Ask the Author: John David Mann
Answered Questions (7)
John David Mann
Not meaning to seem overly self-focused :-) but I *do* -- I just finished writing the third story in the Go-Giver parable series, and each one takes me to Pindar's town. Same city, same universe, overlapping casts of characters. Each time, to write the book, I sit in a chair with a cup of hot tea, a blank pad of paper (and pen), and close my eyes ... and travel there. And what do I do there? Observe. And try as best I can to bring my impressions back and get them on paper. I suspect that's what ever writer does, in one way or another!
John David Mann
So many new titles to read! Testimony, Scott Turow's latest. Since We Fell, Dennis Lehane's latest. Paula Hawkins's new book, Into the Water, and Laura McBride's 'Round Midnight. I'm partway through Harry Bingham's excellent Writers & Artists Guide to How to Write. I just re-read Case Histories, the first Jackson Brodie book (Kate Atkinson), and plan to re-read the other three in the series -- and will likely do another run through my favorite book of all time, Behind the Scenes at the Museum (Atkinson again). And there's a new Benjamin Black coming in a few weeks! And a new Sue Grafton in August! (She's just two letters from finishing the alphabet.) Busy, busy, busy. And mixed in through all that, a LOT of reading and re-reading of my own manuscripts -- three books in process right now, and three more I'll be starting between now and the fall. Part of the work is writing ... but another part of it is carefully reading what I just wrote!
John David Mann
The next book (#4) in the Go-Giver series!
John David Mann
Having a positive impact on people's lives. That's the whole thing. That's the brass ring on the merry-go-round: making a difference in people's lives.
John David Mann
1) Read a lot, and read the most excellent material possible. It doesn't matter what the genre is. (I write mostly nonfiction; I read almost exclusively fiction. Go figure.) Eat a steady diet of excellence. 2) Write regularly, consistently, in short form. That could be blog posts, editorials, short stories, newsletters, whatever, but short. (300 to 1200 words, max.) And then, work to perfect them. Hone them. Make them gleam. Work constantly to improve your writing. Note: If you have the opportunity to edit other people's writing, this is a huge benefit. Improving other people's stuff is a great way to sharpen your skills. 3) Get good critique from people you trust. Don't take it as 100% gospel, but do listen, even when it hurts. It will make your writing better.
John David Mann
For me writer's block typically has two sources. One: I'm too focused on the details, or foreground, or material I already have. In that case I need to take a deep breath, step away from the laptop, brew a cup of hot tea, go sit in my favorite armchair with nothing but a pen and blank pad of paper, and just sit. Forget the material I've already drafted, or notes I've already made. Ask myself a few big questions. (Like, "What is this book about?") And then just shut up and wait. If all I get that day is one sentence, or a phrase, or hell, a few words, it's a good day. The second scenario: I've just been writing too much, pushing too hard, jamming for too long. It's like I've been breathing out, without breathing in. The only solution here is: stop writing -- and READ. Sometimes when I find I simply cannot make the words flow, I have to take an entire day off, or weekend (or, occasionally, full week), and just read. You can't breathe out if you don't breathe in.
John David Mann
This is a tough one to answer, because the vast majority of protagonists I love to read are quintessentially solo operators. From Fiona Griffiths (my #1 favorite thriller protagonist) to Roland Deschain, Ruby Lennox (of my #1 favorite novel) to Owen Meany, these characters wouldn't be who they were if they were one of a two. That said ... okay: two answers. Couple in the classic sense of romantic couple: Odd Thomas and Stormy Llewellyn, of Dean Koontz's ODD THOMAS series. They are both so beautifully and idiosyncratically drawn, so adore each other, are so devoted to each other -- and then (spoiler alert) their romance is ripped away from them, yet their love is so strong it survives into an ethereal dimension. Did not care for its resolution much, in the final book of the series, but I loved, loved, loved the characters and their relationship. And my second answer, for a buddy-type couple: Travis McGee and his friend Meyer. I mean, how can you not love these guys? Meyer is so cool. :-)
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