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Ask the Author: Patricia Wood

“Ask me a question.” Patricia Wood

Answered Questions (7)

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How do you get inspired to write?
Patricia Wood Writing is an integral part of my life- it would be like asking what inspires me to breathe.. What I think is the issue for most authors would be what inspires them to finish a first draft and the second draft and the third draft of a work...The ideas and the characters are often formless vacillating prompts - sweat equity is what creates the final work.
Thank you for this question - it's a good one!
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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?
Patricia Wood To write. This may sound simple but I can't tell you how many aspiring writers I've talked to speak about "waiting to write until they have something to write about" or who wish to be authors but don't like to write.
Writing to me must be an addiction.
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What’s the best thing about being a writer?
Patricia Wood Making stuff up!
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I'm befuddled and amazed by the fact you wrote an entire book from the perspective of a man with an IQ of 76. It was so "real" and believable. It's one thing to pretend you are a freedom fighter in the French Resistance, but quite another to pretend you have the mental capacity of someone who is borderline "retarded" (sorry, Perry). What tools did you use to write as though you were Perry? Incomprehensible!
Patricia Wood I believe part of being a good story teller and to create a believable story is to have the capacity to imagine your characters and to "be" them. The authenticity is added to by personal experience - for example my brother-in-law was affected with Down Syndrome and my PhD work involved disability studies- the combination of all of those factors aided in the creation of Perry. Thanks for a great question!
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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?
Patricia Wood To the Idea Store…seriously if I knew where my ideas came from I'd go there more often and maybe sell them...
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What are you currently working on?
Patricia Wood I never talk about my current work. Truman Capote did and look where it got him...
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How do you deal with writer’s block?
Patricia Wood Not well (smile). Seriously in the UK they call Writer's block having a "dead hand" which I feel is quite descriptive. When I can't feel creative with new material I revise and edit older manuscripts- I have probably twenty different pieces that have been set aside for one reason or another and I often go back to them to get my creative juices flowing again.
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Patricia Wood
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