Ask the Author: Alan M. Clark
Answered Questions (7)
Alan M. Clark
Littlest Death by Eric Witchey, The Mueller Report, The Pigeon by Patrick Süskind.
Alan M. Clark
My relationship with a series of vivid temporal lobe seizure hallucinations brought on by brain abscesses I suffered in 1989. The hallucinations involved a malevolent presence, a man whose thoughts I could penetrate to some extent. At times, I felt as if I were losing my identity and assuming his. I began to remember doing things in places I've never been. When later, I began researching and writing my Jack the Ripper Victims series, I immediately felt an affinity for and connection to the environment of Victorian London. I wrote the novel THE SURGEON'S MATE: A DISMEMOIR to explore the memoir and horror fiction possibilities of the experience.
Alan M. Clark
As with apples and oranges, I like them both. I find the story-telling in each endeavor satisfying. That's where they're much the same in many ways. An illustration must grab you at a glance, make a suggestion, and leave enough to the imagination that you carry the story-telling beyond the picture plane. Good writing requires audience to bring emotional experience to interpreting what's read. Both give audience work to do that makes the experience memorable. The advantage to illustration is that viewers know if they like it very quickly, while any piece of writing beyond flash fiction requires audience to invest time and energy in experience.
Alan M. Clark
Still working on the Jack the Ripper Victims Series. Having written novels about the lives of three of the canonical victims, I have two more to complete the series. Two of the novels have been released, OF THIMBLE AND THREAT, about Catherine Eddowes, and SAY ANYTHING BUT YOUR PRAYER, about Elizabeth Stride. The third novel in the series, will come out in 2015. I will take a break from the series to write a novel set within the Pain Doctors environment that I developed in artwork and writing in previous publications. Although the novel will be a solo effort, the writing about that environment in the past was done in collaboration with several writers.
Alan M. Clark
I find a situation in which human beings have limited choices and still must choose between one course or another. Those are the events in history that often make us scratch our heads in wonder at the decisions made and how those involved could think what they did was reasonable. I've been writing within historical settings for several years, developing characters to help demonstrate the emotions behind such terrible choices.
Alan M. Clark
I don't experience writer's block for long. If I do, I write my way through it. Sometimes, the right amount of distraction is all that's needed to keep the creative juices flowing. Concentrating intently on the work isn't always the best way to get it done.
Alan M. Clark
SAY ANYTHING BUT YOUR PRAYERS, about the life of Elizabeth Stride, is the second book in my Jack the Ripper Victims Series. The series began with OF THIMBLE AND THREAT, about the 4th victim, Catherine Eddowes. About 20 years ago, I read the police reports from the murders. The one involving Eddowes listed everything found with her body at the murder scene. She was wearing several layers of clothing and had about 50 personal items, many held in hidden pockets. Since she was living on the street at the time, she no doubt had everything she owned with her. The list is pitiful. One of the most elaborate items was a partial pair of spectacles. It gave me a sense of the desperate life she led, her survival skills, and her willingness to struggle on. I began to wonder about the drama of the victims' lives within Victorian London instead of who the Ripper might be.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more