Ask the Author: J.J. Mathews
Answered Questions (6)
J.J. Mathews
As the sequel to Illiya, Incursion was of course 'the next book', but that doesn't really answer the question. :-)
Illiya put the main character (Taylor Neeran) in an unenviable long-term position, so the first question I had was "how could it possibly get any worse for her"? But through all of that, the mysteries behind the world she now calls home start to become more and more evident - so there is the immediate threat, and the much, much bigger picture into which this all fits (no spoilers, sorry!)
Illiya put the main character (Taylor Neeran) in an unenviable long-term position, so the first question I had was "how could it possibly get any worse for her"? But through all of that, the mysteries behind the world she now calls home start to become more and more evident - so there is the immediate threat, and the much, much bigger picture into which this all fits (no spoilers, sorry!)
J.J. Mathews
I can take a lot of time preparing to write - for Illiya, it took 3 years or 30 years depending on how you look at it. But it all starts with an idea, a situation, then asking questions. When a story is 'in process', I often find the dialogue is pressing on my attention until I start to write it down. When the characters start having conversations in my head, it's time to start typing!
J.J. Mathews
Read, read, read. Read about story structure, but don't get stuck on the formalities and formulas. Then, write! Don't worry about if it is horrible, because almost guaranteed some of it will seem like complete rubbish, but that will let you move on to the next magical scenes where things start to flow, and your day melts away as the words pour out. And don't worry about being perfect, or smooth (unless you get stuck because the storyline doesn't work and you need to backtrack a bit). But don't worry about polish, you have plenty of time in editing to work on that. Get your ideas flowing in your head, then write, write, write.
It's also a good thing to have some trusted reviewers who will tell you the truth and not 'just be nice'.
It's also a good thing to have some trusted reviewers who will tell you the truth and not 'just be nice'.
J.J. Mathews
The best thing about being a writer is being able to create worlds (on Earth or thousands of light years away) and have readers respond with "I'm right there".
J.J. Mathews
When I get stuck, I read other books, and let my subconscious stew on the story line written so far and possibilities for upcoming scenes and scenarios. In writing Iliiya, I wrote the first 25,000 words of the first draft and got stuck for three whole months, in which I read a lot of different books, analyzing story structure while reading many good (and some very, very bad) examples.
J.J. Mathews
I am currently editing Intercession, the third book in the Taylor Neeran Chronicles, and working on the outline of book #4, Icarus.
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