Ask the Author: Joseph M. Erhardt
Answered Questions (8)
Joseph M. Erhardt
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Riffing off Papa Hemingway:
For Sale: Baby shoes. Set of three.
Riffing off Papa Hemingway:
For Sale: Baby shoes. Set of three.
Joseph M. Erhardt
If we use the term "couple" as a synonym for "duo," I'd go with Holmes & Watson, whose creator A.C. Doyle had little clue as to how deeply his characters would affect both culture and the art (and science!) of policing.
If we're talking about a male-female pair and not limiting ourselves to books, I think the original Avengers, with John Steed and Emma Peel, might be worth a mention. Male-female pairs, especially in recurring roles, tend to be rarer in print. A.A. Fair (Erle Stanley Gardner) had Donald Lam and Bertha Cool, but I never found those characters appealing. Of course, that brings up Perry Mason and Della Street, who were appealing, but Della was rarely involved in the decision-making or even the plot, so we really can't call those two a protagonist couple. A good modern example of a permanent pair, each with active roles in the prose, might be the Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid mysteries by Deborah Crombie, though lately these have turned too much from mystery to soap opera, and the last one I read ended with an unsatisfying hook to the next volume in the series.
Okay, anyone want to go back as far as Nan and Bert Bobbsey?
If we're talking about a male-female pair and not limiting ourselves to books, I think the original Avengers, with John Steed and Emma Peel, might be worth a mention. Male-female pairs, especially in recurring roles, tend to be rarer in print. A.A. Fair (Erle Stanley Gardner) had Donald Lam and Bertha Cool, but I never found those characters appealing. Of course, that brings up Perry Mason and Della Street, who were appealing, but Della was rarely involved in the decision-making or even the plot, so we really can't call those two a protagonist couple. A good modern example of a permanent pair, each with active roles in the prose, might be the Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid mysteries by Deborah Crombie, though lately these have turned too much from mystery to soap opera, and the last one I read ended with an unsatisfying hook to the next volume in the series.
Okay, anyone want to go back as far as Nan and Bert Bobbsey?
Joseph M. Erhardt
1. Keep your day job.
2. Write short stories first. This will help you hone your craft. Then write novels, as short stories pay crap.
3. Avoid wasting six months of "figuring it out by yourself" by getting a few good writing books. I can recommend Getting the Words Right, by Theodore A. Rees Cheney, and Edit Yourself, by Bruce Ross-Larson. Get the Cheney book first (either edition). If they're currently out of print, check ABEbooks.
2. Write short stories first. This will help you hone your craft. Then write novels, as short stories pay crap.
3. Avoid wasting six months of "figuring it out by yourself" by getting a few good writing books. I can recommend Getting the Words Right, by Theodore A. Rees Cheney, and Edit Yourself, by Bruce Ross-Larson. Get the Cheney book first (either edition). If they're currently out of print, check ABEbooks.
Joseph M. Erhardt
I've never really suffered writer's block. When I've wanted to write, I've been able to write. What frightens me more than anything is putting on bra and panties (figuratively, please) and writing a first-person chapter in a feminine POV--I just cringe at the thought of someone saying, "That's not how a woman would act!" I've managed to pull this off a couple of times, but it is HARD, for me at least, to write outside of my gender.
Edit: I seriously considered answering this question with, "Writer's Block? I ignore him. In fact, I'm rather envious of Lawrence, and that's why."
Edit: I seriously considered answering this question with, "Writer's Block? I ignore him. In fact, I'm rather envious of Lawrence, and that's why."
Joseph M. Erhardt
The best thing about being a writer is that it helps keep your mind sharp.
Joseph M. Erhardt
Right now I and a collaborator are working on a detective novel; that's all I'll say or can say at the moment. Update 2/9/2017: The detective novel is completed, but some publishing legalese needs to be ironed out. I hope to have more information soon.
What I'm working on right now (Feb. 2017) is assembling some ideas for an SF novel. I really prefer writing short fiction, but that and $6 will get you a decent coffee at Starbucks. :)
What I'm working on right now (Feb. 2017) is assembling some ideas for an SF novel. I really prefer writing short fiction, but that and $6 will get you a decent coffee at Starbucks. :)
Joseph M. Erhardt
Sometimes it's a matter of when the Itch nags. Sometimes there's an upcoming meeting of my writers group--and they know I'm working on a novel right now--and the cold fear of not having the next chapter available is like ice down my back.
Joseph M. Erhardt
The ideas for the stories in The Dinosaur Chronicles came from many places, but often as I was lying down, getting ready to sleep. At that time, if a good idea came along, I had to turn on the light, run to the office and write down the idea before it vanished in the night.
Tales from the Red Caboose emerged from my ongoing love of trains and from the discovery of "Fuehrerstandmitfahrts" (literally, "driver's spot ride-alongs," aka Cab Rides) on Youtube. Some of these are truly fascinating runs through foreign lands and captivating landscapes. Others, especially those with bug guts splattered over the cab's windshield, not so much. Rides through snow-covered mountains are a particular favorite of mine. There are even a few rides showing near-misses, where confirmed idiots dash across the tracks as the train approaches. If you're a railfan, check out some of these videos.
Tales from the Red Caboose emerged from my ongoing love of trains and from the discovery of "Fuehrerstandmitfahrts" (literally, "driver's spot ride-alongs," aka Cab Rides) on Youtube. Some of these are truly fascinating runs through foreign lands and captivating landscapes. Others, especially those with bug guts splattered over the cab's windshield, not so much. Rides through snow-covered mountains are a particular favorite of mine. There are even a few rides showing near-misses, where confirmed idiots dash across the tracks as the train approaches. If you're a railfan, check out some of these videos.
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