Ask the Author: Carter Christensen
Answered Questions (6)
Carter Christensen
I like a quiet room where I can listen to the voices in my head speak to me (in a good way). I outline all of my books before starting but I'm not afraid to veer away from the outline if the characters and the story dictate. I'm always amazed when my character's actions inspire scenes I hadn't originally thought of. It's exciting.
Carter Christensen
My new series is about a group of boys who meet in college and live together in an old house off campus. That happens to be my own experience. What happens with these boys is fiction, but the situation is fact.
Carter Christensen
I usually pop in my earbuds and go for a run. Clear my mind. Don't try to force it or get down on myself because I've suddenly run dry of ideas or painted a character into a corner with no means of escape. Backtracking and rewriting isn't a crime. There's always a solution. You just need to let it come to you when it wants to.
Carter Christensen
I used to think it was the freedom and flexibility to write wherever I was, and this is still great, but now, with a few books under my belt and ideas for several more growing in my brain, I think it's the whole creative process. Letting my imagination run wild, reining it in when necessary, but allowing myself to access a side of myself that my former 9-to-5 job never allowed me to do.
Carter Christensen
Just start writing. If you think about word counts or page counts or the big picture of WRITING A BOOK it can become overwhelming. Just write every day. Some days the ideas will come pouring out of you and one days you may struggle and just feel like revising what you've already done. Both are completely valid days to have. Eventually, your story will proceed to its logical conclusion. Let the story be your guide, not some other metric.
Carter Christensen
I've recently started a new series of books about boys who meet and live together in college before setting off on their different journeys and adventures. I'm really loving developing these new characters.
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