Ask the Author: Rodney Jones
Answered Questions (5)
Rodney Jones
All the Butterflies in the World
Rodney Jones
Hi Brian,
Thank you for the interest in my stories. I currently have no plans for a sequel to the John and Tess series, but I may someday pick it back up. You might enjoy my story The Other Mr. Bax. It's not time-travel, but close; it's an alternate reality shift. All my stories are character driven. I love fun, lovable characters with realistic flaws. Before writing my time travel story, I read several, as part of the prep. My favorites were: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, by Mark Twain, the two Jack Finney novels, Replay, by Ken Grimwood, and Time on My Hands, by Peter Delacorte. I should probably add that the only thing these books have in common with mine is the time-travel element. The closest to mine, I think, are the Jack Finney books.
Hope this was helpful.
Rodney
Thank you for the interest in my stories. I currently have no plans for a sequel to the John and Tess series, but I may someday pick it back up. You might enjoy my story The Other Mr. Bax. It's not time-travel, but close; it's an alternate reality shift. All my stories are character driven. I love fun, lovable characters with realistic flaws. Before writing my time travel story, I read several, as part of the prep. My favorites were: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, by Mark Twain, the two Jack Finney novels, Replay, by Ken Grimwood, and Time on My Hands, by Peter Delacorte. I should probably add that the only thing these books have in common with mine is the time-travel element. The closest to mine, I think, are the Jack Finney books.
Hope this was helpful.
Rodney
Rodney Jones
A keen observation, but actually she wore it on the day before laundry day. All her White Stripes shirts were a bit crusty in the armpits (a detail I failed to include in the story.) I don't think of myself as a Mr. Jones.
Rodney Jones
Wow. This is strange, having a character from my book contact me… or two of them, conjoined, like twins. Strange, but also nice. I guess, in a universe as expansive as this, it was bound to happen.
So, Evelyn dear Fender…
I find inspiration in a lot of places, from a variety of sources: art, music, writing, movies, altruism. Inspiration (to me, anyway) is the feeling one gets when one recognizes (makes an emotional connection with) another’s exceptional achievement. A feeling like you’ve just been plugged into a stream of creative energy. It is an emotional response, not an intellectual, not necessarily about ideas.
Writer’s block? I'm not sure what that is. Are we talking about a lack of inspiration or a lack of ideas, or maybe both? Could it be fear? If so, then I believe inspiration might be the cure. But if it’s a lack of ideas, then work is the cure—pain-in-the-butt determination and focus. Do something to clear the mind. I take long walks in the country. And sometimes I have to force myself to write.
Write something!
That’s not it.
Write something else.
That’s not it.
Something else.
Oh, an idea is beginning to emerge.
This, I believe, is work, not inspiration. Inspiration is that energy that pushes work into the realm of art. For that, I might watch Valentina Lisitsa play Liszt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdH1h...
So, Evelyn dear Fender…
I find inspiration in a lot of places, from a variety of sources: art, music, writing, movies, altruism. Inspiration (to me, anyway) is the feeling one gets when one recognizes (makes an emotional connection with) another’s exceptional achievement. A feeling like you’ve just been plugged into a stream of creative energy. It is an emotional response, not an intellectual, not necessarily about ideas.
Writer’s block? I'm not sure what that is. Are we talking about a lack of inspiration or a lack of ideas, or maybe both? Could it be fear? If so, then I believe inspiration might be the cure. But if it’s a lack of ideas, then work is the cure—pain-in-the-butt determination and focus. Do something to clear the mind. I take long walks in the country. And sometimes I have to force myself to write.
Write something!
That’s not it.
Write something else.
That’s not it.
Something else.
Oh, an idea is beginning to emerge.
This, I believe, is work, not inspiration. Inspiration is that energy that pushes work into the realm of art. For that, I might watch Valentina Lisitsa play Liszt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdH1h...
Rodney Jones
I prefer writing female characters, though I don't know why. I loved creating Tess McKinnon of All the Butterflies, but my favorite is Evelyn Hatfield, the young, courageous, world explorer in Evelyn Dear Fender.
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