Ask the Author: Jen Frankel
Answered Questions (6)
Jen Frankel
A recent reviewer called Undead Redhead a " zombie novels for people... who hate zombie novels." That is a lot of the reason I wrote it too! I think I've been pretty distressed, then just plain exhausted, by the nihilism of zombie movies and television. It feels like the only reason there are zombies in there at all is to provide a target for messy and elaborate killing that no one will care about. We've gone from Nazis to Russians to aliens to the undead, and it all seems so pointless, unless of course you like the idea of killing things but don't want to face any emotional or ethical consequences. So I wrote Undead to be about having compassionate curiosity about those who are different from you from the perspective of a heroine who was already dealing with the stigmas of being vegan and ginger even before she became a member of the walking dead!
Jen Frankel
Dreams have always been my big inspiration. Couple that with my curiosity, and I am driven to understand exactly what happened in the half-remembered events of the dreamscape. So many of my most unique concepts have come directly from the wanderings of my subconscious and my need to put my scattered memories together into a more coherent form.
Jen Frankel
A re-write of a story for an anthology. The editor wants me to up the horror elements because of the anthology theme, and I've decided to do a major rewrite instead of tweaking it. Changing the tone of a piece can be daunting, but very rewarding as well.
Jen Frankel
Read! I started writing because I loved the worlds I discovered through reading, and because I found holes in what was available. If you read, you'll develop your writing muscles through organic learning, and you'll find out what stories haven't been told because they're waiting for you to put them down on paper.
Jen Frankel
I'm a polymath: I like learning about every subject under the sun. If I wasn't a writer, what would I do with all that useless information? ;)
Jen Frankel
It entirely depends on why I'm blocked! Most of the time, it's not about the work as much as it's about my depression. I've suffered from it a long time, and it can interfere with my ability to concentrate for long periods of time. When I KNOW I can't do anything, it's been important for me to allow myself to NOT be too hard on myself. Then, a bad day is just a bad day and not a series of them. Writer's block can also be your friend; when your writing mind is inactive, your imagination can feel more free to come up with ideas!
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