Ask the Author: Christopher K. Coleman
Answered Questions (6)
Christopher K. Coleman
Yes. I have done appearances at bookstores where I like to chat with interested readers; I also have done presentations to local library groups and have talked at the Southern Book Festival in Nashville several times. I am particularly fond of Southern ghost stories, especially those that relate to the Mid-South but all of Dixie falls within my purview. I am also a big Civil War enthusiast and have written three books on the subject, including one on Civil War ghosts and haunts.
Christopher K. Coleman
Short answers: a) a publisher sends me a big advance (or even a not so big advance).
b) publisher returns a signed contract stating when the manuscript is due by. I get to work to finish the ms by the due date.
I have a lot of great ideas for books that I think people would find interesting, so if by inspiration, you mean book ideas, that is not a problem. Selling the concept to a publisher is the challenging part; but in the past I have been lucky to work with several good trade publishers and their editors.
b) publisher returns a signed contract stating when the manuscript is due by. I get to work to finish the ms by the due date.
I have a lot of great ideas for books that I think people would find interesting, so if by inspiration, you mean book ideas, that is not a problem. Selling the concept to a publisher is the challenging part; but in the past I have been lucky to work with several good trade publishers and their editors.
Christopher K. Coleman
Writing, writing, writing. Also having others enjoy reading what your wrote.
Christopher K. Coleman
I don't really have writer's block per se. Once I have a book idea accepted I generally become engrossed in what I am doing until it is finished. Far more difficult than writing is getting an editor or literary agent interested in your writing.
However, as when you have eaten a big meal and can't stand the sight of food, spending months or years on the same project can wear on you. That is why it always good to have several writing projects going in various stages of development at any given time. If you feel "stuffed" doing one, put it aside for a few days or so, work on another one for a bit and then come back the first one. If you let the manuscript get "cold" for a bit, you can come back to it with fresh eyes and then any flaws or errors become apparent.
However, as when you have eaten a big meal and can't stand the sight of food, spending months or years on the same project can wear on you. That is why it always good to have several writing projects going in various stages of development at any given time. If you feel "stuffed" doing one, put it aside for a few days or so, work on another one for a bit and then come back the first one. If you let the manuscript get "cold" for a bit, you can come back to it with fresh eyes and then any flaws or errors become apparent.
Christopher K. Coleman
I'm glad you asked. For the last several years I have been deeply enmeshed in a project involving famed American writer Ambrose Bierce and his career in the Civil War. While his many biographers have always acknowledged the importance of his war experiences on his later writing but had never gone back and researched the primary sources regarding his military career. My manuscript has finally been accepted for publication and much of what I uncovered will be a revelation to those who have loved his stories and sardonic humor. This biography of Bierce is more history than literary criticism, but hopefully not only literary aficionados and fans of his writings will find it a good read, but hard core Civil War buffs as well. More about this project in 2015.
Christopher K. Coleman
My most recent book, The Paranormal Presidency of Abraham Lincoln is a result of the convergence of two subjects which interest me greatly: the study of the paranormal and the history of the Civil War. I had written about Lincoln and the anecdotes about his beliefs in the paranormal before, but in this book I researched the subject in depth and documented it with references to primary source material. So while the book is about Lincoln and others beliefs in the paranormal, the book itself is legitimate history.
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