Ask the Author: Richard R. Becker
Answered Questions (8)
Richard R. Becker
If you reread the answer, you will find I did answer your question. It’s a conglomerate of sources, both conscious and subconscious, real and imagined, fictional and factual.
Richard R. Becker
This is a great question Dr. Jasmine. I subscribe to a concept shared by David Mamet, which is that characters grow out of a plot and not the other way around. As characters do things, they demonstrate qualities we can relate to through their actions.
I learned this working in commercial advertising, whereby you sometimes only have 30 or 60 seconds to convince an audience your characters are real and relatable. This approach worked well on short stories inside 50 States and Ten Threads. It also proved true in my novel Third Wheel as well. Despite the protagonist sharing similar life experiences with me, he became his own person because some of his choices or reactions were different than mine might have been. Thus, instead of being a character based on me, he becomes a living, breathing character who serves the plot.
Many writers disagree with this approach. They prefer to create these elaborate character sheets that include every detail, including what flavor of ice cream their characters might like. This creates unnecessary complications because pre-determined qualities or 'likes' might not serve the plot or contradict what's needed at that moment. The truth is that we only need to know what ice cream a character might order when the plot demands it. And, based on prior actions, the answer will be evident. Of course, if the plot calls for that flavor to be determined to make a point, those characters won't even have a choice. Everything about them will bend to that answer.
Thanks for asking such a great question! I might distill this into a 60-second writing tip that I share on places like Facebook and TikTok.
I learned this working in commercial advertising, whereby you sometimes only have 30 or 60 seconds to convince an audience your characters are real and relatable. This approach worked well on short stories inside 50 States and Ten Threads. It also proved true in my novel Third Wheel as well. Despite the protagonist sharing similar life experiences with me, he became his own person because some of his choices or reactions were different than mine might have been. Thus, instead of being a character based on me, he becomes a living, breathing character who serves the plot.
Many writers disagree with this approach. They prefer to create these elaborate character sheets that include every detail, including what flavor of ice cream their characters might like. This creates unnecessary complications because pre-determined qualities or 'likes' might not serve the plot or contradict what's needed at that moment. The truth is that we only need to know what ice cream a character might order when the plot demands it. And, based on prior actions, the answer will be evident. Of course, if the plot calls for that flavor to be determined to make a point, those characters won't even have a choice. Everything about them will bend to that answer.
Thanks for asking such a great question! I might distill this into a 60-second writing tip that I share on places like Facebook and TikTok.
Richard R. Becker
Once I'm committed to a project, I start a new chapter on Monday, write as much of it as I can that day, and then set out to finish it by the following Sunday, writing whenever I have a chance. Since I'm always working on or thinking about the project I'm committed to, I generally have a sense of where it is going two to three chapters out.
Anytime I feel stuck, even for a second, reviewing the previous chapter will jumpstart my creative spark. It's a great way to check my work too. If reviewing a chapter isn't strong enough to catapult me into the next, then I suspect it isn't strong enough to keep someone reading either.
Anytime I feel stuck, even for a second, reviewing the previous chapter will jumpstart my creative spark. It's a great way to check my work too. If reviewing a chapter isn't strong enough to catapult me into the next, then I suspect it isn't strong enough to keep someone reading either.
Richard R. Becker
There was a knock, knock, knocking at my front door. So I put the house key in my pocket and stepped back toward the street.
Richard R. Becker
More than any other form of writing, fiction empowers us to open up deeper conversations about life experiences. And, because fiction involves fictional characters, it creates a safe space to talk about those experiences because well-written stories involve us emotionally without requiring a personal expense. We may be vested, but we have no skin in the game.
When fictional characters make decisions in the face of life-defining moments, we can agree with their choices or not, understand their paths or not, and make our own decisions about how we feel or what we might do too. When the story works, it can be a powerful experience.
When fictional characters make decisions in the face of life-defining moments, we can agree with their choices or not, understand their paths or not, and make our own decisions about how we feel or what we might do too. When the story works, it can be a powerful experience.
Richard R. Becker
I love this question, and don't have a traditional answer that includes 5 or 10 or even 20 books that will feel dated in a few months. What I have instead is a list of 195+ diverse titles and a method to read a fair amount of them every year. Feel free to check out my shelf. They are all here on Goodreads.
Generally, I'm reading four books at any given time. One with my daughter, one on my phone, one in print (often nonfiction), and one as an audiobook (yes, I think audiobooks count as long as they aren't abridged). To pick them: My daughter and I alternative between young adult and classic literature; my nonfiction picks generally alternate between enrichment and history; my other two picks alternate wildly different genres and authors mainly based on what I just read. I tend to look for something that contrasts preceding title.
For example, in 2021 on my phone, Normal People by Sally Rooney was preceded by Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clark, preceded by Eden Mine by S.M. Hulse, preceded by Go Tell It To The Mountain by James Baldwin, preceded by Rabbit is Rich by John Updike, preceded by Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank, preceded by Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky, preceded by Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby, and so on. The same eclectic meandering happens with audiobooks (though narrators can play a factor in my picks).
How I chose books changed after joining Goodreads. This site gave me a tool to add dozens of "to read" (or read again) books. I look over all of them anytime I'm close to the end of a book, generally picking the next title because there is some contrast to what I just read or am reading — from contemporary to classic or horror fiction to literary fiction or science fiction to historical fiction — because I'm a great believer in diversity, especially for anyone who wants to be a writer. Diversity keeps it all interesting, which is why my own body of work spills over into everything.
Generally, I'm reading four books at any given time. One with my daughter, one on my phone, one in print (often nonfiction), and one as an audiobook (yes, I think audiobooks count as long as they aren't abridged). To pick them: My daughter and I alternative between young adult and classic literature; my nonfiction picks generally alternate between enrichment and history; my other two picks alternate wildly different genres and authors mainly based on what I just read. I tend to look for something that contrasts preceding title.
For example, in 2021 on my phone, Normal People by Sally Rooney was preceded by Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clark, preceded by Eden Mine by S.M. Hulse, preceded by Go Tell It To The Mountain by James Baldwin, preceded by Rabbit is Rich by John Updike, preceded by Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank, preceded by Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky, preceded by Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby, and so on. The same eclectic meandering happens with audiobooks (though narrators can play a factor in my picks).
How I chose books changed after joining Goodreads. This site gave me a tool to add dozens of "to read" (or read again) books. I look over all of them anytime I'm close to the end of a book, generally picking the next title because there is some contrast to what I just read or am reading — from contemporary to classic or horror fiction to literary fiction or science fiction to historical fiction — because I'm a great believer in diversity, especially for anyone who wants to be a writer. Diversity keeps it all interesting, which is why my own body of work spills over into everything.
Richard R. Becker
I'm working on several projects right now. The first is 50 Threads, which is another collection of short short stories that will continue, intersect with, and/or connect with those discovered in 50 States. I've already shared a few 'first look' drafts with readers who follow my Facebook page.
The second is Twelve Times, which is a collection of much longer short stories. I'll be sharing some 'first look' drafts of these stories with readers who subscribe to my newsletter.
The third is a full-length novel. I'll share the working title when I settle in on which of four different stories I want to tell first. Anyone who reads 50 States or 50 Threads will be familiar with the characters who appear in these novels.
There are others. Before I committed to writing 50 States, I wrote several stories that would make great children's books. All they need is the right illustration. Along with those, I have another small, quirky, and informative ebook project for writing students that will need artwork. The idea came out of class lessons while teaching at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. So I'm taking a few online classes to resurrect my latent drawing skills. We'll see what happens!
The second is Twelve Times, which is a collection of much longer short stories. I'll be sharing some 'first look' drafts of these stories with readers who subscribe to my newsletter.
The third is a full-length novel. I'll share the working title when I settle in on which of four different stories I want to tell first. Anyone who reads 50 States or 50 Threads will be familiar with the characters who appear in these novels.
There are others. Before I committed to writing 50 States, I wrote several stories that would make great children's books. All they need is the right illustration. Along with those, I have another small, quirky, and informative ebook project for writing students that will need artwork. The idea came out of class lessons while teaching at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. So I'm taking a few online classes to resurrect my latent drawing skills. We'll see what happens!
Richard R. Becker
Two years ago, I committed to writing short short stories and sharing them on my Facebook author page. It was the first time in my life I treated writing short stories like an assignment, with equal weight to any advertising/marketing deadlines I might have.
My immersion in the process of writing fiction opened up an entirely new world. After sharing the first few stories, I fell into a creative rhythm, and an overarching idea began to crystalize.
I was inspired to write about life-defining moments (or coping with life-defining moments) as experienced by different people in different places (50 States) — stories that could stand on their own but were also left open to be continued in unexpected ways or intersect with one another.
Individually, the spark for each story was unique. Some ideas seem to find me — something I happened to see while driving my daughter to practice. Other ideas had to be hunted down, especially as fewer states remained. In those situations, I made it a practice to follow the research until it led me somewhere or something else would find me along the way.
My immersion in the process of writing fiction opened up an entirely new world. After sharing the first few stories, I fell into a creative rhythm, and an overarching idea began to crystalize.
I was inspired to write about life-defining moments (or coping with life-defining moments) as experienced by different people in different places (50 States) — stories that could stand on their own but were also left open to be continued in unexpected ways or intersect with one another.
Individually, the spark for each story was unique. Some ideas seem to find me — something I happened to see while driving my daughter to practice. Other ideas had to be hunted down, especially as fewer states remained. In those situations, I made it a practice to follow the research until it led me somewhere or something else would find me along the way.
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