Ask the Author: Chauncey Rogers
Answered Questions (7)
Chauncey Rogers
My beloved was lying beside me when I awoke. She looked beautiful--the same way she had looked at her funeral the week before.
Chauncey Rogers
My most recent book, Home to Roost, was inspired by a true story. When I was in high school, one of our farm animals started attacking people. It wasn't a large animal, so it wasn't very dangerous--my brother and I actually found it rather funny--but it was very frightening for my younger siblings. My dad told me that I should write the story as a satire piece, highlighting the irony that my younger siblings would be so afraid of something so small. But, when I started thinking seriously about writing the story, I realized that I'd need to tell it from the animal's perspective, and that for the animal it probably hadn't been very funny. Once I was on that train of thought, I decided to include some other odd and spooky things that had occurred around the same time, and tie them all together into one story. The result was an animal-fiction horror story--something I'd never really planned on writing. But I guess that's just how things go sometimes.
Chauncey Rogers
Every night I visit a witch doctor and tell her what genre I'd like to be inspired to write in. She mixes up a potion whose color determines the genre--black for horror, pink for romance, blue for sci-fi, green for fantasy, yellow for self-help, etc. Then I....
But seriously, I just take ideas that strike me as interesting and run with them. My first novel was inspired by some interesting things that had happened around my family's property growing up. I tied them together and then though, What if I told this story from the perspective of one of our chickens? Presto. There was the interesting idea, and the rest is history.
For other stories, it really is just a matter of "What ifs?" And then does that basic idea lend itself to being a story? Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't.
An example from a few days ago, when I was wondering what would be a rather stupid, yet plausible idea for a story: What if dinosaurs hadn't actually gone extinct? What if some group of aliens had been fascinated by dinosaurs, seen that a global extinction event was imminent, and rescued dinosaurs. Then, in the present day, they finally return them to earth?
Like I said, kind of a dumb idea, but then I'd just run with that sort of "What if" and see if it developed into a writable, worth-reading kind of story.
Then I start plotting and creating characters, and the rest is work.
But seriously, I just take ideas that strike me as interesting and run with them. My first novel was inspired by some interesting things that had happened around my family's property growing up. I tied them together and then though, What if I told this story from the perspective of one of our chickens? Presto. There was the interesting idea, and the rest is history.
For other stories, it really is just a matter of "What ifs?" And then does that basic idea lend itself to being a story? Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't.
An example from a few days ago, when I was wondering what would be a rather stupid, yet plausible idea for a story: What if dinosaurs hadn't actually gone extinct? What if some group of aliens had been fascinated by dinosaurs, seen that a global extinction event was imminent, and rescued dinosaurs. Then, in the present day, they finally return them to earth?
Like I said, kind of a dumb idea, but then I'd just run with that sort of "What if" and see if it developed into a writable, worth-reading kind of story.
Then I start plotting and creating characters, and the rest is work.
Chauncey Rogers
I'm promoting my debut novel, Home to Roost, and working on the rewrite for my next novel, Angela of the Stars.
Chauncey Rogers
If you're serious, then take it seriously. It's hard. There's an unlimited number of distractions and not a few voices that may tell you that you're wasting your time, but if you're serious, then you've got to take it seriously. Do it. Write. Tell your story.
But, through it all, be ready to fail. Know that you're attempting a great undertaking--one that many before and many after have tried without success. Do it for the joy of doing it. If you're imagining that a hundred thousand words are going to launch you to fame and fortune, then you're likely to discover that you've wasted a great deal of your own time.
But, through it all, be ready to fail. Know that you're attempting a great undertaking--one that many before and many after have tried without success. Do it for the joy of doing it. If you're imagining that a hundred thousand words are going to launch you to fame and fortune, then you're likely to discover that you've wasted a great deal of your own time.
Chauncey Rogers
Hearing from people who enjoyed a story I wrote. I love writing the story, but knowing that somebody enjoyed reading it is very satisfying.
Chauncey Rogers
I try to deny myself the luxury of writer's block. I have to write. I have deadlines to meet and daily word count goals to reach, and having extended periods of writer's block isn't compatible with that. So, when I'm feeling blocked, I just keep going. It usually hurts, and the writing is often no good, but at least that way I avoid becoming habitually blocked.
If I really, truly can't write, then I go for a walk or play with my kids for a while. Then I get back to writing. It just has to be that way. If I reserved writing only for the times in which I felt inspired, or saved it for those days when it came easily to me, then I'd never get anything done.
If I really, truly can't write, then I go for a walk or play with my kids for a while. Then I get back to writing. It just has to be that way. If I reserved writing only for the times in which I felt inspired, or saved it for those days when it came easily to me, then I'd never get anything done.
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Apr 02, 2018 08:46AM