M.A. Nichols

Do you outline or are you a discovery writer?

I am most definitely an outliner. I've tried discovery writing, and it's never really worked for me. However, I would like to clear up a little misnomer I tend to find when people talk about discovery vs. plotting. Just because I plot, doesn't mean I don't discovery write, too. Yes, I have to have a solid and detailed idea of where I'm going, but that doesn't mean that it's set in stone or that when the story veers off in another direction I don't follow. I just can't discovery write an entire book. I find that I produce quicker if I know exactly what has to happen next.

 

Where do you get your ideas from?

From a variety of places. I know, that’s a super specific and very helpful answer, but I’m afraid that it’s true. I have an entire folder on my computer of ideas that have popped into my head—some small snippets, some several pages long. I think a lot of authors get this question from aspiring writers, but it’s a hard one to answer. Inspiration can come from a lot of different places. Most of my ideas come from thinking, “what if…” when I’m reading books, watching movies, reading articles, or just walking along.

 

Frankly, more than some cool concept or idea, I think solid writing, characters, and the ability to twist the familiar into something new is more important. Like I said, a lot of my ideas come from worlds others have already built. I don’t steal their worlds, but I draw inspiration from them, just as they’ve drawn inspiration from other media. There’s nothing wrong with you starting a story that is a “fanfic” of some story you like and then building and twisting that world into something new and different than the original. That's what's so fun about things like fairy tale retellings. It's taking something people already know and taking a new view of it.

 

Will you beta read / edit / critique something for me?

Sorry, but no. I love people emailing me and asking me this (it is super flattering, after all), but I just can’t do it. First, I’m busy with my own writing and I just don’t have time to take on that extra burden of working on yours. I would suggest looking at Fiverr.com for beta readers and book critiques. You can find some great ones for $50-100. That's where I've found most of my publication team.