Ask the Author: J. Allen Wolfrum
Answered Questions (5)
J. Allen Wolfrum
Hi Diane,
Fantastic question! I wasn't aware of the LA Times Festival. It looks like a fun event, I submitted my application to participate as an author, we'll see what happens. Even if it doesn't work out for me to participate as an author, I'll do my best to be there as a spectator.
Thanks for the recommendation and the support! I'm always looking for opportunities to get the word out about the book.
Best,
Jerad
Fantastic question! I wasn't aware of the LA Times Festival. It looks like a fun event, I submitted my application to participate as an author, we'll see what happens. Even if it doesn't work out for me to participate as an author, I'll do my best to be there as a spectator.
Thanks for the recommendation and the support! I'm always looking for opportunities to get the word out about the book.
Best,
Jerad
J. Allen Wolfrum
Everyone is different but I'll share what helped me start writing.
The StoryGrid book by Shawn Coyne is an absolutely amazing resource for writers. The book describes the fundamentals of story structure and breaks them down into easily consumable chunks. The StoryGrid podcast is another fantastic resource. On the podcast, Tim Grahl is an author learning how to write fiction and Shawn Coyne gives him advice based on the his 25+ years as an editor. It's fantastic.
The methodology in the StoryGrid might not be for everyone but it worked for me.
And once you decide to write, War of Art by Steven Pressfield is essential. There are so many times where I wanted to quit writing my book, even up until the final days before finally publishing on Amazon. Steven Pressfield's words about Resistance kept me on course.
In summary, the StoryGrid book and podcast to learn about story structure and War of Art to make sure you finish your work.
The StoryGrid book by Shawn Coyne is an absolutely amazing resource for writers. The book describes the fundamentals of story structure and breaks them down into easily consumable chunks. The StoryGrid podcast is another fantastic resource. On the podcast, Tim Grahl is an author learning how to write fiction and Shawn Coyne gives him advice based on the his 25+ years as an editor. It's fantastic.
The methodology in the StoryGrid might not be for everyone but it worked for me.
And once you decide to write, War of Art by Steven Pressfield is essential. There are so many times where I wanted to quit writing my book, even up until the final days before finally publishing on Amazon. Steven Pressfield's words about Resistance kept me on course.
In summary, the StoryGrid book and podcast to learn about story structure and War of Art to make sure you finish your work.
J. Allen Wolfrum
I'm currently working on the sequel to my first novel, Selected.
I'm tentatively calling the sequel, Plan B. I'm still in the early stages of planning and writing. I don't want to give away too much because the story line hinges upon what happened at the end of Selected. Mr. Anderson and The Board are growing more anxious to implement their plan of Unified Peace and someone has to stop them once and for all.
I'm also planning the prequel to Selected, which will be about the revolution that resulted in a change in the political structure of the United States. I'm still very early in the planning stages, but I'm really excited about this idea.
In the far distant future, I'm thinking through a concept that describes the struggles of veterans in their life after combat. Not immediately afterwards, but fifteen or twenty years later. As a veteran, I don't see many stories out there about the reality of what veterans go through when they transition back into being civilians and how the integrate back into society. There's lots of war stories where the end of the story is the solider coming home to a parade and walking into the sunset happily ever after. I think there's more to be told about that story.
I'm tentatively calling the sequel, Plan B. I'm still in the early stages of planning and writing. I don't want to give away too much because the story line hinges upon what happened at the end of Selected. Mr. Anderson and The Board are growing more anxious to implement their plan of Unified Peace and someone has to stop them once and for all.
I'm also planning the prequel to Selected, which will be about the revolution that resulted in a change in the political structure of the United States. I'm still very early in the planning stages, but I'm really excited about this idea.
In the far distant future, I'm thinking through a concept that describes the struggles of veterans in their life after combat. Not immediately afterwards, but fifteen or twenty years later. As a veteran, I don't see many stories out there about the reality of what veterans go through when they transition back into being civilians and how the integrate back into society. There's lots of war stories where the end of the story is the solider coming home to a parade and walking into the sunset happily ever after. I think there's more to be told about that story.
J. Allen Wolfrum
I have two pieces white printer paper pinned to the wall behind my computer.
The first has a handwritten sentence that reads: "I have an unyielding faith that there will always be something in the box." I stole that line from a Steven Pressfield book, it was either War of Art or Turning Pro. In the book he tells a story about improvisational acting classes where the students have to pull something imaginary out of a box on stage and whatever they pull out of the box will be the premise of the next scene. Therefore, to be a part of that improv troop, you must have faith that there will always be something in the box or else there is no show.
For me, that translates well into my writing process. When I sit down to write, my intention is to write a scene consisting of 1,500 to 2,000 words. Before I sit down to write, I plan out the scene with bullet points. Each scene must have the 5 Commandments of Story: an inciting incident, progressive complications, a crisis, a climax, and a resolution. The 5 Commandments come from an amazing book on story structure by Shawn Coyne, The StoryGrid.
Writing down the bullet points for the scene gets my brain moving in the right direction and gives me a map for the work I need to do. What ultimately comes out on the page tends to be different from the bullet points I originally used to plan the scene. To me, that's where the creativity comes into play.
The second piece of paper pinned to the wall is typed and contains 3 things: The controlling idea of the book, the hero's WANTS, and the hero's NEEDS. I read those three things before I write each day. When I get lost in my own thoughts they guide me back to the right path.
For me, inspiration happens when I sit down to write. I have to be at my desk doing the work. At this point, I don't have a shortage of ideas, I'm short on time to implement them.
"I have an unyielding faith that there will always be something in the box."
The first has a handwritten sentence that reads: "I have an unyielding faith that there will always be something in the box." I stole that line from a Steven Pressfield book, it was either War of Art or Turning Pro. In the book he tells a story about improvisational acting classes where the students have to pull something imaginary out of a box on stage and whatever they pull out of the box will be the premise of the next scene. Therefore, to be a part of that improv troop, you must have faith that there will always be something in the box or else there is no show.
For me, that translates well into my writing process. When I sit down to write, my intention is to write a scene consisting of 1,500 to 2,000 words. Before I sit down to write, I plan out the scene with bullet points. Each scene must have the 5 Commandments of Story: an inciting incident, progressive complications, a crisis, a climax, and a resolution. The 5 Commandments come from an amazing book on story structure by Shawn Coyne, The StoryGrid.
Writing down the bullet points for the scene gets my brain moving in the right direction and gives me a map for the work I need to do. What ultimately comes out on the page tends to be different from the bullet points I originally used to plan the scene. To me, that's where the creativity comes into play.
The second piece of paper pinned to the wall is typed and contains 3 things: The controlling idea of the book, the hero's WANTS, and the hero's NEEDS. I read those three things before I write each day. When I get lost in my own thoughts they guide me back to the right path.
For me, inspiration happens when I sit down to write. I have to be at my desk doing the work. At this point, I don't have a shortage of ideas, I'm short on time to implement them.
"I have an unyielding faith that there will always be something in the box."
J. Allen Wolfrum
During the Presidential election cycle I was disappointed with the candidates and thought to myself, what if there wasn't an election and the representatives were selected at random?
That simple question was the premise for the book. At least that is the premise for the book on the surface. As you make it through the book, I hope you'll find a much deeper controlling idea that drives the story.
That simple question was the premise for the book. At least that is the premise for the book on the surface. As you make it through the book, I hope you'll find a much deeper controlling idea that drives the story.
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