Ask the Author: David Tallerman
Answered Questions (6)
David Tallerman
It's strange, perhaps, but I hardly ever know in retrospect where a particular idea came from. Maybe it's because I have projects on the boil for so long; often it's months or even years before I get to put a first word down. So a story might begin with something I read, or a detail from a dream, or a particular conversation, but after it's been processed for week after week and slowly hammered into something that functions as a plot, that original idea has changed so much that often I'll struggle to even remember what it was.
David Tallerman
These days I tend to develop most of the core story at the planning stage, and when I'm writing I work set hours with set deadlines. Since I already have a fairly good idea of what I want to say from the chapter plan, inspiration isn't so much of a concern, and since I'm sat at my desk, in my office, on a work day, I've no choice but to get on with it!
Failing that, a cup of coffee or a glass of wine never hurts, and I always work to music.
Failing that, a cup of coffee or a glass of wine never hurts, and I always work to music.
David Tallerman
Too many projects to list! Generally I'll have one novel that I'm writing, one or two more that I'm redrafting and at least one more at the planning stage, plus short stories and graphic novels in various stages of development.
David Tallerman
Make it your goal to write every day, even if it's only for a few minutes. If you miss a day then don't beat yourself up about it but vow not to do it again, because if you can't commit to the process of sitting down and writing then the chances of you learning anything else about the trade aren't great. Read as much as you can, both within your genre of choice and outside of it, and aim for a balance of non-fiction and fiction; both have plenty to teach.
David Tallerman
For me, the chance to try and create the sort of stories that have had such a massive influence on my own life, particularly when I was growing up; as a teenager I was just completely in awe of the fact that people had produced these incredible books and that I was allowed to read them. I love that I get to be a part of that tradition, and that just conceivably someone might come across my own work in that way one day and be similarly affected by it.
David Tallerman
I've never found it to be too much of an issue. But I suspect that has a lot to do with how I approach writing; with any given project I'll work on half a dozen paragraphs at once, and I generally have that many or more projects on the go at the same time. That way if I'm struggling with one section I can easily move to another and then come back to it later with fresh eyes. Similarly if I get bogged down with a particular story or novel I'll switch to something else; then coming back to it seems to act as a kind of mental reset switch. Of course, not everyone has the time to work that way, but I'd definitely argue against writing linearly. Having a few different points of contact on a story goes a long way towards keeping your brain unblocked.
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