Some Q&A about writing
Q: What was the genesis of Sleep State Interrupt ?
A: I’ve always been worried about the concentration of media and the decline of journalism, and the threats those trends pose to independent, critical thought and democracy. Then it was just a matter of inventing characters who would also be concerned about it and adding details of a near-future world. I lived in Baltimore and have been involved in music scenes and community organizing, so it was easy to include those as background elements. I have some experience with IT and video/news production. I consulted with experts to fill in the details, especially the tech-related ones.
Q: What advance preparation do you do prior to beginning a novel? Write mini-bios of the characters? Research the locale? Research any scientific matters essential to the book? Anything else?
A: All of the above. The basic story comes first. Then the plot and main characters. I create detailed character sheets, psychological profiles, and even put play lists together for the POV characters. The world also has to be developed. For Sleep State Interrupt, I didn’t need to research the locales since they’re in my backyard. But I did explore predicted technology for 2020-30 and interviewed experts. I’ve written other books, though, that required much more up-front world building. The Drift Horizon (which I’ve been editing off and on for quite a while) is set in a completely different version of Earth and I wrote a sort of Rough Guide/Lonely Planet for the country most of the action is set in.
Q: Are your characters based on people you've known, are they amalgams, or are they pure invention?
A: I invent my characters to fill roles in a story. They aren’t based on specific people, though of course real people and events inspire or influence them. I create profiles for my major characters, fleshing out their goals, personalities, backgrounds, appearances, etc. These may change while drafting the story, but usually not a whole lot. I try to make them interesting, since I’ll be spending a lot of time in their heads, I don’t want to be bored. Nor do I want readers to get bored.
Q: How do you generate your plots? Do you work the plot out first and then write? Start out with a general idea of where you want to go and then start writing? Or just sit down in front of a blank screen and start writing?
A: It’s a complicated process. I follow Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake method and Larry Brooks’s Story Engineering, more or less. The first step is to brainstorm story ideas and pick one worth writing about. I turn this into a “what if” question (like “What if nearly all information was controlled by a powerful elite? Could ordinary people overturn such a system?”) and a one-sentence novel summary (e.g., “An unemployed journalist and her friends try to stop a power-mad CEO from controlling the world.”) The next step is to expand that sentence to a full paragraph describing the story setup, major plot points, and ending of the novel. Then I develop the main characters and their goals, motivations, back story, etc. I weave the character arcs into the plot and write a short synopsis followed by a long synopsis. I convert this to a scene list in Scrivener, with a virtual index card for each scene (ideally with the scene arc outlined). Then finally I start writing, starting with the opening scene and filling out each scene in order. As I write, the story changes, sometimes quite a bit, but at least I have a roadmap to follow.
Q: You write both fiction and nonfiction. What would you say are the similarities and differences between writing nonfiction and writing fiction?
A: There are a lot of similarities. In both cases, you need to think creatively, organize your thoughts, be disciplined, and write clearly. Fiction is much more fun because you can write whatever you want and create your own worlds and people.
Q: How do you get inspired to write?
A: It's more a question of habit than inspiration. You just have to sit down and get to work.
Q: How do you deal with writer’s block?
A: I only get "writer's block" when my characters get in a situation that seems impossible to escape. Then I have the characters talk it through until they come up with a solution. Only a small part of the conversation may make it onto the page, but it's just like real life -- some problems require a lot of brainstorming and hypothesis testing.
Q: What do you enjoy most about writing?
A: Writing is hard work and involves a lot of drudgery (particularly editing). But it's rewarding to see characters and worlds come alive. My favorite moments are when a character veers from the outline and does something unexpected, especially if it's something a lot smarter and more inventive than the outline called for. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen often, but when it does, I throw away the outline and go with it.
Q: What’s your advice for aspiring writers?
A: Make lists of ideas. Write something every day, even if it's only a paragraph or short poem. Expand your best ideas into story synopses. Take the best synopses and write complete stories. Have fun.
A: I’ve always been worried about the concentration of media and the decline of journalism, and the threats those trends pose to independent, critical thought and democracy. Then it was just a matter of inventing characters who would also be concerned about it and adding details of a near-future world. I lived in Baltimore and have been involved in music scenes and community organizing, so it was easy to include those as background elements. I have some experience with IT and video/news production. I consulted with experts to fill in the details, especially the tech-related ones.
Q: What advance preparation do you do prior to beginning a novel? Write mini-bios of the characters? Research the locale? Research any scientific matters essential to the book? Anything else?
A: All of the above. The basic story comes first. Then the plot and main characters. I create detailed character sheets, psychological profiles, and even put play lists together for the POV characters. The world also has to be developed. For Sleep State Interrupt, I didn’t need to research the locales since they’re in my backyard. But I did explore predicted technology for 2020-30 and interviewed experts. I’ve written other books, though, that required much more up-front world building. The Drift Horizon (which I’ve been editing off and on for quite a while) is set in a completely different version of Earth and I wrote a sort of Rough Guide/Lonely Planet for the country most of the action is set in.
Q: Are your characters based on people you've known, are they amalgams, or are they pure invention?
A: I invent my characters to fill roles in a story. They aren’t based on specific people, though of course real people and events inspire or influence them. I create profiles for my major characters, fleshing out their goals, personalities, backgrounds, appearances, etc. These may change while drafting the story, but usually not a whole lot. I try to make them interesting, since I’ll be spending a lot of time in their heads, I don’t want to be bored. Nor do I want readers to get bored.
Q: How do you generate your plots? Do you work the plot out first and then write? Start out with a general idea of where you want to go and then start writing? Or just sit down in front of a blank screen and start writing?
A: It’s a complicated process. I follow Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake method and Larry Brooks’s Story Engineering, more or less. The first step is to brainstorm story ideas and pick one worth writing about. I turn this into a “what if” question (like “What if nearly all information was controlled by a powerful elite? Could ordinary people overturn such a system?”) and a one-sentence novel summary (e.g., “An unemployed journalist and her friends try to stop a power-mad CEO from controlling the world.”) The next step is to expand that sentence to a full paragraph describing the story setup, major plot points, and ending of the novel. Then I develop the main characters and their goals, motivations, back story, etc. I weave the character arcs into the plot and write a short synopsis followed by a long synopsis. I convert this to a scene list in Scrivener, with a virtual index card for each scene (ideally with the scene arc outlined). Then finally I start writing, starting with the opening scene and filling out each scene in order. As I write, the story changes, sometimes quite a bit, but at least I have a roadmap to follow.
Q: You write both fiction and nonfiction. What would you say are the similarities and differences between writing nonfiction and writing fiction?
A: There are a lot of similarities. In both cases, you need to think creatively, organize your thoughts, be disciplined, and write clearly. Fiction is much more fun because you can write whatever you want and create your own worlds and people.
Q: How do you get inspired to write?
A: It's more a question of habit than inspiration. You just have to sit down and get to work.
Q: How do you deal with writer’s block?
A: I only get "writer's block" when my characters get in a situation that seems impossible to escape. Then I have the characters talk it through until they come up with a solution. Only a small part of the conversation may make it onto the page, but it's just like real life -- some problems require a lot of brainstorming and hypothesis testing.
Q: What do you enjoy most about writing?
A: Writing is hard work and involves a lot of drudgery (particularly editing). But it's rewarding to see characters and worlds come alive. My favorite moments are when a character veers from the outline and does something unexpected, especially if it's something a lot smarter and more inventive than the outline called for. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen often, but when it does, I throw away the outline and go with it.
Q: What’s your advice for aspiring writers?
A: Make lists of ideas. Write something every day, even if it's only a paragraph or short poem. Expand your best ideas into story synopses. Take the best synopses and write complete stories. Have fun.
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