Ask the Author: David Small
Answered Questions (6)
David Small
Walk away. Give your subconscious a chance to work on the problem, whatever it is. When I can't write, I paint because I want my mind fully engaged in something else, yet something comparatively restful. If I don't do that, I find my mind spinning like a car stuck on ice. Exercise, auto repair, whatever. Get away from it for a while.
David Small
For me it gives the randomness of experience real meaning by shaping it into a coherent narrative. I love writing a good sentence, getting something down just right. Nothing gives me more pleasure.
David Small
Turn off your internal censor. Never worry about what other people might think. Remember, you never have to show what you write to anyone. I would also suggest that it's a good policy not to talk about your work to many of your friends. You will get, "Still writing?' thrown at you so often that it becomes a taunt. Better to avoid that and keep it to a trusted few.
David Small
A reclusive but famous artist plunges to his death from his cliffside home. Was it suicide or was he pushed?
David Small
When we first moved into our new house, we watched a three-legged fox hunt in the field next to us. That was certainly one of the things that got me working on MORE OF EVERYTHING. Inspiration comes in many different forms. For another example, I was intrigued by one of the detectives I trailed for many months. Clearly he was a highly sensitive and nervous man, born and bred in the city, and knew every player in town. An absolutely fascinating man. A fictionalized version of him appears in the book I'm now working on.
David Small
I'm working on a book that involves a girl on the run from an abusive father and a detective driven to the breaking point by an adulterous wife. It's a book I've worked off and on for years. A long time ago I followed some cops around and got to know a couple of them quite well. That's how it all began.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more