I’ve often thought that bringing a new story into the world is a lot like bringing a new child into the world. Of course, a real child is much more special and miraculous than a book-child. And a real child is also more huggable and full of surprises. Even so…the metaphor still applies.
I remember feeling an extraordinary sense of peace as I wondered what amazing stories this two-thousand-year-old tree could tell.
If you walk in the direction of your dreams, you open yourself to serendipity, and good things will happen. Maybe the best example I can give you of this is how I met Madeleine L’Engle.
I have always loved the world of stories, ever since I was a kid.
Describing characters well is a great challenge for any writer, and the truth is I use the same three-layered process to describe dragons as I do to describe any other character:
From time-to-time I write on this blog to answer some of your questions. This post is about how I develop and write my stories.
New and aspiring writers often ask published writers, “What’s your process?” It feels a little funny to talk about the writing process, because it’s something I’m always learning about as well — even though I’ve been doing it for twenty years!
I try to answer as many of your emails and Facebook posts as I can, but sometimes I can’t get to them all. So I’ve gathered some of the best questions about writing, and my answers to them, here.
So you might well ask: With all the magic of the natural world around me, why do I create new worlds when I pick up my pen? Why am I drawn to the imaginary realms of fantasy?
I need to get three elements worked out before I can start a new book: Detailed descriptions of each new character; a big idea that drives the plot, usually in the form of a question or two that the characters will answer in their thoughts and actions; and an amazing environment for their adventures.
