Ask the Author: John Casey
Answered Questions (7)
John Casey
I've already written that book...
John Casey
Successful writers will tell you that their best work is derived from their own experiences, passions, and imagination. I have found this to be true as well. In my latest book, Devolution, I borrow from all three to tell the story of Michael Dolan, a stoic perfectionist and former special operations pilot working a staff job at the Pentagon. After accepting an improbable CIA offer to help prevent impending terrorist attacks in Europe, Dolan finds that of the demons he must prevail against, the most terrible are those from within.
John Casey
I spent five months living and working in Ethiopia, from December of 2013 to April 2014. As time went by I found myself irritated by certain things. It was a frame of mind I did not aspire to, so I decided to use writing as an outlet. I wrote a poem titled 'Stupid', which was more funny and cute than anything else. It made me laugh, so I kept writing, delving into the darker side of my psyche, and then into the lighter side. Before long, I had quite a collection of poems that spanned the entire spectrum of human emotion and thought. 'Stupid' was the genesis of Raw Thoughts.
John Casey
I am currently finishing my novel DEVOLUTION, book one in a spy thriller trilogy that will be released by Adelaide Books (New York, Lisbon). DEVOLUTION will be released in October 2019. Additionally, I am collaborating with a Parisian singer/songwriter named Guillaume Cobenn in the translation of Raw Thoughts into French. The French title is Pensées Brutes, and it will be released in Europe and (hopefully) Canada. I am also putting the finishing touches on the written portion of Raw Thoughts Coda, the sequel to my first book.
John Casey
Keep writing. Like anything else in life, repetition catalyzes improvement. That's the first thing. Second, go back through your work, as often as possible. Put yourself in the readers' shoes. You will often find ways to improve what you've written. Enlist the help of others--a second or third set of eyes will catch things that you won't see (pride of authorship can be a trap!). Finally, don't force it. If you can't write it beautifully, correctly, or in a way that is useful, don't write it. Take your work in another direction.
John Casey
I can only answer this for myself, as I believe that creative writing is oftentimes a very personal thing. For me, it is in the creation. When I am finished with a scene, or a poem, or I've ended a chapter in what I believe to be a perfect way, I get a real sense of satisfaction. Even when I go back through what I've already written, and find ways to write it better, I fell like I've accomplished something. Once a work is complete, and I am sure I've done all I can to make it as good as possible, I am content that my readers will get something good out of it. This is the long-term goal--anything else would be pointless.
John Casey
I don't usually recognize writer's block as a problem. If I get stuck, I accept that it's either because I'm not in the right frame of mind to be writing, or because I haven't prepared sufficiently for what I am working on. So, I either walk away and come back to it later, or do some research. Either way, when I get back to it the "block" is gone.
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