Ask the Author: Mark Terence Chapman
Answered Questions (5)
Mark Terence Chapman
I don't have a good answer for that. Usually, if I wait a few days or weeks, eventually inspiration will strike and I'll know how to proceed with the story. But I have two novels that have been at least half-finished for years, and I'm no closer to figuring out how to finish them than I was when I stopped writing. That's life. I expect I'll finish them eventually, but when?
Mark Terence Chapman
Keep at it. Even if you have received nothing but rejection letters, don't give up hope. Stephen King papered the walls of his barn with rejection letters for Carrie before he sold it. JK Rowling kept getting rejections for the first Harry Potter book before she finally sold it. There are hundreds of similar examples of great books that were rejected repeatedly before selling. You may never be rich and famous from writing, but who knows? You might be the next King or Rowling. But you'll never know if you quit.
Mark Terence Chapman
Just finishing up the final draft of my upcoming novel, Aliens Versus Zombies. Release Day is July 10.
Mark Terence Chapman
Usually, something just pops into my head. I saw a sign for the Sunrise Biscuit Company one day while driving. I thought Sunrise might be a cool name for a character, which led to Donatello Sunrise, private eye. But I'm a sci-fi author, so it had to be set in the future. While following a case, he gets kidnapped by aliens and everything hits the fan. That turned into Sunrise Destiny, my third novel.
I saw a bumper sticker that said "My Other Car is the Starship Enterprise". That turned into my fourth novel, "My Other Car is a Spaceship". My best seller, so far.
I saw a bumper sticker that said "My Other Car is the Starship Enterprise". That turned into my fourth novel, "My Other Car is a Spaceship". My best seller, so far.
Mark Terence Chapman
One of my earlier novels, My Other Car is a Spaceship, was the #1 Amazon bestselling Military Sci-Fi novel. I believe a large percentage of the sales were due to the whimsical title. While writing my next novel, I was talking to my wife about that and said something like, "Maybe my next novel should have a crazy title, like, I don't know, Aliens Versus Zombies, or something ridiculous like that." We both laughed at the idea. Yet, over the next few days, I kept thinking about that title, and got an idea for a story about aliens invading during the zompocalypse.
I started writing down ideas and before I knew it, I was writing a new novel. I figured I'd write for a few days, until I ran out of ideas, and then go back to the one I was already in the middle of writing. Instead, 68 days later, including the three most prolific writing days of my life, I had a finished first draft. And it was the best, easiest-to-write first draft of my five novels (so far). :)
I started writing down ideas and before I knew it, I was writing a new novel. I figured I'd write for a few days, until I ran out of ideas, and then go back to the one I was already in the middle of writing. Instead, 68 days later, including the three most prolific writing days of my life, I had a finished first draft. And it was the best, easiest-to-write first draft of my five novels (so far). :)
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