Ask the Author: Terry Geo
Answered Questions (10)
Terry Geo
A family member's police number was the same number my first, serious partner used as his PIN and was the burglary alarm code for the house I moved into after the relationship ended. This is extreme coincidence and I have thought about exploring that experience as the base for a mystery book.
Terry Geo
The four main characters of my book are all parts of me. In the first chapter you meet Abby, Terrell, Jake and Ryder; they are all very different people living in different parts of the world. The first third of the book brings them all together to Silicate where their adventure really begins. It would have been a lot easier for me to write Refraction from a first-person perspective, but I felt it needed these uniquely different characters to tell the story in their own way. Abby mirrors the trouble I have sleeping, Terrell is the projection of how I felt at school; a creative geek and a bit of an outcast, Jake is a gay guy growing up in Yorkshire as I did and Ryder’s disability is something he has to live with, yet doesn’t want people to feel sorry for him. In these four characters is also a lot of diversity. Abby is a 14-year-old girl, Terrell is black, Jake is gay and Ryder is disabled, yet all of them first and foremost are people. Their diversity is never the focus nor a hindrance, it is just a part of who they are.
Terry Geo
I'm dedicated all of my time to the marketing of Refraction and when the new year begins, I'll start on book 2 of the trilogy.
Terry Geo
My dreams and the persistent thought of what it would be like to record and watch my dreams back when I was awake. This evolved into Refraction.
Terry Geo
As we're so close to Christmas, I'm not even thinking about summer. (He says, shivering as he types.) As I'm planning on writing book 2 next year, I probably won't be reading anything but my own chapters. I find it impossible to read other people's stories while I'm creating my own.
Terry Geo
It would have to be Somnio. Everyone who reads Refraction would love to visit, at least once. I could happily live there - with my husband of course!
Terry Geo
The killer stared at the man with a cold, sinister glare, as blood pooled around his feet. It was only when he smiled revealing his gold tooth, that the man knew he was looking at his own reflection.
Terry Geo
Practice. Just keep writing, every day if possible. Whether it's a long social media post or a blog or a short story or a poem - anything to keep honing your skills. The more you write, like anything, the better you will be at it.
When you come to write your first novel, take your time. It will seem daunting at first, you might leave it for a while and come back to it. That's fine, as long as you do come back to it. However long it takes, when you finish and you've typed THE END, that is not the end of the process. You now have to read it all back and check for mistakes. Does the story work, is the spelling and grammar all correct, does the pacing work? Once you're happy with it, give it to some close friends/family to read through it and give you notes. Once they're back, send it to an editor. Every author needs to do this because at some point, you will become word-blind to your own manuscript. Once all those processes are done and you're confident this is the very best work you could do - then it's time to publish!
When you come to write your first novel, take your time. It will seem daunting at first, you might leave it for a while and come back to it. That's fine, as long as you do come back to it. However long it takes, when you finish and you've typed THE END, that is not the end of the process. You now have to read it all back and check for mistakes. Does the story work, is the spelling and grammar all correct, does the pacing work? Once you're happy with it, give it to some close friends/family to read through it and give you notes. Once they're back, send it to an editor. Every author needs to do this because at some point, you will become word-blind to your own manuscript. Once all those processes are done and you're confident this is the very best work you could do - then it's time to publish!
Terry Geo
There are three ways I deal with writers block. The first is showering. I can usually untangle any problem that's blocking my writing this way. When this doesn't work (or it's the middle of the day and I don't need to shower), I pace up and down. I live in a tiny flat, so it's a lot of back and forth, but it usually clears my head. When those don't work, I leave what I'm doing and go out. Sometimes the best way to refresh your brain, is by doing something totally different. A walk in the park, drinks with friends, visiting family - something that isn't writing can either lead you to the answer or give you a fresh start the next day.
Terry Geo
Although I find inspiration everywhere, my dreams are my biggest source of story fodder. I have an always on, very active, creative brain, which never switches off. This can be annoying when trying to sleep at 2am, but it also fills my dreams with incredible visuals. This directly inspired my novel, Refraction, as the premise of the book is about dreams.
I also find showering helps my thought process. There is so much noise and activity in our lives that showering is the one time I am free to think without interruption. If I have a problem that needs a solution, usually, five minutes under the hot water will be enough to solved it, or at least start the solving process.
I also find showering helps my thought process. There is so much noise and activity in our lives that showering is the one time I am free to think without interruption. If I have a problem that needs a solution, usually, five minutes under the hot water will be enough to solved it, or at least start the solving process.
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