Ask the Author: James Houston Turner
Answered Questions (3)
James Houston Turner
The Spud Book was my first big break as a writer, Sue. I first self-published it, got myself on some TV shows, then sold the publishing rights to St. Martin's Press, who republished it, after which French's Foods (famous for its mustard) sent me on a nationwide television "Spud Tour," where I cooked potatoes for TV hosts and their audiences. I have never had anyone hand me the company credit card and say, "Go buy whatever you need for this tour." I had SOOO much fun shopping, including a bottle of Champagne to celebrate the deal and a haircut (I was pretty shaggy at the time). Thank you, also, for your gracious words. I am blessed indeed to have Wendy as my wife. We are the proverbial "hand and glove," with complementary strengths. We make a good team, and I have the added privilege of working at my laptop in the same room as the kitchen, where she pursues her love of cooking (being as she is the author of The Recipe Gal Cookbook). In fact, there is a pot of Texas chili cooking now and I am the official taste-tester. Gotta run...
James Houston Turner
I am currently editing my upcoming new Talanov thriller, Dragon Head, which will be published in 2018 and picks up chronologically where Department Thirteen and Greco's Game leave off.
In Dragon Head, I take Talanov in a new direction when he meets a family of three Chinese orphans in a community center in San Francisco, where he is placed in an impossible situation when the youngest - an eleven year-old girl - is kidnapped by a Hong Kong crime lord, who threatens to kill her if his demands are not met. When Talanov wants to rescue the girl and take down the crime lord, he is ordered by the CIA to let her die for the sake of national security.
Which brings us to the Bible verse Talanov discovers on a sign in the community center. The verse is Hebrews 13:5, which says, "I will never desert (or abandon) you." The Bible says it's a promise made to us by God, but are we willing to make the same promise to those we love? Talanov didn't ask for the love of these three annoying kids. But what happens when love of three annoying kids finds you? His grappling with that promise is the backbone of this story, and, hence, gives us the story's tagline: "I will never desert you. How far would YOU go to keep that promise?"
In Dragon Head, I take Talanov in a new direction when he meets a family of three Chinese orphans in a community center in San Francisco, where he is placed in an impossible situation when the youngest - an eleven year-old girl - is kidnapped by a Hong Kong crime lord, who threatens to kill her if his demands are not met. When Talanov wants to rescue the girl and take down the crime lord, he is ordered by the CIA to let her die for the sake of national security.
Which brings us to the Bible verse Talanov discovers on a sign in the community center. The verse is Hebrews 13:5, which says, "I will never desert (or abandon) you." The Bible says it's a promise made to us by God, but are we willing to make the same promise to those we love? Talanov didn't ask for the love of these three annoying kids. But what happens when love of three annoying kids finds you? His grappling with that promise is the backbone of this story, and, hence, gives us the story's tagline: "I will never desert you. How far would YOU go to keep that promise?"
James Houston Turner
In my case, writer's block comes when I don't know where I'm going with the story. Sometimes, it occurs when I'm distracted or tired, or just don't feel like writing. But most of the time, it happens when I feel lost or stumped. If something else is going on in life that steals my focus, I figure out what it is and correct it. I can then get back to the business of writing.
To help prevent my usual source of writer's block, which isn't often, I outline my stories so that I always know where I'm going with it. My ending is the "north star" that keeps me on course. Everything points to that ending, even though I allow myself considerable latitude with character development between the opening and ending.
The other day, I worked ALL DAY on one page. That was not writer's block. It was badly written text, and I had to suck it up and work it out. And I did. That is a normal part of being a writer, and when it happens, you push through and keep at it until you get it right.
On those occasions when I DO have an outline and yet can't get in the rhythm, I edit what I've already written. It gets me back in step with the story with the added benefit of polishing my existing text. I compare it to sanding a tabletop. Each "pass" with the sandpaper - each "grit" from coarse to fine - gets me closer to that final shine.
But let's not forget there are simply times when we don't feel like writing. When that happens, I take a break and go for a walk or a bicycle ride or out for drinks or dinner, or to a movie, or take a couch potato day. In other words, I refresh.
Bottom line: to the best of my ability, I stay organized, disciplined, flexible, consistent, and persistent. When I am, writer's block almost never occurs.
To help prevent my usual source of writer's block, which isn't often, I outline my stories so that I always know where I'm going with it. My ending is the "north star" that keeps me on course. Everything points to that ending, even though I allow myself considerable latitude with character development between the opening and ending.
The other day, I worked ALL DAY on one page. That was not writer's block. It was badly written text, and I had to suck it up and work it out. And I did. That is a normal part of being a writer, and when it happens, you push through and keep at it until you get it right.
On those occasions when I DO have an outline and yet can't get in the rhythm, I edit what I've already written. It gets me back in step with the story with the added benefit of polishing my existing text. I compare it to sanding a tabletop. Each "pass" with the sandpaper - each "grit" from coarse to fine - gets me closer to that final shine.
But let's not forget there are simply times when we don't feel like writing. When that happens, I take a break and go for a walk or a bicycle ride or out for drinks or dinner, or to a movie, or take a couch potato day. In other words, I refresh.
Bottom line: to the best of my ability, I stay organized, disciplined, flexible, consistent, and persistent. When I am, writer's block almost never occurs.
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