Hi, everyone. I hope you enjoyed getting to know me in my February edition of ask the author. This month I had a few people send me their questions via email and I picked out the ones below. If you have a burning question for me, feel free to reach out to me using my contact form or comment on this blog post. Here we go!
1. What is one piece of advice you’ve been given or you’ve heard that you would pass on to other aspiring authors?
It was something Stephen King once said: “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”
This is something I say to anyone who tells me they have a story in their heart to write, but don’t know where to start. When my characters stop talking to me (and yes, they do!), I pick up a book and read. Another good quote from the man himself is this: “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
Think on that for a minute!
2. Does writing energise or exhaust you?
Both. I certainly am energised when the words are flowing and I enjoy the process. However, I am also a mother of a seven-year-old and I run my house too. And those who know, writing is never a 9-5 job. Inspiration can hit after putting the daughter to bed or even while I am doing the dishes. And when the words flow, I don’t stop just because I need to get some shuteye—which inevitably means I often find myself writing well into the night and early morning which does exhaust me.
3. Have you ever gotten readers block?
Yes! In 2021 I went through a psychological thriller phase where I devoured as many books in that genre as I possibly could. In December of that same year I wanted—no needed—to get my head out of that genre for my own mental health. It’s March now and I am yet to get back into my reading routine. So I am currently only listening to audio books and true crime podcasts in-between revising my current wip.
4. Do you try to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I do try to be as original in story as possible yet leaving some room to use the feedback from my readers on things they would like to see more of or less of. It’s a give and take. I have been fortunate thus far to receive very good constructive feedback and criticism on my previous work. And I’ve used that to grow in my craft. And when my readers see that, they appreciate my work even more and will come back for more.
5. Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
Every story I have can generally stand alone. However, when I plan out my plots, there often are times when a series forms and I keeping that in the back of my mind. There is one particular work-in-progress (wip) that started out as a standalone but is now firmly set in my mind to be a series with connections to each other – yet could all still be read as stand alone novels.
6. How many wip do you currently have?
Gosh! This is a very good question. I had to go back into the cloud to count them. I currently have fifty-two plot ideas. Of which, ten or so have the potential to be series. I have one novel due out soon (watch this space) and my beta readers have all mentioned they want spin-offs. I will be looking into that.
Thanks for coming back for ask the author. Again, if you want to know more about me or my books (previously published or current works-in-progress), comment below or reach out on my socials.
Till next time,
Gretchen W.