapable of it. Some people develop it so severely that they are not able to speak at all, where as others (like in my case) can only speak if they are in a very calm and secure atmosphere. It took me about two years to finally overcome it, during this time writing was often the only way I could express myself and "get the feelings out." Still to this day, when I'm under intense stress, it comes back on occasion and I often find myself writing out my feelings instead, it's sort of just become my "normal" I suppose. Are You Published? Self-Published, eventually aim to become a fully Published Author with a traditional Publishing House, all good things take time. How Do You Personally Deal With Writers Block? When I can't write I read my favorite books (or sometimes new ones) to regain inspiration. I study writing styles, word usage, etc. If reading doesn't work I will watch certain movies or shows that have a similar theme to what I'm writing about, sometimes I will focus on other hobbies to take a break (such as Costuming or going on hikes). I find it depends what kind of block you have- sometimes you just need an extra push in the right direction, sometimes you need to switch directions entirely, or sometimes you just need to put it down and take a breather. I think the important thing is doing what's best for yourself. Don't beat yourself up about it because ALL artists and writers get blocks. Often I find I get too focused on a project and forget to have fun and enjoy life, maybe I'm thinking too hard about a script or it's not going the way I envisioned, so once I've taken a few days or a week to let steam off and refresh, I find I'm able to come back to it with renewed passion. The most important thing is to give yourself time and stop worrying too much. If taking a break means putting it down for a month or two to gain better footing in other areas of your life, or even trashing a script altogether and starting from scratch, that is one hundred percent fine. In the end these are your stories, and they should be what you envision, so do whatever you need to get back on your own track. What Do You Do To Get Into A "Writing Mood"? While writing I put on instrumental music (you should put on whatever music you personally enjoy) I'm rather fond of "Chillstep" and I personally don't prefer music with words because I find it distracting. I will usually sit down in comfy clothes with a small glass of wine or some tea, or even take a notebook and go to a park or coffee shop, whatever I'm in the mood for really. If I can't get into writing the story I'll often switch tracks and work on the preface or character profiles or a timeline, as long as I'm working and enjoying it I see it as a win. Sometimes I will look up art or images as a visual aid to get my imagination going. Whatever makes you feel what you need to in order to express it in your writing, I think being able to see the beauty and potential in anything is a huge asset for a writer.