Ask the Author: Mae Winn
Answered Questions (6)
Mae Winn
I walk in the woods, run errands or do chores when I'm working out a creative problem. My mind wanders when I'm moving, especially if I'm doing something unpleasant. My mind also wanders when I'm happy, or driving. If my mind isn't wandering enough to get the job done, then I either set about physically wandering (so my mind will follow), or I do something repetitive or unpleasant (which causes my mind wander to escape from the current situation or task at hand).
Mae Winn
We have no control over other people in life. At best, we can control our own responses to others, and set boundaries for how they may or may not treat us. Writing fiction, we have limitless control over any characters we create. We can make massive throngs of characters engage in synchronized nose picking if we want them to, and this is fun :0)
Mae Winn
Do it! Write! We have this one life, so go for it! Keeping the story to yourself can be a great comfort until it's done. It's your own flexible little world, and you can construct it however you like. Be greedy with it until you're ready to let it go into the world, and then seek out editing or constructive feedback from someone you trust to be objective.
Mae Winn
I'm working on a book of silly poems with accompanying photo illustrations of embellished bananas, and a fiction series.
Mae Winn
I'm honestly not sure. I think that a lot of ideas happen to seek me out, rather than me 'getting inspired.' Ideas do tend to find me more when I'm frustrated, or bored, or anxious, so letting these ideas find me is probably some kind of coping mechanism that I developed early on -?- I'm determined to make my own fun... and I'm a ball of stress. It is a combination that welcomes any stray ideas with open arms.
Mae Winn
Ideas for this book started turning around in my mind when I lived in Brooklyn during 9/11 and the cloud from the tragic attack came over the area where I lived for days. More than once I woke up feeling like I had cement in my lungs, and had to get in the shower to breathe. It was (and is still) such a horrifying attack, that I think I started to create the story in order to give myself a sense of control when I was going about my life in that area in the months and years after that event.
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