Greetings, inklings!
Now that I’m somewhat settled into this whole motherhood thing (as settled as any woman can be, I suppose!), I’ve set a goal to be more active in my Instagram Stories and have been having a blast engaging with my fellow writers and book lovers there!
A few days ago, I asked my IG peeps to “ask me anything” and thought I’d share my responses here on the blog (blog posts don’t disappear after 24 hours!). I hope you enjoy reading my answers, and if you have any questions for me, be sure to follow me on Instagram at @authordianatyler or tweet me anytime at @dandersontyler!
Have a fabulous weekend!
~Diana
Question 1: How do you get over the fear of writing something “bad”?
Answer: By accepting that my writing will seem “bad” to some people, and that’s okay! As long as I like what I’ve written and made it as true and compelling and well-edited as possible, I can be certain there will be others who will enjoy it and find it “good.”
Question 2: A thrilling situation is in my head, but when I try to write it down, it’s not thrilling anymore! What to do??
Answer: I suggest making sure the stakes are clear and high in your scene. Get inside the POV (point of view) character’s head and engage his/her senses so the reader can feel fear or trepidation or whatever emotion the character is experiencing. Another helpful exercise is to watch thrilling scenes from a few TV shows or movies you like and dissect them to see what made them thrilling! Then try to translate those elements into your scene.
Question 3: What’s the hardest part of being a writer and how do you overcome it?
Answer: For me, the hardest part is remaining patient and persevering. My goal is to be traditionally published, and though I’ve been close, I haven’t achieved it in the TEN YEARS I’ve been writing professionally! I overcome by reminding myself that this isn’t a race, and that my hard work will pay off when it’s meant to. I also think of all the authors out there who endured decades of rejection before getting that life-changing “Yes” from an agent or publisher.
Question 4: Did you always know you wanted to write?
Answer: Yes!
Question 5: How do you balance hectic/stressful life and writing?
Answer: I try not to put too much pressure on myself (#recoveringperfectionist) and just do a little writing/editing each weekday. I prioritize working out, eating well, sleeping eight to nine hours a night, and soaking up time with my five-month-old son. I’m a huge fan of creating healthy boundaries and saying “No, thank you” to things I’m not passionate about and/or things that distract me from my goals.
Question 6: How many words do you generally write for each chapter?
Answer: I don’t plan it this way (I treat every chapter like a short story that’s “done when it’s done”), but they’re typically 1,500-3,000 words.