A Fantasy Writer’s Response to “Deep Dive into Your Writing”
Taking on the status quo with a sturdy sword and flaming hands!
This article is in response to Subhi Najar’s prompt specifically calling on fiction writers to respond to a series of questions. These are my answers. I hope you find them amusing, if not enlightening and revolutionary!
- When did you start writing? Is there a specific story?
My earliest memory of creative writing was in the third grade. I had fallen in love with video games and the allure of “Choose Your Own Adventure” novels. A fellow classmate and I wrote out our own version, though it never really developed past the first few pages.
But I was already hooked.
From there I dabbled in various failed starts on massive fantasy epics akin to Lord of the Rings or Song of Ice and Fire. Eventually, by seventh grade, I had managed to create a whole universe in my head, and I proceeded to write much of it down in journals, notebooks, and itty bitty pieces of scrap paper. The end result was my Wreth series, which you can check out here on Medium. It’s still unfinished, but ongoing. I do hope to change that one day!
2. Do you have rituals in writing? If yes, then please share them with us.
I usually jot a few critical points down before I throw caution to the wind and scribble the story down furiously before the words escape my head forever. How many ideas have I lost forever because I didn’t write them down? The answer is too many.
In terms of sacrificing virgins or eating bats — no, I don’t have those kinds of rituals (if those yield particularly effective results, please tell me in the comments!)
3. The ugliest monster that writers are afraid of is writer’s block. If you have a recipe to deal with it, kindly share it with us.
Writer’s block will rear its ugly head at some point or another. The goal is to stay focused but relaxed — it can’t hurt you if you’re still being productive! And productivity can take many forms.
Even if you take a break from your primary writing project, it’s good to have several smaller, less constraining “side-projects” that you can work on too. Planning and plotting is also (maybe) a useful step in the writing process.
Just because you didn’t finish three chapters today doesn’t mean you weren’t productive!
4. Describe the process of finding ideas for your stories. Please elaborate
I used to be an avid reader, which fueled many ideas for my stories. Nowadays, I don’t read nearly as much as I should, although what I do read inspires me. It’s exciting to read a story and think, “Wow, this has gone in a direction I hadn’t expected!” or “I never thought to describe it this way!”
One major benefit on Medium is the fiction writing community. Most of us earn mere pennies, so we’re not here for the money, but because we love our craft and strive to improve ourselves. In my experience, I’ve only found fellow writers to be genuinely supportive and helpful.
5. As humans, we suffer without knowing it by choosing not to move outside our comfort zone. Do you have a “comfort zone” in writing ( i.e a topic that you always like to write about)? Have you tried to step outside your comfort zone and write something drastically different?
Short answer: Yes, I do. I typically write high fantasy, as it allows me to place my characters in whatever world suits me in the moment. My CYOA Hero of Pendown story — with several contributions by great writers such as JF Danskin, Bradan Writes Stories, and Sieran Lane — had been my first real attempt to meld science fiction with the high fantasy genre. I think it worked well enough… what do you think?
I’ve also tried my hand at life fiction — stories without glaring fantasy elements. It’s also fun and rewarding, but I do find it tougher.
6. Besides Medium, do you use other writing platforms? Please share your experiences.
Medium has been my first love since I began on the platform in May of ’22 after my wife suggested it. I have since rewritten and published Hero of Pendown on Tapas and Simily with exclusive bonus chapters. I’ve started with Tales and Fictionate.me too, I just have nothing to show for it (yet)
So far, Medium is still the best website I’ve found for me. What about you?
7. Have you published a book?
Oh, don’t even start! That’s like parents who egg on their child.
“Russell…you’re getting older… and you’re not married…”
I’ve been sitting on a series of short stories that I think would make a killer novel (or collection of short stories) but am too chicken to move forward with it. Check out my teaser of it here if you haven’t already.
8. You write because writing provides you with something special. Could you share your experience?
Escapism.
That doesn’t mean my life is bad, or that I’m suicidal — Put down the phone, I’m honestly fine — but life is incredibly mundane. I work, I eat, I sleep… then I repeat it all again the next day.
That’s mundane.
So creating worlds in my head unlike our own is incredibly exciting for me. And filling it with characters is even more exciting.
9. Do you write a paragraph, a chapter, or a story with the end in mind or not?
The answer to that question is a definite “maybe”.
Usually, I have an idea of what I want to do with a story before I start. With Wreth Fallot I knew I wanted an epic series of stories. With my Seedling Challenge Tessa and the Dracolich I knew I would need to grow it considerably.
Guidelines help me a lot with writing — they hold my hand but don’t force me the walk a specific path, if that makes sense.
10. Every writer has an idol. Who is yours? And what do you find inspiring in her/his trajectory?
I have a habit of obsessing over things until the next obsession comes along. These obsessions have included: Stephen King, RA Salvatore, Sara Douglass, Romeo Dallaire.
Since joining Medium, I’ve followed many amazing writers and ongoing stories (many of which you can find at the end of the article). I love how other writers can weave their tales in a way that, to me, feels both nostalgic while still feeling fresh and original. It’s my own little Imposter Syndrome whispering in my ear as I write — I’m dull and unoriginal!
11. Does being on a writing platform like Medium help your writing plans?
Initially, joining Medium was a distraction from the stresses of my daily grind. Then, as often happens to me, I got kind of obsessed with it. But I feel like I’ve managed to find a balance — not perfect, but it works for me!
My overall writing plans haven’t changed much. I’ve published much of my Wreth series to date. I still dream of finding a home for Ladiel and Malirut. But being prompted by other fantastic writers on Medium has prompted several one-off stories, even a two-part superhero comedy series called Furnace Guy!
I even dare to challenge other writers with The Kraken Lore’s bi-weekly Monday Mashups, which feature random prompts, keywords, or literary devices that must be incorporated into a story. Those who submit earn points that they can collect and trade in for cookies (You’ll never see or taste them, but the cookies are real!)
And now — the dreaded TAG WALL!!!!!!!
I would love to see any and all of these writers tackle the questions laid out in the article at the beginning of this one:
Lauren Salas, Bradan Writes Stories, Ginger Bangs, Ria Rees, JF Danskin, FJCMontenegro, Jay C Wells, Rayne Sanning, Mojave Green, John Fanidis, J.C. Lovero, Sieran Lane, Kathy K, CleverandWtf, AuroraWrites, Sweet Chaos, Blaze Veljovski, Jacinta Palmer, Cathylouise, Kirsty Mackay, Melie Doyle.
I hope some of you will share your experiences (and sorry if you wanted to be left alone!)
