Ask the Author: S.R. Algernon
Answered Questions (6)
S.R. Algernon
My most recent longer work was "Oubliette" in Parsec Ink's Triangulation: Steel Cities anthology. I was inspired in part by stories of amnesiac patients (such as the ones that Oliver Sacks wrote about) and a general feeling that amnesia can be both a prison and a release from past misdeeds. I started with the idea of a walled city where the inmates had lost their long-term memories and I built the world from there.
S.R. Algernon
I often find ideas in science magazines or journals, but sometimes a random experience can give me a starting point. Sometimes I wll write a story as a counterpoint to a story I've read.
For my stories in Nature, there is a "story behind the story" blog where you can read the inspirations for my stories and those of other Nature authors.
For my stories in Nature, there is a "story behind the story" blog where you can read the inspirations for my stories and those of other Nature authors.
S.R. Algernon
I'm tinkering with a few novels, and every so often I will write a short story if a new idea strikes me.
S.R. Algernon
Write because you enjoy writing, and not to make money or be popular.
Have a day job.
Accept that people (readers and editors) are often going to interpret your stories differently than you intended.
Read a lot, and think critically about the experience of reading.
Find editors who have faith in your work but are willing to give you honest feedback.
Have a day job.
Accept that people (readers and editors) are often going to interpret your stories differently than you intended.
Read a lot, and think critically about the experience of reading.
Find editors who have faith in your work but are willing to give you honest feedback.
S.R. Algernon
Being able to explore an idea or situation and having a written record of my exploration. It's also nice to be able to go at my own pace and keep my own hours.
S.R. Algernon
Most of the time not as well as I would like. Often, I will put a story aside until I find a new perspective on it. Sometimes I will try to trudge through a difficult passage just to get from Point A to Point B, but those attempts are hit-or-miss. The best thing is not to have writer's block in the first place.
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