Ask the Author: Larry Darter
Answered Questions (9)
Larry Darter
Golden Prey by John Sandford and the latest novel in Robert B. Parker's Spenser series, Little White Lies, now being written by Ace Atkins, are two books definitely on my summer reading list.
Larry Darter
Actually, there was a very recent mysterious occurrence that I was personally involved in that I think could make a good plot for a mystery novel or crime thriller.
One early morning, not long ago, I was in my study writing when someone burst through my unlocked front door at about 2:30 a.m. When I heard the door open and noise coming from the front of the house I went to investigate. Standing before me was a young woman in her late teens, her torn clothing smeared with blood. She had obviously been beaten. She also had several serious lacerations on her arms and legs.
While mostly incoherent, she managed to tell me that someone was chasing her and was trying to kill her. She went on to say that she had been abducted the previous afternoon by two men, one of whom she knew vaguely. She said she had been drugged, and then held against her will at a house she was unfamiliar with. Evidently, the house was somewhere in the vicinity, but she was completely disoriented and unable to tell me where it was. She said that she had managed to escape from the house after darkness had fallen and had been running and hiding from her abductors. She did appear to be under the influence of something, and much of her story didn't make much sense. But was also clearly terrified, injured, and obviously the victim of an assault. She begged me for help.
Since I live in a rural area, and she didn't appear to have life threatening injuries, I decided it best to drive her directly to the emergency room and to contact the police once we arrived. When we got to the hospital, the medical staff took care of notifying the police and the mother of the young woman. The mother arrived at the hospital first. She told me that she had reported her daughter missing to the police the previous afternoon and had been searching for her. So the story about the abduction sounded legitimate. I explained that her daughter had suddenly appeared at my home asking for help and while her story had not been completely coherent, given the injuries she did appear to have been assaulted.
With the young woman in the care of the medical staff and her mother, I left the hospital. To this day I haven't heard anything else about the incident and know nothing about the girl other than her first name. Knowing so little about what actually transpired with the girl leaves plenty to the imagination, and of course, makes it a real life mystery which I think could easily be transformed into a plot for a mystery novel.
One early morning, not long ago, I was in my study writing when someone burst through my unlocked front door at about 2:30 a.m. When I heard the door open and noise coming from the front of the house I went to investigate. Standing before me was a young woman in her late teens, her torn clothing smeared with blood. She had obviously been beaten. She also had several serious lacerations on her arms and legs.
While mostly incoherent, she managed to tell me that someone was chasing her and was trying to kill her. She went on to say that she had been abducted the previous afternoon by two men, one of whom she knew vaguely. She said she had been drugged, and then held against her will at a house she was unfamiliar with. Evidently, the house was somewhere in the vicinity, but she was completely disoriented and unable to tell me where it was. She said that she had managed to escape from the house after darkness had fallen and had been running and hiding from her abductors. She did appear to be under the influence of something, and much of her story didn't make much sense. But was also clearly terrified, injured, and obviously the victim of an assault. She begged me for help.
Since I live in a rural area, and she didn't appear to have life threatening injuries, I decided it best to drive her directly to the emergency room and to contact the police once we arrived. When we got to the hospital, the medical staff took care of notifying the police and the mother of the young woman. The mother arrived at the hospital first. She told me that she had reported her daughter missing to the police the previous afternoon and had been searching for her. So the story about the abduction sounded legitimate. I explained that her daughter had suddenly appeared at my home asking for help and while her story had not been completely coherent, given the injuries she did appear to have been assaulted.
With the young woman in the care of the medical staff and her mother, I left the hospital. To this day I haven't heard anything else about the incident and know nothing about the girl other than her first name. Knowing so little about what actually transpired with the girl leaves plenty to the imagination, and of course, makes it a real life mystery which I think could easily be transformed into a plot for a mystery novel.
Larry Darter
What a fitting question with Valentine's Day almost upon us and love in the air. With books, movies, and television in the mix there are a great many fictional couples to choose from. But given the venue where the question is posed, it seems most appropriate to answer by choosing a favorite fictional couple from the pages of a favorite book.
I'm sure most every reader recalls a couple and a romance from the pages of a good book that left their heart aquiver, a romance that played out so sweetly that they couldn't help but smile when the couple came together because the love story was so magnificently perfect. But a favorite couple doesn’t automatically have to mean a perfect couple — in fact, in my case, it's quite the opposite. My favorite fictional couple comes from one of my most favorite books (The Great Gatsby), none other than Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. Here's why.
Love can play out in fiction in unexpected ways. Despite the unhappy ending, in many respects, I think the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy fits the mold of a classic love story. It exhibited a good many of the qualities we find in our own love stories. They had a brief relationship when they were younger which Gatsby never gets over. He becomes focused to the point of obsession with winning her back to the degree it literally takes over his life.
Gatsby’s devotion to Daisy never wavers, not even when they are finally reunited, and he realizes that Daisy falls far short of his romantic idealization of her and that achieving his goal isn’t as fulfilling as he had expected. While in many respects she is all the things Gatsby sees in her, he also realizes she is fickle, shallow, and satirical.
When it comes to romance, life is often more like a Shakespearean tragedy than a continual testament to the ideals of Valentine's Day. While we desperately want to fall in love and live happily ever after, the reality is that true love does not always win out in the end. Perhaps Gatsby and Daisy is my favorite fictional couple not because their romance represents the ideal, but because it represents reality, in a most gritty and granular way.
Thanks for the question.
I'm sure most every reader recalls a couple and a romance from the pages of a good book that left their heart aquiver, a romance that played out so sweetly that they couldn't help but smile when the couple came together because the love story was so magnificently perfect. But a favorite couple doesn’t automatically have to mean a perfect couple — in fact, in my case, it's quite the opposite. My favorite fictional couple comes from one of my most favorite books (The Great Gatsby), none other than Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. Here's why.
Love can play out in fiction in unexpected ways. Despite the unhappy ending, in many respects, I think the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy fits the mold of a classic love story. It exhibited a good many of the qualities we find in our own love stories. They had a brief relationship when they were younger which Gatsby never gets over. He becomes focused to the point of obsession with winning her back to the degree it literally takes over his life.
Gatsby’s devotion to Daisy never wavers, not even when they are finally reunited, and he realizes that Daisy falls far short of his romantic idealization of her and that achieving his goal isn’t as fulfilling as he had expected. While in many respects she is all the things Gatsby sees in her, he also realizes she is fickle, shallow, and satirical.
When it comes to romance, life is often more like a Shakespearean tragedy than a continual testament to the ideals of Valentine's Day. While we desperately want to fall in love and live happily ever after, the reality is that true love does not always win out in the end. Perhaps Gatsby and Daisy is my favorite fictional couple not because their romance represents the ideal, but because it represents reality, in a most gritty and granular way.
Thanks for the question.
Larry Darter
I read a book on writing once where the author made a great point about writer's block that really made sense to me. His opinion was that writer's block happens when a writer tries to write in both a creative mode and an edit mode at the same time and that stifles creativity. I've taken that to heart so whenever I feel I'm stuck, suffering from writer's block I just start writing whatever comes into my head and sometimes it is a little crazy but it seems to get the creative juices flowing again. A first draft is never going to be perfect and won't ever be pretty. It's more important I think to get the words written and then once the draft is finished it's time to get into the editing mode and to clean up the mess.
Larry Darter
Part of it is that I love telling stories. Being a writer is a great way of satisfying that desire and it gives me pleasure. But more than that, I've always loved knowing that someone found enjoyment in reading something I've written. A reader makes a huge investment in you by reading your book, an investment of time, something none of us ever seem to have enough of. So I always deeply appreciate it when someone decides to read one of my books.
Larry Darter
Write, write, write. One of my other passions is running and I learned early on that you only improve as a runner by running. I learned the same thing about writing. While I haven't published anything new in several years I haven't stopped writing and I am a far better writer now as a result than when I published by first novel.
Larry Darter
I'm writing a detective novel, something I've wanted to do for a very long time. This will be the first book in a new series featuring an ex-cop turned private eye. As a retired cop I have the background for it so it's going to be realistic. In addition crime fiction is my favorite genre when reading for pure pleasure and so I'm not only writing what I know but what I like. I enjoy matching wits with the detective protagonist in the books written by my current favorite crime fiction author. I hope to give other crime fiction fans the same opportunity.
Larry Darter
I've always loved to write stories since grammar school. But as an adult at times I have allowed my focus on other things to crowd out writing time. My chief inspiration these days is my partner who is so supportive. I actually think she is more excited about my upcoming book than I am and can't wait until it is published.
Larry Darter
Actually the idea was inspired by a true story I happened to read about.
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