Ask the Author: Chuck Abdella
Answered Questions (3)
Chuck Abdella
The sequel, of course. Book II: "The Darkest Forests" is well underway!
Chuck Abdella
Patience and what I call "resting mind opportunities." After my daughters were born, I wrote almost nothing. Years and years of writer's block. But I found that once I got inspired to write the Outcasts, it all came back to me like a part of my brain which had lain dormant as I dealt with the challenges of being a new dad was suddenly awakened. I find that my most fruitful time for ideas is when my mind is at rest: driving long distances, for example. Trying to find times like that (and keeping a notebook nearby) are the best cure for writer's block in my life. Oh, and not having to care for babies! As my girls got older and more independent, writer's block became a thing of the past.
Chuck Abdella
It began in 2012, when I wrote the background for Time Machine Day, a popular theme day at the summer program I direct. We turned the clock back to the Middle Ages and had a fantasy-themed adventure for the kids. This writing served as the impetus to get me thinking about writing a fantasy book. I'd never written in the genre before, so I was hesitant. I jotted down notes from time to time, but let it be. A year later, I had surgery to remove a polyp on my vocal cord and couldn't talk for 3 weeks. Words needed to escape and so I began work on "The Outcasts." What I found was that working in fantasy permitted me to avoid the dangerous temptation to base characters on people I know. As it happens, I know no Wizards, Morphs, or Elves. This made it so much easier to write the novel.
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