Ask the Author: Elizabeth T Ward
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Elizabeth T Ward
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Elizabeth T Ward
I get inspired by all sorts of things -- experiences from my past, places I've visited, people I've met, conversations I've had, the news. I think novelists are like insects in the sense that we have very long antenna; we're always experiencing life in a heightened way, attuned to many nuances that are extremely rich and subtle at the same time. Writing stories allows us to take all of that input and turn it into something new and cohesive. To me, novels are like diorama you see in museums: contained boxes with glass fronts, edited by a curator, representative of life.
Elizabeth T Ward
Right now I'm working on my final rewrite of my novelS THE UNIFIED THEORY OF LOVE AND EVERYTHING and LOVE SPACE TIME. They stand alone as stories, but they're also interconnected in that LOVE SPACE TIME is the story of what happened in the past with a character from the other novel. Simultaneously, I'm writing the first draft of a new romance that takes place on Martha's Vineyard.
Elizabeth T Ward
My advice is to write for yourself -- write the stories that you want to write -- but always keep in mind the goal of having others read them. So, you need to allow yourself to be free to explore your imagination fully without judging yourself (i.e., without censoring yourself), yet you also need to understand that you have a responsibility towards making it the best that you can so others can enjoy it, too.
Elizabeth T Ward
I think the best thing is the sheer pleasure of traveling to all different places, and being inside the head of all different people, while still sitting in one spot. It's so much fun. Then, when people read my stories, it's even more fun to hear their comments, because I know whether or not I succeeded in describing accurately what I imagined.
Elizabeth T Ward
I never really get writer's block. What I do get is lots of things competing for my time and attention, from family activities and house work, to staying in shape. So, I try to group things together as much as possible, without falling prey to crazy multi-tasking. For instance, I do the bulk of my first draft writing between 9 AM and 2 PM, when my kids are in school. When they're home, I'm all theirs until the evening, when I get back on my computer. But, I use the free moments when I'm waiting around (e.g., when they're doing after-school sports) to catch up on things like reading fiction and organizing my thoughts. I also often get up at 5 AM to write--those delicious hours when everyone is still asleep!
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