Ask the Author: Mark Stattelman
Answered Questions (12)
Mark Stattelman
Sounds good, Judith. I appreciate the interest and support! You're gonna make me decide, really? Here's how that goes . . . I throw one book in the box. Then I think, well, they might like this one also. And then I toss another one in, which is part of a series. And then I think (depending on the day) that book may not be the best of the series, so I toss the one in that seems better. Then I feel like I've got to mix it up a bit more, throw in another Sci-fi, or how about Esmerana's Trunk (which is really a wide variety of stories). And maybe a novella. The Children's Home is sort of a Sherlock Holmes like tale . . . And soon enough there is a whole box full and I've got to decide which books to pull out. I don't want to bombard you with everything at once . . . Feeling guilty, I pull them all out and have to start over. Maybe I should pick from the pile while wearing a blindfold. I could seal the box up while still wearing the blindfold, so I wouldn't even know. And then, of course, I'll drive myself crazy wondering which ones I actually sent. LOL.
Mark Stattelman
Yep. It's me. Hey Judith!
Mark Stattelman
Any relationship I've ever been in.
Mark Stattelman
Better to ask this question in the past tense, well after summer is over. There are way too many books out there. I am liable to pull one off a shelf, any shelf and start reading it at any time. This would, of course, put a crimp in any plans I might make.
Mark Stattelman
I gut you for limiting me to two sentences. You bleed out and die.
Perhaps that's a bit too brutal, but you did say horror. And I have trouble writing anything under 1000 words.
Perhaps that's a bit too brutal, but you did say horror. And I have trouble writing anything under 1000 words.
Mark Stattelman
Oh, I didn't see this question before I wrote about characters. In any case, I would have to say, probably a Jules Verne novel. Hang out with Phileas Fogg in the club. I would try and get him to show me how to be better organized. He had his s--stuff together!
Any of the adventures would be good to go on. Five weeks in a balloon . . .
But wait, I can go on them. All I have to do is read!
Any of the adventures would be good to go on. Five weeks in a balloon . . .
But wait, I can go on them. All I have to do is read!
Mark Stattelman
This is a tough one also. I've never had to sit and wait on anything to inspire me. I don't know whether it is just luck or a burden of sorts. Okay, a burden isn't quite right. All I can say is that I LOVE writing, I love talking about writing, and I love books, stories, etc.
Lately I've been thinking about characters a lot. I've been thinking about how cool it might be to be a character in a book (sounds crazy, I know, but this is how I think). If a person were a character in a book . . . well, they would live forever. A reader opens the book and there they are. Of course, one could say that they have to do the same thing over and over, each time a reader opens that book. Is that good? Bad? Hmm. I'm still thinking about all of this. Your thoughts? Also, think of your favorite characters--Is there one you would like to be? Or if you were a character (yourself) would it be like the you in real life?
Lately I've been thinking about characters a lot. I've been thinking about how cool it might be to be a character in a book (sounds crazy, I know, but this is how I think). If a person were a character in a book . . . well, they would live forever. A reader opens the book and there they are. Of course, one could say that they have to do the same thing over and over, each time a reader opens that book. Is that good? Bad? Hmm. I'm still thinking about all of this. Your thoughts? Also, think of your favorite characters--Is there one you would like to be? Or if you were a character (yourself) would it be like the you in real life?
Mark Stattelman
This is a tough one. Sometimes it is just a picture/vision that just pops into my mind. Sometimes it's a bit of dialogue, or just a title that might hit me . . . The most recent book was The Children's Home. The title wasn't the starter in this one, though. This is going to sound gruesome, and I hate to lay it on you without you being able to read the prologue (because I haven't published the book yet, but soon) but it was a vision of a group of children hanging in at tree at dawn . . . and there starts my horror tale.
Mark Stattelman
Just finished a novella, The Children's home. It is sort of an American version of Holmes and Watson, mixed with the Alienist, and with a touch of the supernatural/ghost story. Finished at 4:30 yesterday morning and felt like I had a hangover afterwards. I just have to go back over it and tighten things up a little, maybe add something that I forgot about putting in.
Also working on a sci-fi collection of short stories. And another collection (vol.4) of my Civil War Dark Tales series.
And there is more. So much more. So many books to Read/write, and so little time.
Also working on a sci-fi collection of short stories. And another collection (vol.4) of my Civil War Dark Tales series.
And there is more. So much more. So many books to Read/write, and so little time.
Mark Stattelman
I would answer this by saying, "Funny you should ask . . ." but I'm guessing this is just a general question put up to get authors started. Maybe not, in which case I will say that my advice is to read my upcoming book: Write Play Love.
It simply tells all about how I write my stories. There are plenty of examples included. I am currently in the process of trying to decide on a cover on 99 designs. I need help deciding if anyone is interested. SOS! That's the hardest part of the whole process.
It simply tells all about how I write my stories. There are plenty of examples included. I am currently in the process of trying to decide on a cover on 99 designs. I need help deciding if anyone is interested. SOS! That's the hardest part of the whole process.
Mark Stattelman
Escaping! I've been a daydreamer all my life. Teachers used to write notes on my report cards such as . . . "makes good grades when he applies himself, but he daydreams too much."
The only other, specific, thing I can think of is the pure Joy of having a character come to life and take over. At that point I'm just a spectator, trying to type it all out as fast as I can. That especially happened with my novella, The Dancing Man. From the first sentence the characters took over. It was a total blast! The trick is to just let go and trust the characters. If something were to not turn out okay, there is always the delete key. I've never had to use it.
The only other, specific, thing I can think of is the pure Joy of having a character come to life and take over. At that point I'm just a spectator, trying to type it all out as fast as I can. That especially happened with my novella, The Dancing Man. From the first sentence the characters took over. It was a total blast! The trick is to just let go and trust the characters. If something were to not turn out okay, there is always the delete key. I've never had to use it.
Mark Stattelman
Writer's Block??? It's funny, but for me there is no such thing! All I have to do is sit down and start typing. Something always comes out and forms into a story. Now, having said that. I am a procrastinator. I might end up doing something else, or a whole lot of other things instead of sitting down. I'll be irritable and restless until I do. Once I sit down and my fingers hit the keys it's all good!
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