Ask the Author: Dean Mayes
Answered Questions (2)
Dean Mayes
Short answer is, I don't.
Every story I've written, so far, has germinated out of a singular idea - and that idea hasn't been genre specific. And it's only when I've come to a point where I've deemed an idea to be viable that I've developed the story further.
For The Hambledown Dream, I began with a kind of what if scenario. What if a good and kind person died and was reincarnated as someone who is the polar opposite of that? Everything around that central idea grew outward from there.
Likewise, for Ruby Delfey's story in Gifts of the Peramangk, the central idea was a desire by me to explore a child prodigy who comes from a circumstance of poverty. That she developed into an Aboriginal child came later on and, while I didn't know how the story was going to develop, I knew it was going to be a significant effort on my part to make it work.
With The Recipient, I wanted to explore the idea of cellular memory as it pertains to organ transplant patients. That the story developed into a murder/mystery/thriller was something, which happened organically.
With all of these stories, I didn't set out to write them with a specific genre in mind. I began with the idea. If the idea was workable, everything that came after happened as a consequence. Does that make sense?
I guess I've revealed myself as a massive pantser, haven't I.
Thanks Molly!
Every story I've written, so far, has germinated out of a singular idea - and that idea hasn't been genre specific. And it's only when I've come to a point where I've deemed an idea to be viable that I've developed the story further.
For The Hambledown Dream, I began with a kind of what if scenario. What if a good and kind person died and was reincarnated as someone who is the polar opposite of that? Everything around that central idea grew outward from there.
Likewise, for Ruby Delfey's story in Gifts of the Peramangk, the central idea was a desire by me to explore a child prodigy who comes from a circumstance of poverty. That she developed into an Aboriginal child came later on and, while I didn't know how the story was going to develop, I knew it was going to be a significant effort on my part to make it work.
With The Recipient, I wanted to explore the idea of cellular memory as it pertains to organ transplant patients. That the story developed into a murder/mystery/thriller was something, which happened organically.
With all of these stories, I didn't set out to write them with a specific genre in mind. I began with the idea. If the idea was workable, everything that came after happened as a consequence. Does that make sense?
I guess I've revealed myself as a massive pantser, haven't I.
Thanks Molly!
Dean Mayes
The Star Wars universe. I would probably seek out the role of a medic in the Alliance/Republic. I've often fancied the idea of serving aboard those sweet Nebulon-B frigates.
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Aug 28, 2017 09:57PM · flag
Aug 29, 2017 12:04AM · flag