Ask the Author: Sara Light-Waller
Answered Questions (6)
Sara Light-Waller
Well, I love to write old-school space opera, so I get to imagine space from a pre-NASA vantage point, which means that there's no-holds-barred on lots of things that we reject today. For example, in old pulp stories Venus was a common setting. Now, no one writes about it because we know that it's uninhabitable. But that wasn't the case in the old days. So I can set stories there, just as they used to do. Also, rocket ships in the 1920's and 1930's were super-slick, IMHO. So I can use those kind of designs for my rockets.
Sara Light-Waller
I don't want to give you the same advice as everyone else so try this...find a writer that you really like and practice writing in their style. This doesn't mean copying them, it means trying to write like them. For example - if you like a funny writer then try to write a short piece with a similar funny voice to theirs. Or, if you like a horror writer, try creating a piece that, to you, sounds like they wrote it. This will help you find your own writing voice by helping you to discover which writers (and genres) you instinctively feel comfortable with.
Sara Light-Waller
Patience. Also, making a good practice of writing everyday. Besides that, I flip back and forth between writing and drawing/painting so when one is running dry, I'll do the other one. Changing tasks is a great way to recharge your creative batteries.
Sara Light-Waller
I'm always inspired to write. I write everyday.
Sara Light-Waller
I'm working on several books, actually. I have two children's coloring books underway as well as my next illustrated pulp novelette.
Sara Light-Waller
I'm a huge fan of pulp science fiction, both the writing and the illustrations. It's not just the adventures, I like that fact that most pulp heroes (and heroines) were regular human beings. This makes it easier to imagine being them. Also, I find the old stories make me feel good about the future, something which many modern sci-fi stories, which are so commonly dystopian, do not.
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