Ask the Author: M.E.R
Answered Questions (5)
M.E.R
I'm currently editing the fourth book of the Buttercup series. When I get tired of editing this, I switch to working on a teen novel, which at this point in time has only a horrible working title that I'm embarrassed to share.
M.E.R
1. Read! You learn so much from simply curling up with a favorite book.
2. Write as much as you can. Never feel like you have to write every single day. I am of the belief you can still be an amazing writer without having to devote an hour every day to writing.
3. Write in all genre's before you pick one you truly enjoy.
4. After writing a draft, print it out and leave it alone. Don't even flip through it. Don't read it! Leave it to rest. This gives your brain time to think of something else. Take a long as you need for this step. Timing is different for everyone, but give yourself at least a week to not look at it.
5. The goal of letting it set is - for the next time you read it - to feel as if you are reading something someone else wrote. This way you don't have such an emotional connection to the work and you are able to edit correctly. So now, flip through it. Start reading, and bring out your editing pen. Set to work on making it amazing! I reread my work and sometimes I think, "Wow! I stink!" and other times, "How did I phrase that so perfectly?" You're going to have both these thoughts. Don't let yourself get too discouraged or impressed. It's best to stay neutral.
2. Write as much as you can. Never feel like you have to write every single day. I am of the belief you can still be an amazing writer without having to devote an hour every day to writing.
3. Write in all genre's before you pick one you truly enjoy.
4. After writing a draft, print it out and leave it alone. Don't even flip through it. Don't read it! Leave it to rest. This gives your brain time to think of something else. Take a long as you need for this step. Timing is different for everyone, but give yourself at least a week to not look at it.
5. The goal of letting it set is - for the next time you read it - to feel as if you are reading something someone else wrote. This way you don't have such an emotional connection to the work and you are able to edit correctly. So now, flip through it. Start reading, and bring out your editing pen. Set to work on making it amazing! I reread my work and sometimes I think, "Wow! I stink!" and other times, "How did I phrase that so perfectly?" You're going to have both these thoughts. Don't let yourself get too discouraged or impressed. It's best to stay neutral.
M.E.R
During the summer I babysat for a family who lived up the street from me. After a full day of summer camp their daughter would somehow acquire abundant energy. I would come through the door and she’d jump on me asking, “What are we doing today?”
When it was bed time, that energy, for some reason, reached its peak. Finding a way to help her calm down was nearly impossible. I tried reading books, but that required having a light on, which kept her eyes wide open. After the fourth night I decided to try something new. That day when I walked through the door and she asked, “What are we doing today?” I answered, “Later tonight I have a story to tell you.” The reaction I received was pure excitement. When we made a tent that afternoon she paused the game with her stuffed dog in mid jump and asked, “Can you say the story now?” I countered with, “But it’s not bedtime.” She replied, “Well, it feels like night time because the blanket makes it look dark in here.” I waved off her sneaky attempt and was able to hold the story off until after she took a bath. Once her teeth were brushed she usually picked out books, but instead of taking five minutes in front of the bookcase she hopped right into bed. Bringing the covers up to her chin she fixed an expectant gaze in my direction, her bright blue eyes wide with enthusiasm.
“Story time,” she smiled.
That night I started a tradition.
She listened intently and only interrupted to ask what certain words meant. The story brought us into a world only the two of us knew. Each night we settled in and my voice transported us to realms of fairies, mermaids, and pirates. I used logic and a smidge of magic to tackle dragons, out think dryads and outsmart pirates. The main character, Buttercup, soon became the title of the stories.
The next day when I walked through the door instead of asking what we were doing she inquired, “Buttercup Story?”
Through these stories I was able to incorporate her daily struggles and demonstrate an appropriate way of dealing with them. It was my unique way of getting around lecturing to a four year old. The stories became a way for me to aid in the dismantling of everyday feelings that can seem too big to handle in the present. These adventures gave way to opportunities that helped her learn vocabulary, sympathize with other’s struggles, and comprehend complex ideas in a simpler and safe setting.
After the third night of telling her a Buttercup story I recognized its potential interest to other young children. I got excited and contacted my friend from Keene State, who I was going to room with. I had seen her art work and loved her style. She agreed to help me and is now my partner in bringing the Buttercup Stories to life.
When it was bed time, that energy, for some reason, reached its peak. Finding a way to help her calm down was nearly impossible. I tried reading books, but that required having a light on, which kept her eyes wide open. After the fourth night I decided to try something new. That day when I walked through the door and she asked, “What are we doing today?” I answered, “Later tonight I have a story to tell you.” The reaction I received was pure excitement. When we made a tent that afternoon she paused the game with her stuffed dog in mid jump and asked, “Can you say the story now?” I countered with, “But it’s not bedtime.” She replied, “Well, it feels like night time because the blanket makes it look dark in here.” I waved off her sneaky attempt and was able to hold the story off until after she took a bath. Once her teeth were brushed she usually picked out books, but instead of taking five minutes in front of the bookcase she hopped right into bed. Bringing the covers up to her chin she fixed an expectant gaze in my direction, her bright blue eyes wide with enthusiasm.
“Story time,” she smiled.
That night I started a tradition.
She listened intently and only interrupted to ask what certain words meant. The story brought us into a world only the two of us knew. Each night we settled in and my voice transported us to realms of fairies, mermaids, and pirates. I used logic and a smidge of magic to tackle dragons, out think dryads and outsmart pirates. The main character, Buttercup, soon became the title of the stories.
The next day when I walked through the door instead of asking what we were doing she inquired, “Buttercup Story?”
Through these stories I was able to incorporate her daily struggles and demonstrate an appropriate way of dealing with them. It was my unique way of getting around lecturing to a four year old. The stories became a way for me to aid in the dismantling of everyday feelings that can seem too big to handle in the present. These adventures gave way to opportunities that helped her learn vocabulary, sympathize with other’s struggles, and comprehend complex ideas in a simpler and safe setting.
After the third night of telling her a Buttercup story I recognized its potential interest to other young children. I got excited and contacted my friend from Keene State, who I was going to room with. I had seen her art work and loved her style. She agreed to help me and is now my partner in bringing the Buttercup Stories to life.
M.E.R
When I write I go into a galaxy of my own creation where walls are nonexistent and the ideas flow freely. Trying to describe that inner world is impossible, but being inside it is remarkable. It is one of the best places I've ever visited.
When I am in a bad place in my life, or simply confused about my own personal issues, I turn to pen and paper to spell it all out. Writing helps me express how I truly feel and most often reveals feelings I had not be able to see before.
When I am in a bad place in my life, or simply confused about my own personal issues, I turn to pen and paper to spell it all out. Writing helps me express how I truly feel and most often reveals feelings I had not be able to see before.
M.E.R
I give into it. I simply shut down my computer and move on. I usually go for a walk and do something new, whether it be reading, watching a movie, or diving into my studies. Sometimes it lasts for a whole week, month or year. To me, a writing block is simply a time where I've exhausted all my creative juices and I cannot find it in myself to generate the energy to write.
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