Ask the Author: R. Lewis Wright
Answered Questions (6)
R. Lewis Wright
I think the most challenging obstacle both before and after publishing is overcoming fear and doubt. When you’re writing, your story is like your child, it’s precious to you and you want to protect it from harm. During the editing phase you start to hate your own work. You read it so many times that the text starts to seem flat and unappealing. After it’s published you brace for the negative reviews and the missed errors. You wonder, what will people say? Will anyone like it? In the end, you have to just be comfortable with yourself and take what comes. You can’t control what people think or say. Your only defense is the knowledge that you gave it your all. For better or worse, it is what it is, and that’s good enough.
R. Lewis Wright
I had a recurring fantasy about someone refurbishing an old decommissioned starship and taking it out on their own. I smashed that up with a spiritual growth narrative, and the novel was born. The two disparate ideas created a synergy that kept the book going. I’ll let the readers decide if it was a successful marriage or not.
R. Lewis Wright
I’m putting the finishing touches on book two of the Zeraph’s path series. It should be available in September.
R. Lewis Wright
Write everyday. Don’t worry about ever getting published, just write. The art of writing is like a muscle, it gets stronger the more you use it. When you’re ready you’ll publish, and your readers will be there. Don’t rush it. I repeat, don’t rush it. Once again, don’t rush. New writers often want to rush that first novel to print, but trust me, a couple of extra months editing will save you a lot of heartache.
R. Lewis Wright
Phenomenal cosmic power! The world inside my books is mine. I can create and destroy with a wave of my pen. I am the master of all my pages contain and control the destiny of millions. (insert evil laugh here)
R. Lewis Wright
For me, the key to getting past writer’s block is not powering through it, but instead going around it. When I reach an impasse I get up and do something else, clean house, wash dishes, etc. If the block lasts more than a day, I write something completely unrelated to my current work. I pull some conflicting ideas from my imagination and write them into a short story or work from writing prompt. Usually, while writing the short story, ideas about what to put into the book start flooding into my brain. I jot them down, so I don’t lose them, but stay true to my short story and finish it before switching back to the main work.
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