Ask the Author: Thad G. Long
Answered Questions (8)
Thad G. Long
Eo some extent, the Ted Born series centers around mysteries, especially "The Impossible Mock Orange Trial," inspired by an actual trial I had. There are many mysteries at an underlying level that are worth exploring in a novel, such as "What causes Judges to make the rulings they make in controversial or tough cases?" One of the mysteries I will be exploring in my next book is why a long-time officer of a small company betrays his employer and manages to transfer the basic patronage of the business to anther company and. took key employees with him - and why the Judge consistently kept making rulings favorable to this former key employee until new evidence came out that changed everything. Life is full of mysteries we will never fully understand, because of our human nature, and that is what produces is challenges and adds interest to our lives.
Thad G. Long
I have just completed a sequel to "The Impossible Mock Orange Trial" entitled "The Vow: Ted Born's Last Trial," presently being formatted and prepared for publication. It involves the efforts of a lawyer, Ted Born, to carry out a vow he made to a philanthropist client to protect his estate planning from the feared intermeddling of an estranged younger brother, a promise that became difficult or seemingly impossible to keep when the philanthropist in later years went into decline from physical and mental issues and the younger brother extracted a power of attorney from the philanthropist. The lawyer, for his efforts, is sued by the younger brother and stakes his own professional and personal reputation and huge financial liability. The book takes a situation that is becoming increasingly a problem today as people live longer lives with heightened possibility of dementia and are at risk that their long-intended plans are upended by relatives who take advantage of their infirmities. I have had many incredible trial experiences and am also working on my personal memoirs, possibly also basing additional novels on some of my more remarkable ccourtroom exsperiences.
Thad G. Long
I think human beings inherently have a need to create, especially to create something that embodies their own personalities and perspectives, something that endures. Writing is the natural and ultimate way to satisfy that need. One hopes that the writing will affect others in a positive and meaningful way, and will continue to serve that potential purpose indefinitely.
Thad G. Long
I am pretty fully occupied with writing at this time, together with other commitments, but am reading a series of books on world history and culture as I get breaks to read them.
Thad G. Long
You keep writing, and then you go back and modify as needed to adjust the text to a higher and more mature level. One is less likely to experience writer's block if there is a clearly conceived plot at the outset, that simply needs to be filled out.
Thad G. Long
Write about something you know intimately, where there is page-turning can't=put=it=down interest, but which leaves the reader reflecting on meaningful issues long after the book has been read. Also, I think character development is most effectively done through the conversational interactions of characters or their internal thoughts, leaving the reader with the feeling he or she was "there" at every stage, coming to know and appreciate the conflicting perspectives of different characters.
Thad G. Long
I have always wanted to be a writer, and I thought the "Mock Orange" case presented an opportunity to present important questions of civil justice in the context of a gripping plot. I wanted the book to be meaningful literature, beyond being only a legal thriller.
Thad G. Long
From a real trial where I was lead counsel for the tire company. Most of the plot follows closely my actual experience in that trial, but with changes in the locale, the character names and with changes necessary to show perspectives of all characters portrayed.
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