Ask the Author: Ron Schwab
Answered Questions (10)
Ron Schwab
Yes. I was a smalltown, Nebraska lawyer for many years before I started a new career as a fulltime writer. I guess I can't escape my time on the dark side.
Ron Schwab
I cannot say that a particular mystery in my life would trigger a plot for a book. Like most writers, I do draw on life's experiences. As a former lawyer, for instance, lawyers find a way into many of my books, and some of my cases or the cases of other lawyers I have known stimulate ideas for particular scenes or a portion of a plot. I have never used a particular case as the plot for an entire novel, however.
Ron Schwab
John Puller and Veronica Knox from Baldacci books. They are intelligent, independent characters with crisp dialogue between them and constant romantic tension beneath the surface. In the end they always leave the reader in suspense. One wants to see them together and still there is the lingering doubt whether they should be.
Ron Schwab
These are independent books and do not have to be read in a particular order. Last Will was written first and includes a brief introduction to Lockes featured in Medicine Wheel. I would read this first if you have not read the other. While I anticipate writing other novels about this family, I intend to write them in a way that a new reader would not miss anything by reading a book out of order. Thanks for interest. Ron
Ron Schwab
The pleasure of having someone tell you he or she enjoyed reading your book. Nothing beats that.
Ron Schwab
I don't know that I ever require inspiration. It is just a matter of making the time and doing it. I am a bit obsessive about writing and feel guilty if I don't crank out at least a few sentences in the evening, And it's not a punishment. There really is nothing I'd rather do, and I have to take care not to neglect family or other tasks in the course of pursuing writing projects. If what you are doing is fun, special inspiration isn't necessary.
Ron Schwab
Write something every day, even if you think it stinks. If you're working on a poem or a short story or a novel, write something. A clumsy sentence will suffice, but more often it will grow into paragraphs, and you can clean it all up later.
Ron Schwab
I am currently working on the second book of my new Law Wranglers series, this one titled "Mouth of Hell." The first book in the series, "Deal with the Devil," should be released in July. These books will be set in Santa Fe and the Southwest. The first several plots revolve around the final days of the Comanche wars and Quanah Parker's journey to peace.
Ron Schwab
As usual, the characters in my new release,Medicine Wheel, appeared before the plot. I always thought it would be fun to write a book set in the Kansas Flint Hills, where my wife and I reside part time. The history there is particularly rich for a western writer. But my books always start with the characters, who show up more or less spontaneously, and they decide where the story is going to go.
Ron Schwab
I rarely have this problem, but when I do, I just start writing even if it doesn't fit the story. Soon the right words start appearing, and I go back and delete the nonsense.
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