Ask the Author: Michael J. McManus
Answered Questions (6)
Michael J. McManus
The Shadow Hunter by Michael Prescott and Art of the Deal by Donald Trump
Michael J. McManus
I feel that I am an aspiring writer, so I don't know how much can be taken from this advice. I think the most important thing is to write and keep writing, even if what you write is never read by anyone. I wrote three books before I tried to get one published. My close family members were my only readers for years. If you use your talents to tell a story, your talents will improve.
Also, don't be afraid to rework a story, even to the point of starting over. If you get to the place where you don't like how the story is turning out, odds are that readers won't be happy with it either.
Be patient. Don't publish until your story is finished and polished as best it can be. If you can afford it, have it professionally edited. If you can't afford that, have it edited by knowledgeable friends, people who will point out even the smallest error or inconsistency. And don't publish without a marketing plan. If a book doesn't sell well from the start, it is likely that a delayed marketing effort won't help it. At least that is my experience.
Also, don't be afraid to rework a story, even to the point of starting over. If you get to the place where you don't like how the story is turning out, odds are that readers won't be happy with it either.
Be patient. Don't publish until your story is finished and polished as best it can be. If you can afford it, have it professionally edited. If you can't afford that, have it edited by knowledgeable friends, people who will point out even the smallest error or inconsistency. And don't publish without a marketing plan. If a book doesn't sell well from the start, it is likely that a delayed marketing effort won't help it. At least that is my experience.
Michael J. McManus
Nothing beats reading a good review. Whether or not I know the person writing the review, kind words are golden. The best words are these, "I laughed" and "I cried". When I have moved a reader to some level of emotion and they share that with the world, I am humbled and proud at the same time.
Michael J. McManus
I have a very simple solution. I take a walk. If I am away from the story for a half hour or so, in a place where there are few other distractions, I can usually work out where the story should be going.
If that doesn't work, I will sometimes work on a completely different story for a while. I have three projects going at present, so when I am finished with the main one I am working on, I have another I can move onto immediately. I actually thing that having more than one idea coming to life at a time is important. I am always looking out for new ideas, just to insure that I don't get to the point where I have nothing going on.
If that doesn't work, I will sometimes work on a completely different story for a while. I have three projects going at present, so when I am finished with the main one I am working on, I have another I can move onto immediately. I actually thing that having more than one idea coming to life at a time is important. I am always looking out for new ideas, just to insure that I don't get to the point where I have nothing going on.
Michael J. McManus
I am writing a story about a death that is believed to be an accident. The victim, who claims her death was no accident, talks to us from the other side, but has no idea who committed the crime. Her almost-ex-husband, for reasons we discover early in the story, doesn't believe it was an accident and attempts to convince the authorities that his wife was murdered. Throw in a girlfriend, a nasty mother-in-law, a detective named Pink, two house keepers, two pool men, two gardeners and a host of other support people who have access to the house where the victim died, and you have plenty of people to point fingers at. What is missing is a motive. I hope to finish this book by the end of the year.
Michael J. McManus
I am always inspired to write. It is finding the time to write that is the problem. When I do find the time I am engaged immediately. For me, it is almost like turning on a TV set and turning to a favorite show. As soon as the words I have already written show up on my laptop screen, the characters come alive and I begin to put them through scenarios, conversations and actions, in which I think they might involve themselves. It is like daydreaming, and all I have to do is write down the words.
In his book "Misery", Stephen King talks about finding the hole in the paper as a writer, and going through that hole to become an observer to the story. I suppose I find the hole in the monitor and do the same thing. In some cases I write a few thousand words without realizing how far I have advanced the story. When I have to force a story, it is never the same.
In his book "Misery", Stephen King talks about finding the hole in the paper as a writer, and going through that hole to become an observer to the story. I suppose I find the hole in the monitor and do the same thing. In some cases I write a few thousand words without realizing how far I have advanced the story. When I have to force a story, it is never the same.
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