Ask the Author: Mark Logie
Answered Questions (7)
Mark Logie
Giving the widest possible meaning to "couple", ie, meaning any two characters closely linked -- in any way -- in the course of a novel, I'd say Will Freeman and Marcus in "About a Boy". They rub each other up the wrong way so much to start with and, eventually, force each other to grow as people that it's impossible not to be amused and touched, by turns.
It's simply brilliant characterisation that stays with you long after finishing Nick Hornby's novel.
It's simply brilliant characterisation that stays with you long after finishing Nick Hornby's novel.
Mark Logie
After a lot of soul-searching I've concluded that I'm better suited to writing for adults than teens and, for the forseeable future, I'll be writing for adults (some of the time about children!).
I find if I talk about what I'm writing in too much detail at the start that it spoils things for me, but what I can say is that it involves a lonely female divorcee and a traumatised teenage runaway.
Watch this space for further updates.
I find if I talk about what I'm writing in too much detail at the start that it spoils things for me, but what I can say is that it involves a lonely female divorcee and a traumatised teenage runaway.
Watch this space for further updates.
Mark Logie
I have to say I don't really know the answer to this one.
I have to be in a receptive mood (certainly relaxed), but other than that I can't say. Sometimes I consciously dream up an idea for a book or poem ; sometimes an idea just comes to me out of the blue.
I have to be in a receptive mood (certainly relaxed), but other than that I can't say. Sometimes I consciously dream up an idea for a book or poem ; sometimes an idea just comes to me out of the blue.
Mark Logie
The fact that you don't have to live in the real world all the time! You get to create your own world and invent all the rules; that helps me cope with life.
Mark Logie
If it's very bad, I get on with some other piece of writing or work related to promoting my books; otherwise, I just battle on until I produce something -- anything -- no matter how bad.
Mark Logie
Learn as much as you can about marketing books before you submit your work to publishers or agents, or before you self-publish. You need to establish a presence in the marketplace as soon as you can (again, before publication, if possible) because, especially in the early stages of your career, you need to promote the author, not the book. (I learned that from the great guru on book marketing, Carolyn Howard-Johnson. Get a copy of book, "The Frugal Book Promoter" too: it's invaluable.)
Mark Logie
It was a combination of two news items in 2004 that inspired "Deadfall" (a young-adult thriller about cyber-terrorism): a computer virus (called, I think, "Iloveyou"!) doing the rounds and the Madrid train bombings. The surge of fear I felt on hearing about the explosions on packed trains fused with a feeling that I wanted to tackle terrorism in a fresh way that would appeal to teenagers and older children.
Terrorists using a computer virus to cause mayhem in the not-too-distant future was what I came up with.
Terrorists using a computer virus to cause mayhem in the not-too-distant future was what I came up with.
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