Ask the Author: Patrick Swenson
Answered Questions (6)
Patrick Swenson
Kate, it was under consideration, and there was a delay, and now it's coming out this August. It'll get added very soon! Thanks, and I'm so sorry I didn't see this sooner. I've not been over here very much. Patrick
Patrick Swenson
Thanks! Hope you win an ARC too. The title came first before anything else in the book, and it is indeed a homage to classic noir. No resemblance plot-wise to THE THIN MAN, but quite by accident, there's a character name in common. We meet Dorothy in Hammett's novel, and they sometimes call her by her nickname, Dorry. If you've read the Ch 1 excerpt of mine, you've seen the brief appearance of Dorie. Different spelling.
The book stands alone (as it needed to for my publisher at this point) but a definite feel of "not all is answered" by the end. There's definitely a series in mind, and in fact, I'm 3/4 of the way through writing the sequel. If the first book does well enough, there's a good chance the 2nd book will be out there. It also is titled with a nod to noir. But that title reveal will have to wait!
The book stands alone (as it needed to for my publisher at this point) but a definite feel of "not all is answered" by the end. There's definitely a series in mind, and in fact, I'm 3/4 of the way through writing the sequel. If the first book does well enough, there's a good chance the 2nd book will be out there. It also is titled with a nod to noir. But that title reveal will have to wait!
Patrick Swenson
I'm sorry to say I've not been much of a short story writer. I've sold a handful over the years, before I started concentrating on novels. One story looks promising for expanding into a novel some day, and that was written years ago. Certainly I wasn't thinking of any strategy at the time for novelizing it. I know a few writer friends who based their first and second novels on short stories they had published earlier. In some cases, the short story became the first few chapters, except for maybe the final climax and resolution, and they went from there.
I have a vague idea and start writing and see where it goes, hoping I figure out how it will end. Currently I'm 3/4 of the way through book two (at least normal word count-wise for me) and I still don't know the ending. I'm hoping I won't have to do as one writer I know did, which was to throw out her first 45,000 words she'd written and start over!
Even while writing book one, since the book had to stand alone for my publisher, I had to take out the more overt hooks to a larger story arc and make those connections more subtle. Trust the subconscious of the reader to make those leaps.
I have a vague idea and start writing and see where it goes, hoping I figure out how it will end. Currently I'm 3/4 of the way through book two (at least normal word count-wise for me) and I still don't know the ending. I'm hoping I won't have to do as one writer I know did, which was to throw out her first 45,000 words she'd written and start over!
Even while writing book one, since the book had to stand alone for my publisher, I had to take out the more overt hooks to a larger story arc and make those connections more subtle. Trust the subconscious of the reader to make those leaps.
Patrick Swenson
When all is said and done, I'd say about three drafts went by before my editor saw The Ultra Thin Man. Of course, he had an editorial letter for me to respond to as well. Count that as a 4th draft. I tend to go back and do some minor editing as I'm going through the first draft.
As for what I start with, in the case of The Ultra Thin Man, I started with just the title. Intriguing, thought I. Wonder what it means? I very loosely put together a couple of detective-like characters and threw them into a bunch of hot water early on and told them, "There. Figure it out for me." Much of this is due to my refusal (thus far) to outline, preferring to write organically, or by the seat of my pants (a "pantser" is the new term floating out there).
I am an add-in kind of writer. Like Connie, I do tend to do a lot of dialogue up front and fill in later, although I do block scenes out as I go. Later drafts add on to the worldbuilding and give more futuristic detail as needed. Shore up characters. And since there's a mystery element, I have to go back and add hints and bits to make sure everything's adding up correctly.
As for what I start with, in the case of The Ultra Thin Man, I started with just the title. Intriguing, thought I. Wonder what it means? I very loosely put together a couple of detective-like characters and threw them into a bunch of hot water early on and told them, "There. Figure it out for me." Much of this is due to my refusal (thus far) to outline, preferring to write organically, or by the seat of my pants (a "pantser" is the new term floating out there).
I am an add-in kind of writer. Like Connie, I do tend to do a lot of dialogue up front and fill in later, although I do block scenes out as I go. Later drafts add on to the worldbuilding and give more futuristic detail as needed. Shore up characters. And since there's a mystery element, I have to go back and add hints and bits to make sure everything's adding up correctly.
Patrick Swenson
I don't write a certain word count every day. I feel good when I have anything over a thousand words in.
My writing schedule, due to a full time teaching job, varies from day to day. Now, during the summer, when I'm not teaching, I get a lot more writing in. I'm a night owl, so I automatically revert to those "to bed at 3 a.m." and "up at 11:00 a.m." hours. So when I start writing it tends to be later in the afternoon, sometimes late evening.
During the school year, it's awfully tough to get hours in to write. To finish THE ULTRA THIN MAN, I used my planning period at school to write, and saved all my school planning for after school, before school, even weekends, which was difficult. But it worked, and I had those same 50 minutes every work day to write. I wrote the last 75,000 words in 4 months!
My writing schedule, due to a full time teaching job, varies from day to day. Now, during the summer, when I'm not teaching, I get a lot more writing in. I'm a night owl, so I automatically revert to those "to bed at 3 a.m." and "up at 11:00 a.m." hours. So when I start writing it tends to be later in the afternoon, sometimes late evening.
During the school year, it's awfully tough to get hours in to write. To finish THE ULTRA THIN MAN, I used my planning period at school to write, and saved all my school planning for after school, before school, even weekends, which was difficult. But it worked, and I had those same 50 minutes every work day to write. I wrote the last 75,000 words in 4 months!
Patrick Swenson
Currently, I'm working on the sequel to THE ULTRA THIN MAN. I have a working title, but I'm not announcing it widely at this point.
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