Tess Quinn

Thank you for joining me today for my Writers on Writing series! Today we have Lily Stone talking about her writing life. Check out what she has to say.



What is your brainstorming process for a new book?



I like to sit and daydream until I have a movie running in my head and I can picture the events happening. Once I have it all vivid and can see, smell, taste it, I’m ready to start writing. If I hit a bump or a snag, I do a lot of what-ifs to keep the momentum going.



Can you explain your typical work week day?



I sleep in as late as I can (which is usually until my husband starts banging around or running the vacuum cleaner—unfortunately, that’s often at 8 or 8:30 a.m.) I eat breakfast, maybe go for a walk if the weather’s nice, and check my email. By that time I’ve frittered away most of the morning. In the afternoon, I work on writing (for pay, not my fiction) or on my latest college course (I’m always signing up for classes). After dinner & another email check, I get down to serious writing. I do my best work after midnight—usually from 1-4 a.m. (the witching hour).



Tell us about when you made the decision to write.



I’m not so sure I made the choice. I think writing chose me. It’s always been more of a compulsion than a conscious decision.



What suggestions do you have for aspiring writers?



Exercise, travel, have fun. Don’t take life too seriously. Let yourself play. It’s the fun times that let the ideas flow. The horrible, sad, and overwhelming stuff will flow onto the paper more easily afterwards. Not sure why that is, but something about playfulness releases the flow of words.



If you get writer’s block, forget about the book. Stop trying so hard. Take a nap, a nice long one, even if it’s the middle of the day. You’ll wake up refreshed and ready to write. If that doesn’t work, ask yourself what you fear? What is it that’s scaring you about writing this particular part in the story? What don’t you want to face?



Tell us about what you’re working on right now and what we can expect from you in the near future.



I’m working on a YA set in Ming China. The book’s written, but the research is taking forever. I tend to get sidetracked and just enjoy myself as I learn about other cultures or ferret out details of professions or other areas of interest.



Wow that sounds great, Lily! So exciting to hear about a YA in Ming China. For those of you who want to know more about Lily, you can check out her info here. Thanks for joining me on Writers on Writing! Stay tuned for next week!

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