Ask the Author: Jeff Bonilla
Answered Questions (6)
Jeff Bonilla
A friend had been dealing with his dad who had a terminal condition. It was difficult watching the situation unfold. I started wondering what I would do if I was suddenly faced with a terminal condition. What would I do if I knew I was checking out and there would be no consequence to my actions. Suddenly the title Terminal Hitman popped into my head out of nowhere. I thought about three jerkoffs back in high school and how nice it would be to get revenge on them after all these years later. I got my tag line from that thought. "It's Never Too Late For Revenge." I decided to try writing into the dark without an outline or characters plotted out. It has been great fun because just like when you're reading a book, and you don't know what's going to happen next, I don't know what I am going to write next so it makes it fun for me as well.
Jeff Bonilla
I get inspired from other writers, from TV and Movies and of course music. Life can be inspiring even when it's dark. Sometimes its easier to write from a dark or painful place because the emotion has more velocity. If everything is hunkydory, and your walking around with a smile plastered on your face 24/7, then who cares. You're probably a sociopath. And then I may want to include you in my writing. The smiling zombie man child.
Jeff Bonilla
I'm currently working on my first fiction crime novella. It's called Terminal Hitman. It has some revenge, some human trafficking and some twisted characters that may or may not be people I actually know. But I am pretty sure it's the only story in which a bad guy gets killed with a Barry Manilow song. That in itself is worth the read.
Jeff Bonilla
Read a lot. Be a good observer of life and then just start writing. Don't be too hard on yourself and try not to edit yourself in the middle of writing. Let the creative juices flow and stay in the zone of just writing. Find what interest you and do some research too if you are planning on a long writing assignment. It may take some time to find you voice and your style but it's ok to try a few different styles and even emulate some of your favorite authors when you are starting out. Eventually you'll hit on what you're really good at and you will get excited about the process.
Jeff Bonilla
The fact that you started with nothing but a blank page and yet somehow you created characters and a world they live in and or a song or poem, or a funny blog. If it resonates with others it's the icing on the cake. And on rare occasions you can write something that helps heal yourself or others. That's when to me is the best part of being a writer.
Jeff Bonilla
I go back and read something I wrote a long time ago and have not read recently and I am usually surprised that I actually wrote it. I helps me realize I can do it again.
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