Ask the Author: John Nicholas Datesh
Answered Questions (8)
John Nicholas Datesh
"Emerging from the fallout shelter, we thought the horror was over. Until we saw, 'Mike Pence for President in 2020!"
Sort of a twist on the too obvious.
Sort of a twist on the too obvious.
John Nicholas Datesh
The real mysteries in my own life are the mysteries of other's motivations. Somethings have happened to me -- as to everyone -- that do not make sense just from the face of the facts.
It is fun and sometimes harrowing to spin those mysterious actions into bad intentions and even conspiracies.
Hey, live in a Florida condo and the mysteries never stop!
It is fun and sometimes harrowing to spin those mysterious actions into bad intentions and even conspiracies.
Hey, live in a Florida condo and the mysteries never stop!
John Nicholas Datesh
I don't know that I've ever had writer's block. I say this even though there were 30 years between my The Moscow Tape and The Girl in the Coyote Coat.
I began the latter in 1979 as The Real Estate Novel but never felt blocked so much as distracted by other things and people.
One thing did help me when I was stalled by several characters objecting to the plot of The Body in the Bog was saying, "Screw you, you prima donnas, I have something better to do," i.e., reworking a wordy screenplay called The Last Three Minutes into a novel. That really got me going and the momentum carried over to resuming The Body in the Bog.
Also, try editing what you have already written, or just reading it. That should get you back into the story.
If you are blocked at the very beginning, just write a scene from the middle of the story or even the ending. You'll end up tossing it, most likely, but you transform the ideas in you head into words on the page.
I began the latter in 1979 as The Real Estate Novel but never felt blocked so much as distracted by other things and people.
One thing did help me when I was stalled by several characters objecting to the plot of The Body in the Bog was saying, "Screw you, you prima donnas, I have something better to do," i.e., reworking a wordy screenplay called The Last Three Minutes into a novel. That really got me going and the momentum carried over to resuming The Body in the Bog.
Also, try editing what you have already written, or just reading it. That should get you back into the story.
If you are blocked at the very beginning, just write a scene from the middle of the story or even the ending. You'll end up tossing it, most likely, but you transform the ideas in you head into words on the page.
John Nicholas Datesh
I'm not sure, but it isn't editing.
Getting caught up in the characters and feeling them drive the writing. Oh, and the coffee you need to keep up.
Getting caught up in the characters and feeling them drive the writing. Oh, and the coffee you need to keep up.
John Nicholas Datesh
It depends on the age of the writer. If young, the aspiring writer should keep his or her job. If not young but not retired, don't quit your job. If retired, take your social security immediately.
Mostly, though, stick some characters in a situation (plot) and see how they react. The characters will ultimately ruin your initial plot but that means they have free will. Guide them back to the altered plot or kill them off if they are too stubborn.
Mostly, though, stick some characters in a situation (plot) and see how they react. The characters will ultimately ruin your initial plot but that means they have free will. Guide them back to the altered plot or kill them off if they are too stubborn.
John Nicholas Datesh
I am mapping out the sequel to The Body in The Bog, book two of the planned Ian Decker / Death by Condo mystery series. It does not even have a working title yet.
I've been told The Return of the Bog is not very compelling.
I've been told The Return of the Bog is not very compelling.
John Nicholas Datesh
Usually some real incident inspires an idea that has to be spun into a novel. There are lots of them floating about so I'm not sure how I pick one on which to obsess.
John Nicholas Datesh
My most recent book (by a few days) was The Last Three Minutes, which is a cyber ghost story.
The story developed from an incident with my laptop. It lost exactly three minutes, suddenly. I tried everything to fix it and failed. Ultimately, it did find those three minutes but because of anything I did.
My cousin Lynn thought it would make a good gimmick for a story. I worked backward from the lost three minutes to decide what would give those three minutes meaning.
For The Body in the Bog (put out a week earlier), it sprang from my throwaway line about how perfect it would be to find the lawyer my sister Janet particularly despised floating face down in the flooded central area of my condo complex which I had started calling The Bog.
The story developed from an incident with my laptop. It lost exactly three minutes, suddenly. I tried everything to fix it and failed. Ultimately, it did find those three minutes but because of anything I did.
My cousin Lynn thought it would make a good gimmick for a story. I worked backward from the lost three minutes to decide what would give those three minutes meaning.
For The Body in the Bog (put out a week earlier), it sprang from my throwaway line about how perfect it would be to find the lawyer my sister Janet particularly despised floating face down in the flooded central area of my condo complex which I had started calling The Bog.
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