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Ask the Author: Don Elwell

“Ask me a question.” Don Elwell

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If you could travel to any fictional book world, where would you go and what would you do there?
Don Elwell You know, I tend to write the ones I'd like to live in, but as for other authors, most of the worlds they create in the books I love are just too freaking scary to want to visit. Frankly, The Shire in Tolkein's books is more my speed, that and some of the more pleasant passages of the future in Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land". Wanting to visit includes, i suppose, not wanting to get maimed, killed, or eaten in.
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Do you plan to expand the story-line begun with "The Ganymeade Protocol"? Would you consider a more thorough description of the way the fleet is governed, beginning with the pirates code and the evolution through "The Ganymeade Protocol"? As a 'seasteading' enthusiast, I feel that there are other stories there, to be told, and the operations, rules and regulations of the fleet as a body, is fascinating.
Don Elwell Jeffery, thanks for writing. I'm in the process of creating a sequel to the book, which will probably go into a bit more detail on the mechanics of the fleet, and of the fleet as it evolves. I'm a seasteading enthusiast as well, and a livaboard, so this stuff is also on my mind a lot. I actually removed a bit of the detail of the fleet--specifically of the Articles--from the original book in favor of leaving more to the reader's imagination, partly because I thought the detail might get in the way of the story. Perhaps, given some of the reactions I've gotten, I should include them in future iterations of the tale.

Thanks again,
Don
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How do you deal with writer’s block?
Don Elwell I'll work on another project for a bit, do research, make notes. Then often I can come back to the work at had with fresh eyes.
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What’s the best thing about being a writer?
Don Elwell The hours....actually they kind of suck too..
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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?
Don Elwell Read. Read everything you can get your hands on, even if it's dreck. Sometimes a terrible novel can be highly instructive. It gives you the chance to ask "what's wrong with this thing" and to think of how you would fix it. Ofttimes looking at another author's glaring mistakes is a good way of avoiding the same things in your own work.
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What are you currently working on?
Don Elwell I the early formative stages of two or three different pieces. I tend to work on several ideas at once until one gels.
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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?
Don Elwell Actually, coming from the theatre, I rather think in terms of scenes. I got one of the scenes from a fragment of a dream I remembered, and the book and characters took a life of their own from there.
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Don Elwell
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