Ask the Author: Larry Wood
Answered Questions (9)
Larry Wood
Joshua, I'm not familiar with Birdsong, I don't believe, but I might see what I can find out about him. My email is larryewood@mail.com, if you want to contact me that way.
Larry Wood
I'm currently working on a book about Southern-sympathizing women in Missouri during the Civil War. It will be more or less a follow-up to my Bushwhacker Belles book.
Larry Wood
Right now I'm reading Michael Connelly's latest Lincoln Lawyer book, The Law of Innocence, and I have a couple of other books by Connelly on my to-read list. Also, John Sandford's latest Lucas Davenport book.
Larry Wood
I write mainly about regional history; so I got my idea for my last book the same way I get most of my ideas. Just researching and reading about various events that have happened in my region over the years. When I do that, I can usually come up with a topic that intrigues me and that hasn't been previously written about extensively or, if it has been written about a lot, a new way of looking at the topic or new way of telling the story.
Larry Wood
I don't really write from inspiration. Writing is what I do. I don't have to be inspired any more than an accountant has to be inspired to get up and go to work and dive into a stack of statistical information. Not writing, to me, would be like not brushing my teeth. It's just part of my daily routine.
Larry Wood
I guess I have two main pieces of advice that I usually give aspiring writers. Number one, write something every day. When I say "write something every day," I mean that very broadly, because it doesn't really even have to be turning out new text every day. Sometimes it can be something as simple as going back and editing what you wrote the day before, and it can take as little as 30 or 40 minutes. The idea, though, is never let a day go by that you don't do something to further your writing. The second piece of advice is never give up. If you're trying to sell to a traditional publisher, for instance, and you get rejected, don't let it discourage you. I've had stories rejected 8 or 10 times that eventually have gotten published.
Larry Wood
I don't get writer's block as often as I used to, but I've found that, when I do, the best way I can deal with it is just to go back and re-read what I wrote the day before. That usually helps me decide what I want to say going forward. This, of course, is when I have a major project such as a book in progress. If, on the other hand, I'm in between projects, writer's block is a little harder to overcome. In that case, sometimes I have to just wait a day or two (or more) and try again, and something usually comes to me that I want to write about.
Larry Wood
It's hard to identify just one thing, because there are a number of things I like about being a writer. I like the ability to more or less set my own hours and to be my own boss, but probably the best thing is simply the satisfaction that comes with producing a book. It has been compared to a woman's bringing a new baby into the world, and that's a pretty good analogy. The book is the author's "baby." I especially like getting feedback from my readers letting me know they enjoyed something I wrote. It's the best kind of validation.
Larry Wood
I'm currently working on a book about Southern sympathizing women in Missouri during the Civil War. It's more or less a follow-up to my Bushwhacker Belles book but not strictly about women who helped guerrillas. Tentative title is Lady Rebels of Missouri.
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