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Deborah O'Toole

Deborah O'Toole

Crime Fiction Suspense Mystery Supernatural Suspense Contemporary Romance Historical Romance Paranormal Romance Historical Fiction Women's Fiction Literary Fiction Fantasy Poetry
    • AllAuthor AllAuthor 4 years ago
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    • Have you ever experienced "Writer's Block"? Any tips you would like to share to overcome it?
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      • Deborah O'Toole Deborah O'Toole 4 years ago
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      • Creative block at its worst is being in the middle of writing a book, and the flow stops for no apparent reason. I've never been able to fully explain the dreaded phenomena, but it has to be at the top of an author's hate list. The creative juices just suddenly cease, bringing with it an all-consuming sense of panic, with no immediate fixes seeming to be within reach.

        It happened to me in the midst of writing "Celtic Remnants," and again while I was penning and editing "The Keeper's Journal," fifth book in the Collective Obsessions Saga (by me writing as Deidre Dalton). Both "Celtic Remnants" and the novels in the Collective Obsessions Saga were long-term endeavors, written over a period of years, which may account for the sudden block. It was as if I was suddenly saturated, with nothing left to offer. It was horrible, and nothing I would ever wish on a fellow author.

        But how to deal with it? The same methods don't work for everyone, but in my experience two options gave me some headway, although they are almost diametrically opposite of one another. With the block I suffered through "Celtic Remnants," I merely set the book aside for a bit, to give my mind a breather, and then it suddenly came back to me. With "The Keeper's Journal," I forced myself to press on as I was on a deadline to complete all the books in the Collective Obsessions Saga for my publisher.

        Both methods worked for me, to some degree. In essence, getting away from the work for a span can sometimes return objectivity and creativity, or pressing on - no matter how painful and difficult - can often result in the same.
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      • Deborah O'Toole Deborah O'Toole 4 years ago
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      • I think being an only child lent itself to creating stories of my own. I was always looking for ways to entertain myself as a kid, and my first instinct was to make-up stories and dramatic scenarios. This became more complicated as I grew older, of course. The stories became darker, more detailed and intricate. The urge to write never left me, it just seemed to grow stronger with the passing of time. Nowadays, I can be inspired by seeing a complete stranger walk by – the more eccentric the better, naturally. Ideas and inspiration can be gleaned from just about anything: people, animals, cities, movies or other books. Memories are also a great trigger. The creative supply is endless.
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