Ask the Author: Jef Curlin
Answered Questions (8)
Jef Curlin
I licked the blood from my fingers, savoring it, enjoying the warm, salty taste of it. It didn't matter that it was my own.
Jef Curlin
I've had a couple of unexplained phenomena that might make a good ghost story. I saw something and chased after it, but found nothing. Once, when I was home alone, I thought I heard three distinct knocks. Both things occurred in the same house when I was younger.
Jef Curlin
If you're a write, or aspire to be, I doubt you have just one idea in your head. If you're stuck on the thing you're currently writing, take a break and make write something about another idea you have. One day, I was struggling to work on my current project, so I sat down and wrote some story elements for another idea I have for a book. One I may never write, but the exercise kept me writing something and helped me get back to the book I'm working on. Unless you have a deal with a publisher, you probably have no timeframe for when your book will be complete. Take advantage of that and take the pressure off yourself. I struggle with depression so some days I need to just watch TV or play a video game or read a book and not write a single thing. Don't pressure yourself as the product of that pressure probably won't be what you want.
Jef Curlin
Do you ever read something, like a line from a book, and think "I wish I had written that?" Think how good that feels when you write something that invokes that same feeling and realize you did write that. In "The Alchemist's Journey" there are lines I wrote that I smile whenever I read them. It's the best feeling.
Jef Curlin
Don't be afraid to try. I had utterly convinced myself I was incapable of writing an entire book and only tried once I was desperate to do something after losing my job. Don't wait for that. If you have an idea, sit down and start writing, see where it goes. I'd also suggest reading material about writing. I read Steven King's book, "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft," and found the advice very helpful.
Jef Curlin
A sequel to "The Alchemist's Journey." All I'll say about it is that the title will be "The Alchemist's Dilemma" and it will warp a lot of the things that occurred in the first book.
Jef Curlin
Instead of counting sheep, I like to think up characters and/or scenarios before I go to sleep. Finn Graye, the protagonist from my book, "The Alchemist's Journey," is the product of that exercise, as well as many of the scenes I wrote. Since I already had those ideas, I just had to figure out how to tie them all together. Once I had a basic plot, I began writing.
Jef Curlin
Generally from other media. I'll watch a show, read a book, watch a movie, or play a video game, and something will spark an idea I want to explore further. For example, I've recently read some things about psychopathy that interest me and I might explore it in a future book. Or I might not.
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