Questions by Hadiya Mehdi
You can find the original post here.
H: Hi Loraine! Just to start, thank you so much for writing this! As a fellow writer, I understand your struggles and can totally relate; to find an article like this really makes me feel at peace because now I feel like I’ve been handed a solution to my problems.
On that note, what was your favorite part of writing this blog?
L: Hiya Hadiya! I’m happy to hear that my blog post has helped you and hopefully it helps others as well! :)
I think my favorite part of writing this blog was actually the writer’s block section since I was able to include something I had learned from one of my workshop classes. I just like being able to share some of the things I’ve learned in hopes that it could help others.
H: You mentioned that you struggled a bit when writing this particular piece, what part was the most difficult for you?
L: I struggled so hard with actually getting myself to focus on writing this blog post. My mind was filled with a ton of other things and the only thing I was itching to do was work on a story I’ve been writing. What really helped was you telling me to just work on my story and get those ideas out of my head, and THEN focus on writing this blog post. So, thank you Hadiya!
H: Do you find that these tips only work when writing for a specific type of genre, or has it been helpful for all types of genres?
L: I think these tips are helpful for all genres and any type of writing. I have definitely used these tips (especially the music tip and the focus mode tip) for writing long essays and they help a lot.
H: Music has proven to be helpful in getting some of the creative juices flowing, what are your top three songs or artists that help pump up your creativity when writing?
L: Oh, this is such a difficult question to answer. I’m a big fan of listening to OSTs while writing or just when I need to focus on something. I know this isn’t a specific song or artist but any OST from a Studio Ghibli movie (Howl’s Moving Castle is my absolute favorite movie) works wonders for my focus and creativity, so there’s one answer. I’ve been listening to Birdy a lot whenever I write a certain WIP since it matches the mood I’m going for. One song by Birdy I recommend is “Deep End.” Another artist I tend to listen to when writing is Hozier and I recommend the song "Arsonist’s Lullabye."
H: Considering now that you have given us some tips on how to get the writing process going, what would be your advice to those who fear the constructive criticism phase of writing?
L: I actually wrote a blog post about critiques/constructive criticism that you can check out here. But overall, I would say don’t take constructive criticism too personally. Trust me, I know that you put so much work into whatever is getting critiqued, but people only give constructive criticism to help improve your work. Even then, it’s ultimately up to you what you want your work to look like. If someone provides feedback and suggestions that don’t suit the vision of your work, then it’s okay to disregard it.
H: Lastly, where can our audience find you?
L: I have yet to create social media for my writing so I have nothing on that front, but you can still find my other blog posts on the LYF website!