Ask the Author: I. Wright
Answered Questions (6)
I. Wright
That . . . is an odd story. Like many first books (my most recent, hehe), "Godkin" had many, many incarnations before crystallizing (and yes, i say "crystallizing" in the sense that it was once ugly, ugly coal and now is my beautiful precious, little stone).
Anywho, the idea started as a dream. It was a time in my life when I had severe anxiety during the day and when I would sleep, that anxiety manifested itself in lucid dreams. That's right, lucid; those semi-horrifying experiences that grant you self-awarness in dreamland; i.e., you know your body is somewhere sleeping comfortably yet there you are, in a reality of your own mind's making. Yeah . . . those.
So in one particularly fantastic such dream, my mind created a magical world for me to explore. It was not far from home, just very, very old. When I reviewed my notes of the dream later on, I felt comfortable calling it Ancient Greece.
The details of my adventure in this dream-world were somewhat scarce. What stuck with me was the incredible emotions I felt during it. I actually woke from it crying.
You see, I was not myself in this made-up world. I remember peering through colorful sheets of silk hanging from the ceiling, the wind from an open balcony tossing them about, and knowing that I was in a bedroom. Not mine, mind you, but that of my beloved. And there she lay on the bed.
I did not know why but I was for some reason unable to save her. In this dream, her life, her "destiny" exisited in the form of a seed. And no matter where I planted it, no matter how much I cared for it, it would always grow into whatever "plant" it was supposed to be. I could not be with her. It was all about fate.
From this dream I began researching Ancient Greece and what characters would fit to tell this story. It didn't take long at all. Eros, the son of Aphrodite and Ares was absolutely perfect for this role. He parents are a love-goddess and a war-god; a natural conflict that, to my suprise hadn't exactly been hashed out in the old myths. Together with the Greek Myth of the Fates, well, "Godkin" was born.
Anywho, the idea started as a dream. It was a time in my life when I had severe anxiety during the day and when I would sleep, that anxiety manifested itself in lucid dreams. That's right, lucid; those semi-horrifying experiences that grant you self-awarness in dreamland; i.e., you know your body is somewhere sleeping comfortably yet there you are, in a reality of your own mind's making. Yeah . . . those.
So in one particularly fantastic such dream, my mind created a magical world for me to explore. It was not far from home, just very, very old. When I reviewed my notes of the dream later on, I felt comfortable calling it Ancient Greece.
The details of my adventure in this dream-world were somewhat scarce. What stuck with me was the incredible emotions I felt during it. I actually woke from it crying.
You see, I was not myself in this made-up world. I remember peering through colorful sheets of silk hanging from the ceiling, the wind from an open balcony tossing them about, and knowing that I was in a bedroom. Not mine, mind you, but that of my beloved. And there she lay on the bed.
I did not know why but I was for some reason unable to save her. In this dream, her life, her "destiny" exisited in the form of a seed. And no matter where I planted it, no matter how much I cared for it, it would always grow into whatever "plant" it was supposed to be. I could not be with her. It was all about fate.
From this dream I began researching Ancient Greece and what characters would fit to tell this story. It didn't take long at all. Eros, the son of Aphrodite and Ares was absolutely perfect for this role. He parents are a love-goddess and a war-god; a natural conflict that, to my suprise hadn't exactly been hashed out in the old myths. Together with the Greek Myth of the Fates, well, "Godkin" was born.
I. Wright
I seek out experiences that lend themselves to whatever it is that needs to be written. When writing a quieter moment, go somewhere quiet like on a suburban sidewalk and begin describing all the goings on; if it absolutely still, write about what that means for the observer, etc. When a scene or poem is about intense interactions, either travel in your memory to a place where you've had one or take a note pad to your local DMV and jot down what their faces look like.
I. Wright
Godkin 2, of course.
I. Wright
Get rid of the adjective.
I. Wright
The best thing? Well, it's a wonderful way to release certain experiences I've had; a form of therapy, I'd say. In fact, without writing, I may very well be several hundred pounds heavier.
I. Wright
I find that 'writer's block' is not so much that you can't think of what to write, but that you can think of too many things. The possibilities seem overwhelming and we become unsure which of them is the right one.
I believe the antidote for this is to accept that they are all right. Remember that this is your story and no one else's. Wherever you make that character turn, that person want, or that antagonist antagonize with is just fine.
If anyone tells you otherwise, tell them to write their own book.
I believe the antidote for this is to accept that they are all right. Remember that this is your story and no one else's. Wherever you make that character turn, that person want, or that antagonist antagonize with is just fine.
If anyone tells you otherwise, tell them to write their own book.
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