Ask the Author: Jeff Deitering
Answered Questions (7)
Jeff Deitering
Koko and Yum Yum, the Siamese cats in Lilian Jackson Braun's "The Cat Who..." series. She captured the eccentricities of Qwil's kitties perfectly.
Jeff Deitering
Now that Meet Hook is available I'm splitting time between promoting it and my other book (Hooligan from the Hills) and writing the next Hook book.
Jeff Deitering
Just do it. And, I don't mean "buy a pair of tennis shoes," I mean pick up a pencil, drag out a typewriter, sit in front of a computer, whatever, and write. I often talk to people who tell me they'd like to write a book some day - I used to say that, too. But talking about it accomplishes very little; it didn't happen for me until I just did it.
Jeff Deitering
I can't change the world around me to conform to my wishes...until I put my hands on the keyboard, then the world is exactly the way I want it.
Jeff Deitering
When I'm stumped I reread my earlier chapters and make minor corrections or changes. Usually by the time I reach where I've stopped I'm back into the story enough to get going again. When that doesn't work I take a few days and try not to think at all about the story; eventually the characters will tell me what to do next. Obsessing about being blocked only makes it worse.
Jeff Deitering
I don't outline, storyboard, or do any kind of detailed plan. I start with the idea of my characters, what I'd like them to do, and where I'd like them to go and let the story free flow from there. Since I don't know exactly how the story will evolve that's my inspiration to keep writing: I want to know how it ends just as much as my readers.
Jeff Deitering
I spend an hour and a half on I-70 each day, mostly during off-peak times. Even in rural areas random things I see along the highway can - and do - spark an idea for a character or situation. For example, one of the main themes for Meet Hook came to me several years ago when I saw Jaguar with a flat tire sitting on the shoulder.
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