Ask the Author: Isabel Pelech
Answered Questions (4)
Isabel Pelech
Sometimes, it's reading a book or watching a show that gets something wrong, in my opinion. It'll bug me until I write something that gets that thing right. For instance, I once read a book that had an error in biology, and thinking about that error led obscurely to my first (unpublished) novella.
Isabel Pelech
Do as I say, and not as I do, and write daily. It doesn't matter what you write. For instance, fanfic may be looked down on, but ultimately it's just a genre that doesn't happen to pay you; if you have a fanfic in your head, write a fanfic. If it's a poem, write a poem. Every time you write, you get infinitesimally better, so it's important to do it a lot. That being said—don't push yourself so very hard that writing becomes a chore you dread. It doesn't have to be fun, but it should be rewarding.
Isabel Pelech
I have a story called "Rogue Ship" that needs a beta reader, and I'm trying to come up with more stories in that universe to supplement it and fill in side characters. The story itself is very tightly focused on the problems of one person, and not all my characters got a chance to shine. The universe itself is inspired somewhat by Star Trek, but full of problems that Star Trek never addressed.
Isabel Pelech
I take a walk. I try to have several projects going at once, so that if I get stalled on one of them, I can switch to another. It sounds narcissistic to say, but sometimes I read things I've written a long time ago to see if an idea jumps out at me. But, really, you can't underestimate the value of a good walk.
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