Ask the Author: Lillian James
Answered Questions (6)
Lillian James
I got the idea for Spyridon during a conversation with my husband and a friend. They were talking about Avatar, which hadn't come out yet. When they described the plot, I wondered why it was always a man going off to save the world. Why not a woman? This was, of course, before Hunger Games and the surge of female leads in these types of stories. So I decided to write a story about a woman who had to save the world, and the book evolved from there.
Lillian James
I don't wait for inspiration to write. I just sit down at the keyboard every day and put words on a page (or plan, or make maps of my made-up worlds, or even let my subconscious work out a problem with my story while I fold laundry - all of these things move the story forward, so they all count as writing in my book).
As for how to get story ideas, I guess I'm lucky in that regard. They can come from anywhere - dreams (sounds cheesy, I know, but it's true), conversations, reading, watching movies. And sometimes my husband has ideas for stories that I'll flesh out, so I guess marrying well was part of my strategy. ;)
As for how to get story ideas, I guess I'm lucky in that regard. They can come from anywhere - dreams (sounds cheesy, I know, but it's true), conversations, reading, watching movies. And sometimes my husband has ideas for stories that I'll flesh out, so I guess marrying well was part of my strategy. ;)
Lillian James
I'm currently working on book 2 of the Spyridon Trilogy, tentatively (but almost definitely) titled The First Watcher. Book 1 is about a woman's journey to her home world and her struggle to find her place in the intergalactic war that made her a refugee. In book 2, she's racing a warlord to find the ultimate weapon while her mate plays double agent to keep the warlord off her trail.
Lillian James
Don't wait until you have the whole story figured out. I had so many ideas for story premises over the years, but I never stuck with them because I didn't know how they would end. I didn't realize that a premise that interests you can be enough in the beginning. The rest of the story will reveal itself if you give it a voice.
Lillian James
I'm often held captive by my own imagination. I used to get in trouble for daydreaming when I was a kid (a lot). Even as an adult my imagination tends to run off on me, and I'm sometimes hard-pressed not to follow it. Writing lets me share all the crazy ideas in my head, and the best part about that is that sometimes other people enjoy them, too. :)
Lillian James
In my experience, writer's block usually means I missed something somewhere. I've made a mistake, left something out, or veered down the wrong path. When I get stuck (which is how I prefer to think of writer's block - feels a little more like I have control this way), I take a step back. Sometimes I just need to retrace my steps to find the problem, and sometimes I need to step away from the keyboard entirely and let my subconscious do the work. Once I figure out the issue and find a solution, the words usually start flowing again. If they don't, it means I have another problem, and I do it all again.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more