Ask the Author: John Reilly
Answered Questions (6)
John Reilly
For my type of work this isn’t as big an issue – I suppose finding a good nonfiction story is somewhat equivalent to a novelist finding a flow, but once in a while you might just have to Kick up the Dirt (see what I did there).
John Reilly
You feel like you have a voice. Perhaps a small and quiet voice. But if you impact only one person with your words, the effort was worth it.
John Reilly
Write about something that evokes passion. Something that makes you laugh or cry or incredibly angry. Start with passion and the words will follow. The best piece of advice I ever received was from my editor who said “It’s not about finding the biggest word. It’s about finding the best word.”
John Reilly
I’ve been writing these type of human interest stories for almost ten years. This volume (and these 170 pages) covers about a third of my total work. So, of course I’m now working on Volume 2!
John Reilly
I am inspired by the people I come across. With all the negative stories headlining the newspapers and leading the nightly news, I tried to focus my efforts on those inspirational stories that don’t necessarily get the coverage, but have many times the impact.
John Reilly
Hi - After many years of ignoring my editor's advice of compiling my newspaper columns into book format, I have finally heeded her advice. This is both an exciting and very nerve-wracking time!
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