Ask the Author: Ian Felton
Answered Questions (8)
Ian Felton
Since I'm earning my Master's in Psychology, I'm reading a ton of psych books. Th one's I'm really interested in are not for class, but inspired by my studies. I'm really into Naikan and ACT therapy models and am reading books on those two models. I'm reading ten books right now, which you can see on my books tab.
Ian Felton
How I ended up with such a perfect partner. Just kidding.
I know my Grandpap worked along with Jimmy Hoffa in the union days in West Virginia coal mining. I heard one time some mob thugs tried to throw my Grandpap out the top window of the union hall. They didn't succeed. From what I hear, it wasn't too long after that ole Jimmy Hoffa disappeared. Maybe he's down in some mine shaft in West Virginia. It's a mystery.
I know my Grandpap worked along with Jimmy Hoffa in the union days in West Virginia coal mining. I heard one time some mob thugs tried to throw my Grandpap out the top window of the union hall. They didn't succeed. From what I hear, it wasn't too long after that ole Jimmy Hoffa disappeared. Maybe he's down in some mine shaft in West Virginia. It's a mystery.
Ian Felton
Read a good book.
Ian Felton
Write.
Ok, I won't be that way.
But seriously though, just start writing. Write what you want to write not what you think you should write. That being said, story-telling and craft is something to continuously study if you are a novelist. Similarly, if you are a poet, you better study the forms that interest you.
At the end of the day, if you wrote, you are a writer. You are a writer one day at a time. One day, you might step back and say, "hey, this feels pretty good. I better do this again tomorrow." I recommend that day being day one. Go from there.
Ok, I won't be that way.
But seriously though, just start writing. Write what you want to write not what you think you should write. That being said, story-telling and craft is something to continuously study if you are a novelist. Similarly, if you are a poet, you better study the forms that interest you.
At the end of the day, if you wrote, you are a writer. You are a writer one day at a time. One day, you might step back and say, "hey, this feels pretty good. I better do this again tomorrow." I recommend that day being day one. Go from there.
Ian Felton
Freedom and creativity. The real world is constrained and many times boring. Obviously, as a writer, we are still constrained by our language, our brains, but there is a greater amount of freedom and creativity than when interacting with people. I can make jokes in my books that I could never get away with in real life because a character says it instead of me, for example.
To explore your own mind is to go into the vast unknown. For a chicken-shit like myself, it works perfectly. I don't want to go into a submersible and go to the bottom of the sea or hop into an experimental craft of any kind to reach the unknown. But in my mind, I can go to even more bizarre places and meet even more interesting characters.
To explore your own mind is to go into the vast unknown. For a chicken-shit like myself, it works perfectly. I don't want to go into a submersible and go to the bottom of the sea or hop into an experimental craft of any kind to reach the unknown. But in my mind, I can go to even more bizarre places and meet even more interesting characters.
Ian Felton
Most recent published book -- from twenty years working in IT and the Bushido Shoshinshu (the code of the samurai warror.)
Most recent book I'm writing -- from my first book.
Most recent book I'm writing -- from my first book.
Ian Felton
I go with Stephen King here. If you wait for inspiration, you won't write very often. I decide I'm going to write a certain amount each day, which depends upon how busy I am, in general. Sometimes in my life I decide I'm going to write one page a day. Sometimes it's five. Anything else is a bonus. Going through the publishing process taught me that it's not important that every page is inspired. There's plenty of time to revise, revise, revise before the book is published.
Ian Felton
Great question. After trying to find the source of all meaning through inner reflection, I'm working on promoting my first novel, The Coding Samurai. It's been a great learning experience writing it, and now promoting it. I'm also working on the follow-up, F.O.A.L.
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