Ask the Author: Chris Goff
Answered Questions (8)
Chris Goff
This is a tough one, but...all of my life I've grown up hearing that one of my ancestors was a Native American, born in L.A. in 1851, who married my great, great, great grandfather, a wealthy, white attorney and rancher in Southern California. Because it wasn't "fashionable," my great, great grandmother's heritage was "whitewashed," and all trace of her actual beginnings seems to be erased. As I grew up and my father and aunts grew older, I asked them questions about their great, great grandmother. My father's comment was, "Well that would explain some things." My aunts both reacted in horror and said I should never speak of such things. Someday, I hope to have time to dig into my genealogy and unravel the mystery.
Chris Goff
Some personal favorites are Jamie and Claire Fraser from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series; Rizzoles and Isles from Tess Gerritsen; D. D. Warren and Alex from Lisa Gardner. Unfortunately it seems couples seldom last in the genre I love to read (thrillers). Someone always dies in the end. The heroes and heroines have lots of lovers, but it's not often they stay together for the long term. Nice idea. Chalk it up to the lifestyle of your average CIA spy or homicide cop.
Chris Goff
Writing is something that comes naturally to me. If you're asking about what ideas inspire me to write -- I'm very interested in the world. I love to travel and I'm interested in how the world operates. I value the freedoms that I have being an American, and yet I also believe that comes with a responsibility. It fascinates me to watch the political happenings in the world and try to make sense of them. I can also see how things that are evolving in our relations with foreign governments, their relationships with other foreign governments and our advances in technology and defense will -- or could -- have unintentional impacts and repercussions. I think it brings me a level of comfort to fantasize about a scenario and then resolve it.
Chris Goff
The freedom to people watch with impunity. Character is what drives story, and watching people is a luxury writers are free to indulge at all times.
Chris Goff
The second in my thriller series, RED SKY. In this book, Raisa Jordan accompanies the Ambassador's wife to Kiev, Ukraine and finds herself in a race to prevent an attack that could mean the end of diplomacy.
Chris Goff
My most recent novel is DARK WATERS, a story about a Diplomatic Security Service agent who finds herself faced with an untenable decision. The idea actually came to me years ago, during a two year visit to Israel. I was staying in Tel Aviv with my daughter, who was there to receive some alternative medical treatments, and I found myself fascinated by the people and culture, and how everyone there lives "normal" lives while continually at the brink of war.
Chris Goff
Study the craft and stay true to your story. Only you can tell the story you have to write. You are the filter. But it requires tools to get that story down on the page. Make sure you understand how-to write character and dialogue, how to construct a plot, what is meant by point-of-view and voice. There are no rules for writing, but there are techniques and conventions. Once you know those, you are actually freed up to write great things.
Chris Goff
I do my best to ignore it. If I need to, I will edit a few pages of what I wrote the day before to help jump start myself. But if I can't go forward, it's usually because something is wrong. By going back to where I last felt things were on track with my story, I can usually find my direction.
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