Ask the Author: Dan Pedersen
Answered Questions (6)
Dan Pedersen
I see something intriguing, or overhear something, or experience something deeply moving. Any of these avenues will usually get me writing.
Dan Pedersen
It actually isn't much of a problem. I usually start with some small detail, a bit of conversation overheard while standing in the grocery checkout line, like the guy ahead of me who asked the clerk for a good product to remove blood. That's all it takes to get me writing.
Dan Pedersen
Hard to single out just one "best thing." Writing keeps my mind agile and I think it's good exercise for the brain as we age. Constructing a mystery is like designing a puzzle, and I enjoy the challenge of it. Fun to take bits of real life experience and weave them into something totally new. And then there are the adoring fans. :-)
Dan Pedersen
For aspiring writers I think a high-quality writers group is enormously helpful. My group of half-a-dozen serious writers meets weekly to review 10-20 pages of work by just one member at each session. I think we would all agree we've improved tremendously from the constructive feedback we receive at these sessions and also from the exercise of giving constructive feedback to one another. Another benefit of the weekly sessions is that they keep us motivated to write and not to lose momentum. Good chemistry is essential among the members so we recruit with great care. Turnover is rare.
Dan Pedersen
Final Passage, my Alsaka Ferry mystery, was inspired by a bit of family history from a century ago and from my own observations of fellow passengers on a round-trip from Bellingham to Skagway. As usually happens, I will observe a person or overhear a remark that speaks to my imagination and then it's a wild ride to see where it leads.
Dan Pedersen
Currently working on the third mystery in my Brad Haraldsen series. The first book, Final Deception, revolves around murder and political intrigue on Whidbey Island. The second, Final Passage, follows a smuggling operation on the Alaska Ferry. The third, not yet named, will follow some of the same characters to the mountains of Central Idaho.
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