Ask the Author: L.M. Merrington
Answered Questions (4)
L.M. Merrington
I get my inspiration from the world around me - things I've read or seen, or people I've encountered. Because I write Victorian-era fiction, I get really inspired by museums or stories of how people used to live. I also like to ask 'what if...' as I find that can take you down some really interesting paths.
L.M. Merrington
Brute force. For me it's really just a matter of getting my act together and pushing through. I do have a couple of specific techniques I use to encourage myself when I really don't feel like writing - I do 20-minute writing sprints (it's easier to convince myself to write for just 20 minutes, and by the time I've finished one I'm usually on a roll again), or sometimes I step away from the computer and write by hand for a while. I find it's a much more organic process and can help get through the blocks.
L.M. Merrington
There's two things I love about being a writer. First is the actual craft itself, especially the first draft stage - I love seeing stories come alive. The second is the interactions I get to have with readers. It still blows my mind when people contact me to say how much they've enjoyed my books. I love being able to share stories with the world.
L.M. Merrington
Just write. It's so easy to get caught up with all the trappings of writing or to get too far ahead of yourself and think about publishing options when you haven't yet got a full manuscript. Get into some sort of regular rhythm, whether that's every day or however often you can manage, and just keep going. Even 100 words per day is 100 words more than you had yesterday!
And once you've finished the first draft, edit, edit, and edit some more. Then get someone else to read it, edit it, and then use the services of a professional editor. I find that editing and rewriting takes up about three-quarters of my total time spent on a book. It's also why you shouldn't worry about getting the first draft perfect - you can always fix it in editing, but you can't edit a blank page.
And once you've finished the first draft, edit, edit, and edit some more. Then get someone else to read it, edit it, and then use the services of a professional editor. I find that editing and rewriting takes up about three-quarters of my total time spent on a book. It's also why you shouldn't worry about getting the first draft perfect - you can always fix it in editing, but you can't edit a blank page.
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