Ask the Author: Wren Handman
Answered Questions (7)
Wren Handman
That's sort of like asking "Who is your favourite child?" or "Which of your parents do you like more?"
I'm a huge fan of books that aren't romance-specific but have strong romantic elements. I think it's because I enjoy books with intense emotions that give me a satisfying (if not always happy) ending, and that kind of emotional intensity is often a result of turbulent romances. I love stories where love develops slowly and realistically, where couples face adversity but ultimately come together, where love is challenged by the environment rather than the characters themselves.
Some favourite couples? The Soulless series comes to mind, because I have a huge soft spot for couples who get together in book one and STAY TOGETHER for the whole series. I absolutely detest "will they won't they," or breakups that feel forced and you know won't last. Another love of lovers mine is Cosette and Marius from Les Mis (the book, not the musical, though I think we can all agree that Portman knocked it out of the park).
I'm a huge fan of books that aren't romance-specific but have strong romantic elements. I think it's because I enjoy books with intense emotions that give me a satisfying (if not always happy) ending, and that kind of emotional intensity is often a result of turbulent romances. I love stories where love develops slowly and realistically, where couples face adversity but ultimately come together, where love is challenged by the environment rather than the characters themselves.
Some favourite couples? The Soulless series comes to mind, because I have a huge soft spot for couples who get together in book one and STAY TOGETHER for the whole series. I absolutely detest "will they won't they," or breakups that feel forced and you know won't last. Another love of lovers mine is Cosette and Marius from Les Mis (the book, not the musical, though I think we can all agree that Portman knocked it out of the park).
Wren Handman
Take a break! Walk away, do something else, let yourself get distracted. Before long you'll be clamoring to get back to it.
Wren Handman
Being able to share secret moments with the world.
Wren Handman
You have to love it. This is a very, very hard business, but it's also incredibly rewarding. But the thing that gets you through those hard times is knowing how much emptier your life would be without writing in it. You have to breathe it, you have to want it, you have to fight for it.
Wren Handman
I always have a few projects on the go. Right now I'm working on a novel about alternate realities, and the sequel to Command the Tides, which is tentatively titled Brave the Wild.
Wren Handman
I don't even not feel like writing - I have a hundred thousand ideas. I have more trouble picking one and sticking to it, and making sure that I don't get distracted!
I find that great ideas come from absorbing lots of other ideas. Read constantly, watch constantly, pay attention to what you like and try to project that onto new characters and new situations.
I find that great ideas come from absorbing lots of other ideas. Read constantly, watch constantly, pay attention to what you like and try to project that onto new characters and new situations.
Wren Handman
This might sound trite, but I really did get the idea for this book (Command the Tides) from a dream! Or, at least I call them dreams. See, I have a relaxation exercise I do every night before I go to sleep - I tell myself a story. Usually the stories are pretty derivative; they're often fanfiction retellings of whatever I happen to be reading or watching at the time. But sometimes the stories are totally unique, and if the story is good enough that I can remember it the next day, then I write the idea down. I still have the original notebook for the first version of the story!
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