Ask the Author: William H. Fietzer
Answered Questions (9)
William H. Fietzer
Wow! Thought-provoking question. There are always mysteries in your life regarding what happened to friends and acquaintances or what might have happened if a different choice had been made (the well-spring for many multiverse novels) and I've speculated about some of them in my stories. However, the one great mystery in my life is the question of who murdered the woman whose body was found outside the UW Chemistry lab during the spring of 1968. Nobody knew who she was and many students, myself included, thought her body was a mannikin's dumped into the bushes. This happened a long time ago her identify and circumstances may have been uncovered in the interim (If so, give me the details), but it's the one mystery that stands out.
William H. Fietzer
This is a tough one. As a thriller writer/reader, I encounter so many dystopic worlds that none seem appealing. My adventurous side is attracted to the Star Wars saga; my contemplative side to the world of Marcel Proust. In both cases I'd fight for social and political justice.
William H. Fietzer
I can do it in one: Donald Trump reelected.
William H. Fietzer
Any number of ways. First, there's preparation. If you have a good outline, you won't get stuck too often. Second, there's routine. If you sit down to write at the same place and time every day, you condition yourself to the point where the words flow. Third, there's the old Hemingway trick of stopping in the middle of a scene and picking up the narrative where you left off the next day. Finally, I take a walk or talk to my wife. Often, I find physical activity or explaining the problem I'm having to my wife enables me to up with a solution. If that fails, there's always therapy.
William H. Fietzer
Gosh, the best thing is seeing my vision become words on paper or in an e-reader and then have readers report back to me how much they liked what they read or that they'd never looked at the world that way before.
William H. Fietzer
Know why you're writing. If it's for money, that's fine. If it's for self-expression, that's fine too. Whatever the motivation, be sure it's strong enough to pull you through all the roadblocks, setbacks, and self-doubt along the way. Though he's far from an aspiring writer, George R. R. Martin said it best at this year's ThrillerFest that he wants "my work [to] become part of the minds of many people." If you achieve that, the rest will follow.
William H. Fietzer
As with most aspects of authorship, I'm involved in two projects at once. I've sent the sequel to Mission: Soul Rescue to the publisher in anticipation of making further revisions. At the same time I'm fleshing out the broad outline of the third novel in that series, Escape from the Immortals, in anticipation of writing the first draft.
William H. Fietzer
Inspiration comes from reading, living, and hard work. You might derive an idea from the media or from everyday life, but it takes perseverance, dedication, and a certain amount of mule-headedness to transform that idea into a full-fledged novel.
William H. Fietzer
The idea arose from a discussion with my wife (a certified reiki therapist) about the "good" or positive energy she uses to treat and heal her patients. When asked about its opposite, the "bad" or negative energy, she said no one discusses that very much. Which prompted me to wonder if she can transfer and send positive energy at a distance, what kind of people might do the same with negative energy, those types we've all met who suck all the energy out of the room, and for what purpose. Out of this discussion nugget, psychic vampires, or Anausavareds (New Immortals) became the major antagonists of my paranormal thriller, Mission: Soul Rescue.
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