How do you deal with writer’s
block?
Experiencing the writer's
block is normal. It happened to me quite a few times. I don't fight
it. I simply pause for a while, do some research on the main topic of
whatever I'm working on, on scenes, characters. I tend to go back to
the beginning, looking for better words and sentences, questioning
the relevance of parts.
In other words, I stay inside this gigantic bubble every writing project has blown around me and move in a different direction. It became a sort of Zen thing for me and doesn't cause me any stress.
In other words, I stay inside this gigantic bubble every writing project has blown around me and move in a different direction. It became a sort of Zen thing for me and doesn't cause me any stress.
What’s the best thing about being
a writer?
You have this immense
feeling of power in creating an imaginary world built upon what you
see, think, smell, touch, hear everyday and putting it inside various
characters who suddenly come alive asking you, almost begging you to
do something with them. If you ever had the chance to see Luigi
Pirandello's play, 'Six Characters In Search of an Author', you would
understand what I'm trying to say.
It's also amazingly humbling to experience how much writing brings you beyond what you may have thought you were and could become.
It's also amazingly humbling to experience how much writing brings you beyond what you may have thought you were and could become.
What’s your advice for aspiring
writers?
Putting aside the genre I
prefer, historical novels, the two most important questions one must
keep asking himself as he's writing are:
1. What's the point I'm trying to make in this portion of dialogue or narrative?
2. Is it bringing the story forward?
1. What's the point I'm trying to make in this portion of dialogue or narrative?
2. Is it bringing the story forward?
What are you currently working on?
I got three other book
projects on the back burner and once the promotion/marketing on my
first novel will be completed. I'll move on to the next one.
How do you get inspired to write?
I've been writing almost
all my life, always carrying a pencil and notepad. I would write down
what I felt as well as what I believed others were feeling based on
their body language. Odors, colors were part of the elements I would
write. I would also take pictures of scenes and gave myself
these sort of 'Now describe it to me' homeworks.
Where did you get the idea for your
most recent book?
The core of the story
came from a dream I kept having for weeks. I told myself that writing
it down would help, and it did. However, I never expected it would
turn into a book project even less a Jack the Ripper historical
fiction.
I went through three complete rewrites including a change of POV with some seven or eight variations in the last one before I was completely satisfied.
I went through three complete rewrites including a change of POV with some seven or eight variations in the last one before I was completely satisfied.
Here's the link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16052102.Bernard_Boley