Ask the Author: K.J. McCall
Answered Questions (5)
K.J. McCall
Bloodsuckers Victorious.
K.J. McCall
Golly, inspiration comes from everywhere - movies, things people say and do, other books. And music lyrics! Also, I have a sizeable folder of ideas collected over the years. Combing through them helps in a dry spell. The trick is to never let an idea get away when you get one. Mine are captured with a hand recorder I carry around. Even quietly use it in movie theaters.
In Stephen King's book "On Writing", he says writing is telepathy - that a writer can transmit thoughts to a reader over any amount of distance and time. If that isn't inspiration, I don't know what is.
In Stephen King's book "On Writing", he says writing is telepathy - that a writer can transmit thoughts to a reader over any amount of distance and time. If that isn't inspiration, I don't know what is.
K.J. McCall
Writing enriches one's life. It's all-consuming. If I'm not writing, I'm thinking about writing. Everywhere I go there's potential for getting ideas from things I hear and see - fragments of story lines, bits of dialogue, something interesting on the side of the road. Recent example - a tractor in a field, the grass all grown up around the wheels. Clearly, it had been in that same spot a long time. Why's that? Did the farmer retire or die? Did he buy a better tractor? Did he sell the land for condos? What? I"ll never know the story behind that tractor but it doesn't matter. It's an interesting image, regardless, and I can use it however I want.
K.J. McCall
I just finished the draft for "Aunt Clara's Secrets". The idea came from true stories I've heard from long-ago family history. They rolled around in my head for years, nagging at me, so I joined them together to create my own fiction. Great fun!
K.J. McCall
My advice to aspiring writers is to read, read, read - especially good writing, written the way they'd like to write. It rubs off. Also, it really helped me to read books about writing, written by writers. I've read many but my favorite is "On Writing" by Shephen King. Good stuff in there.
And of course we need to write, write, write. I believe we must view writing as a skill that needs to be developed, like dancing. We can't expect an early attempt to be wonderful. A healthy goal is to keep getting better with each try.
Also, I suggest carrying around a little hand recorder to capture ideas when they come. Don't know what I'd do without mine.
And of course we need to write, write, write. I believe we must view writing as a skill that needs to be developed, like dancing. We can't expect an early attempt to be wonderful. A healthy goal is to keep getting better with each try.
Also, I suggest carrying around a little hand recorder to capture ideas when they come. Don't know what I'd do without mine.
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