Ask the Author: Mark Rude
Answered Questions (4)
Mark Rude
I've always had worlds and adventures in my head, and writing lets me share them in a way that engages other people. I love to inspire and entertain, and maybe draw out a tear or two.
Mark Rude
I am working out some planning kinks in my next book while trying to record audiobooks of my previous works. Narrating presents some real challenges, especially when working with a perfectionist. I do it all myself because I don't think anyone else would put up with me.
Mark Rude
Long ago, I pictured the journey through the Shadowood as a kind of Chaucer's Tale where the characters would tell entertaining stories as they went from Here to There. Later, I made it into a dark journey of the soul, what Joseph Campbell called 'The Approach to the Inmost Cave' that leads to 'The Ordeal' and a kind of rebirth at the other end. The book is my largest by far, and wraps up a lot of story threads, so everyone is having an "interesting time," in the sense of that old Chinese curse.
Mark Rude
I keep notebooks where I ask myself questions about my plots/characters, then I write down my answers in a stream of consciousness, asking and answering new questions as I think of them. This helps me work through difficult problems and track my thought processes for later review. I have no one to talk to about my work, so I might as well talk to myself.
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