Ask the Author: Stephen Puleo
Answered Questions (7)
Stephen Puleo
Hi Tom - yes, the Burgoyne in "Voyage of Mercy" is "Saratoga Burgoyne's" son. After the elder Burgoyne's wife died (in 1776 ironically), he had four children with his mistress. The younger Burgoyne was raised by relatives since his father died when he was a boy. Thanks for your question and your support. Hope you enjoyed Voyage!
Stephen Puleo
My most recent book is The Caning, which is about the beating of U.S. Senator from Massachusetts Charles Sumner by Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina -- a violent event that I describe as the "no turning back" point on the road to the Civil War. I had always been fascinated by this event -- how it came to the point where a sitting U.S. Senator is beaten to within an inch of his life on the Senate floor. When I began the research, I found out that both Sumner and Brooks were amazingly compelling characters, and that the slavery debate during the 1850s was even more riveting than I had remembered. The book had everything I like: strong characters, great primary sources, and an event that could be used as a crucible for something much larger.
Stephen Puleo
I'm never sure how to answer this question -- but I'll try. Great topics inspire me. Great characters inspire me. Great primary sources inspire me. And the way a topic fits into the "big picture," inspires me. If I can put those things together, it's enough to carry me through the research, writing, and revisions. The inspiration simply continues. When I'm writing a book, I almost never need a catalyst to work -- it's quite the opposite. I'm virtually thinking about the book all the time. Sometimes my wife will catch me and say, "You're thinking about the book, aren't you," when we're with friends or talking about something else. I guess that's inspiration!
Stephen Puleo
My sixth book will be another work of narrative history, soon to be announced. I'm very excited about it -- publication currently scheduled for May of 2016.
Stephen Puleo
My gosh -- I have LOTS of it -- too much to go into here. I've done a number of writing seminars for aspiring writers (high school students, college students, and adults), and there are several keys in my view. First, if you want to write you have to read a lot -- seems obvious, but it's so important to read to learn about pacing, drama, narrative, breaking scenes and chapters, structure, character, etc. You need to find your own voice when you write, but it's good to see how the experts do it so you can understand different methods. If "read a lot" is number one, then "write a lot" is number 2 -- I think it's critical that you just sit down and write as often as you can. Don't wait for the muse to strike -- sometimes it does but often it doesn't. You still need to get something down on paper. It may not be great, but you can always go back and edit. We're not neurosurgeons -- we actually can go back and do revisions. So even if you're struggling to put words on a page during a particular writing session, chances are you'll find something good about what you've written. If you don't sit at the keyboard, you have no chance to produce something good. So, read and write. I have more, of course, but start with these.
Stephen Puleo
Not trying to be overly diplomatic here, but I love it all -- the research, the writing itself, seeing my work published and for sale, and speaking to and hearing from readers. I've been so blessed because I get to engage with readers often -- I've never understood authors who don't enjoy this. I've made more than 450 public appearances as an author and met thousands of readers, and I enjoy this connection very much. My readers are loyal, curious, smart, and appreciative -- this makes all the work worth it. I feel that if I can bring some joy and knowledge to readers with my narrative history, then it's all worth it.
Stephen Puleo
I'm pleased to say that I don't run into it often (thankfully!), but when I do, writing nonfiction helps. Reason: I'm always able to turn to a primary source - a letter, a diary entry, a government document -- as a way to get inspiration to begin a chapter or a scene. The documents themselves allow me to envision a scene and begin the writing. The other tactic that helps -- and I'm sure readers have heard this before -- is to get away from the keyboard and do something completely unrelated to writing. This lets the subconscious take over -- and the subconscious is very powerful. Doing either one of these almost always solves the rare writer's block problem I might be facing.
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