Ask the Author: Nicki Ehrlich
Answered Questions (6)
Nicki Ehrlich
I grew up loving Western movies and TV. I had been reading some of the old Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour novels. I'm a long-time horse lover and I wanted to write a Western with a strong female protagonist who knows her horsemanship. In my research I realized much of what is the Western genre revolves around the Civil War. I also found women's roles in that war were under-publicized. Ellis River turned into a more literary coming-of-age novel, but its seed grew from the Western.
Nicki Ehrlich
Life is inspiration enough. Reading enhances that.
Nicki Ehrlich
Currently working on the sequel to Ellis River. Also have two other novels on the back burners.
Nicki Ehrlich
I feel like I still am an aspiring writer, but since you asked... it's been said before: Write what you love. In the process of finishing your manuscript you're going to read it dozens of times. If you're reading it for the twentieth time and still laugh at the funny spots and cry at the sad ones, you've got something worth your time and effort.
Nicki Ehrlich
I love the whole process of writing, so it's difficult to choose a "best" thing. I love engaging with my characters and watching what they do next. I love beginning a chapter. I love ending a chapter. I look forward to getting lost in the "zone" where time seems to disappear. Did I say I love writing?
Nicki Ehrlich
I'm not sure I believe in this thing called "writer's block." I think, as writers, we have to realize that the process is more than filling up a blank page. There is a lot of thought that goes into characters and scenes, and sometimes we need to allow those thoughts room to circulate and merge and grow. That might mean reading, or taking a walk, or staring out the window. Then I might write a letter, or write a scene or a bit of dialogue—something to warm up the fingers. I'm rarely, if ever, stuck for long.
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