Suffering from writer's block? Try interviewing yourself
Self publishing an ebook or audiobook but your mind is full of white space? Writers block can be an unnerving experience that many writers are familiar with. Not to worry, re-igniting your creative edge simply requires the seemingly unconventional in some cases. Consider what it takes to interview someone- you seek originality and uniqueness. To spark the depth of detail your creative writing longs for, harness the power of query. 
Consider famous journalist and interview talk show host, Charlie Rose. Rose is recognized for getting right to the point in his interviews, asking personally detailed questions that literally make you feel as if you know the interviewee. Rose will tell you though, he spends quite a bit of time preparing for each interview. He speaks to their acquaintances, work peers, friends and family. He knows to get to the heart of the matter, he has to ask questions that will reveal impact, detail and in a competitive talk show world, staying power.
You're going for the same in your writing. Whether it's a novel, a collection of stories or a non-fiction piece, mimicking the interview process can help you:
- define your target audience
- develop characters more fully
- identify extraneous details your audience may find intriguing
- keep readers hanging on chapter after chapter
New to interviewing? You don't have to be a master interviewer to access this tool. Begin by reviewing your table of contents. Along the side of each chapter, ask a series of insightful questions that would cover a FAQ of that section or character. As you go back to answer the questions, leave seemingly extraneous details to the editing process later down the road. Repeat this process several days later. Ask yourself if you reached the depth you think your readers would be engaged by. Did you take them down the rabbit hole to keep them tunneling from one chapter or section to the next?
If you're a visual person, try closing your eyes to picture the story playing out. Use these visual cues to answer your questions.
Remember, when you begin your book marketing and author marketing with signings and talks, discuss your writing process. Readers will eat this up, finding you, your characters or your story all the more interesting in the indie publishing game.
Keep the Faith and May the Force Be With You
