Ask the Author: R. Dean Johnson
Answered Questions (4)
R. Dean Johnson
I've started a new novel. It's early, but so far, so good.
R. Dean Johnson
As one of my mentors, T.M. McNally, said, write what you would want to read.
R. Dean Johnson
You get to write stories you would like to read. When those stories are good enough--as in an editor publishing the work--you get to then share those stories and see how people react. It's really edifying when an audience laughs at the part you meant to be funny when you were alone at your desk writing that scene, or when someone posts a response to your writing online to say how a story or essay affected them.
R. Dean Johnson
Reading always helps. And, I find writing personal essays a great way to deal with writer's block because you already know the plot, setting, and characters. So, you tell a story you already know but, just like writing good fiction, you try to tell that story in an engaging way--voice, imagery, structure, and so on. Sometimes the essays amount to little in terms of publishing, but they keep my writing skills sharp and I regain momentum in my fiction writing. Quite often, I regain the momentum and have a publishable essay on my hands.
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