Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do you come up with your story ideas?
A. Usually they come from one character that pops into my mind, or from one scene that
suddenly plays there. That opening scene is easy to write, but I don't know very much about
the story or the characters at first. Sometimes that opening scene becomes the middle of the
book after a number of rewrites, and slowly it all becomes a full story plot with fleshed out
characters.
Q. What's your writing schedule like?
A. One word often fits the answer best. CRAZY. Life has a habit of getting all up in my way.
(Smile) I might write for endless hours one day, almost as long the next, maybe twelve hours or
more, and then not get a chance to even open up my Word file and type anything into it for the
next two days. Such is life!
Q. What's the hardest part of being a writer?
A. I guess the answer to that will depend on which writer you ask. For me, the hardest part is
self doubt. I'll write a scene and think it's great, then read it again a day or two later and all I
see is everything that is wrong with it. I do the same thing with characters and plots. I'm sure
the person giving me a critique or the judge of a contest, or the agent or editor who reads it, is
going to be able to drive a whole through my plot or feel that my characters are cardboard
cutouts at best. If someone says they love my pages, I'm sure they are just being kind. But if
someone says they find a problem or don't like something, I have a hard time not agreeing with
them. For that reason, I usually finish a manuscript or have it mostly done before I like to share
it with anyone. The middle of a story is hard enough to write without extra doubts. (Smile)
A. Usually they come from one character that pops into my mind, or from one scene that
suddenly plays there. That opening scene is easy to write, but I don't know very much about
the story or the characters at first. Sometimes that opening scene becomes the middle of the
book after a number of rewrites, and slowly it all becomes a full story plot with fleshed out
characters.
Q. What's your writing schedule like?
A. One word often fits the answer best. CRAZY. Life has a habit of getting all up in my way.
(Smile) I might write for endless hours one day, almost as long the next, maybe twelve hours or
more, and then not get a chance to even open up my Word file and type anything into it for the
next two days. Such is life!
Q. What's the hardest part of being a writer?
A. I guess the answer to that will depend on which writer you ask. For me, the hardest part is
self doubt. I'll write a scene and think it's great, then read it again a day or two later and all I
see is everything that is wrong with it. I do the same thing with characters and plots. I'm sure
the person giving me a critique or the judge of a contest, or the agent or editor who reads it, is
going to be able to drive a whole through my plot or feel that my characters are cardboard
cutouts at best. If someone says they love my pages, I'm sure they are just being kind. But if
someone says they find a problem or don't like something, I have a hard time not agreeing with
them. For that reason, I usually finish a manuscript or have it mostly done before I like to share
it with anyone. The middle of a story is hard enough to write without extra doubts. (Smile)
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