Ask the Author: Neil Russell
Answered Questions (7)
Neil Russell
I'm aiming to have the fourth Rail Black novel out before the end of the year, 2015. - NR
Neil Russell
Dear Mr. Tomov-
Unlike writers who outline before writing or who begin with Page 1 and write to the end of their story, once I decide on the general plot of my books, I write scenes as they come to me. These scenes are not in sequence, and I rarely know how they are going to fit together. However, as they accumulate, I eventually see a pattern, and the rest of the story emerges. I then write bridges to connect the scenes, and hopefully, everything makes sense. A 500-page novel takes about a year.
Thanks for asking.
Neil Russell
Unlike writers who outline before writing or who begin with Page 1 and write to the end of their story, once I decide on the general plot of my books, I write scenes as they come to me. These scenes are not in sequence, and I rarely know how they are going to fit together. However, as they accumulate, I eventually see a pattern, and the rest of the story emerges. I then write bridges to connect the scenes, and hopefully, everything makes sense. A 500-page novel takes about a year.
Thanks for asking.
Neil Russell
Neil Russell
I actually dreamed it. I woke up in the middle of the night, wrote the first two chapters, made notes on the rest, then went to work.
Neil Russell
My difficulty isn't inspiration, it's selecting which story to tell next. I run a business as well, and instead of playing golf or tennis, I treat myself to writing time. When you approach anything that way, you never need inspiration. What you need is time to sleep.
Neil Russell
I'm writing two novels. The first is the fourth Rail Black novel, which is set in New York, and the second is a thriller based somewhere I have never seen a novel set before. I'm also writing the screenplay for the first Rail Black movie.
Neil Russell
The trite answer is to "just write." But if you're asking the question, you're already doing that, and those that dream about seeing their stories in print deserve a more thoughtful response. Over the years, I've been the decision-maker for thousands of pieces of writing, and again and again, new writers make the same mistake. They like science fiction, so they write science fiction, etc. That's fine if your intended audience is you and perhaps your parrot, but unless you're a once-in-a-lifetime prodigy, if you want to sell your work, write something only you know about. Right now, tens of thousands of people are sitting at their computers trying to be Bradbury... or Nick Sparks... or Grisham. But not one of them--even the famous ones--can write YOUR story because only YOU know it. So that's the one to tell. You'd be surprised at the number of unknown writers who did just that and are now household names.
Neil Russell
I've been lucky to have had a career in the entertainment business. However, motion pictures and television are collaborative endeavors, and though there is always someone at the top of the decision pyramid to override conflicts, it can be a messy process, and hurt feelings often linger. Not to mention product on the screen that may have been decided for reasons other than what was best for the picture. By contrast, as an author, I am the sole executor of my ideas. The final say then belongs to the reader. There is no substitute for that kind of freedom.
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