Ask the Author: Amy DuBoff
Answered Questions (4)
Amy DuBoff
These books have been rewritten and rereleased as the Mindspace series set in my Cadicle Universe. You can find them here:
Amy DuBoff
Hello, Sebastian! Drawing inspiration from other books is a great way to start out as a new writer. After all, classics are classics for a reason.
What you want to avoid is wholesale copying of worlds or characters, but you can draw upon elements from some of your favorite books and remix them in a different way. For example, think about how a character from one book would act in the world from another, and change the antagonist from, say, power-hungry humans to aliens. But don’t stop there—consider how those changes in circumstances would alter the plot and the characters� reactions to different situations. As you think through those details, the story will start to evolve into a unique world of your own, and the characters will grow to fit their new environment.
You can also put a spin on the familiar by exploring the story from a different perspective—what if The Hunger Games had been from President Snow’s point of view? Changing perspective gives you the opportunity to explore different aspects of the world and character psychology. As you build out your own world, consider approaching it from a different angle than what you’ve seen in other stories. While that final product might ultimately not work as a story or book, having that alternate perspective in the back of your mind while you’re following the hero will give depth to the characters and story world.
Hope that helps!
What you want to avoid is wholesale copying of worlds or characters, but you can draw upon elements from some of your favorite books and remix them in a different way. For example, think about how a character from one book would act in the world from another, and change the antagonist from, say, power-hungry humans to aliens. But don’t stop there—consider how those changes in circumstances would alter the plot and the characters� reactions to different situations. As you think through those details, the story will start to evolve into a unique world of your own, and the characters will grow to fit their new environment.
You can also put a spin on the familiar by exploring the story from a different perspective—what if The Hunger Games had been from President Snow’s point of view? Changing perspective gives you the opportunity to explore different aspects of the world and character psychology. As you build out your own world, consider approaching it from a different angle than what you’ve seen in other stories. While that final product might ultimately not work as a story or book, having that alternate perspective in the back of your mind while you’re following the hero will give depth to the characters and story world.
Hope that helps!
Amy DuBoff
Short answer: I try to skip to another part of the story to gain some perspective.
Long answer: Generally, I've found that if I'm having difficulty with a particular scene it means one of two things: (1) I'm not ready to write it yet because I have some lingering detail to work out, or (2) the scene in question isn't what it's supposed to be. I've learned to listen to my instinct, and if something isn't gelling, it's probably because I'm going about it wrong. So, if I run into a roadblock, I first take some time away and work on something else. When I come back to it, if I'm still drawing a blank, I switch gears and change up the scene. If I'm not exited to write something, I figure readers won't be excited to read it. I rework the problem area until it's something that engages me--and hopefully readers, too!
Long answer: Generally, I've found that if I'm having difficulty with a particular scene it means one of two things: (1) I'm not ready to write it yet because I have some lingering detail to work out, or (2) the scene in question isn't what it's supposed to be. I've learned to listen to my instinct, and if something isn't gelling, it's probably because I'm going about it wrong. So, if I run into a roadblock, I first take some time away and work on something else. When I come back to it, if I'm still drawing a blank, I switch gears and change up the scene. If I'm not exited to write something, I figure readers won't be excited to read it. I rework the problem area until it's something that engages me--and hopefully readers, too!
Amy DuBoff
I haven't read it, but I know it as a classic. I hope to have much more time to get caught up on my reading once I go full-time with writing next year!
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