Ian Pisarcik
asked
Tim Johnston:
Read and greatly appreciated your novel Descent. I'm curious how you made the jump from short-story writer to adult-novel writer. Did you plot out your novel? Deconstruct similar novels? Was this your first crack at an adult-novel or are there others gathering dust in a drawer somewhere? Thanks for the work.
Tim Johnston
So glad you enjoyed Descent, Ian--and so sorry for my delay in answering: things have been a bit crazy!
I actually wrote a YA novel before I published the story collection, and it was natural for me to move from the stories to an adult-novel. Really I was just exploring much of the same subject matter, but in a longer and more complex form, and with a greater sense of resolution. I really didn't plot the novel, except to know what would happen in the beginning and to believe I knew how the novel would end. Making my way through the days of these characters slowly helped me to understand the Big Picture of the novel's plot. Now that you mention it, there is another adult novel gathering dust..and so it will continue to do, forever! Thanks for the great questions. Cheers! Tim
I actually wrote a YA novel before I published the story collection, and it was natural for me to move from the stories to an adult-novel. Really I was just exploring much of the same subject matter, but in a longer and more complex form, and with a greater sense of resolution. I really didn't plot the novel, except to know what would happen in the beginning and to believe I knew how the novel would end. Making my way through the days of these characters slowly helped me to understand the Big Picture of the novel's plot. Now that you mention it, there is another adult novel gathering dust..and so it will continue to do, forever! Thanks for the great questions. Cheers! Tim
More Answered Questions
Brandis
asked
Tim Johnston:
No question; just so thankful to have discovered your writing. Since reading The Descent, I’ve been hooked. You write beautifully, poetically yet not pretentiously. (I wouldn’t have imagined I’d be moved by a description of someone peeling potatoes, but you’ve done it in Distant Sons). You engage the senses; you convey a realness and often a quiet sadness in your characters. The effect is powerful. Thank you!?
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