Ask the Author: Dean Whitlock
Answered Questions (5)
Dean Whitlock
My inspirations come in two forms: story ideas and the impetus to sit down and write. They are never the same. The ideas come from chance events, items read or heard, the juxtaposition of happenings that at first glance seem to have no connection. The idea for my first pro SF story, for example, (The Million-Dollar Wound) appeared when I listened to a newscast about the implantation of the first artificial heart right after listening to "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda," by Eric Bogle, an anti-war song in which the main character/narrator loses both legs. It takes me a while - years in some cases - to accumulate the background, setting, characters, and plot points that turn these ideas into stories, but it was actually a very quick process in this case.
As for the impetus to sit down and write, I try to make it a daily thing - an hour at least in the morning - but the press of day-to-day life makes that difficult. I do know that I can't afford to wait for the muse to strike. I have to pull myself to my chair by the scruff of the neck, grab my wrist and make my hand open the file, force my eyes to read the last scene. Once I'm there, the inspiration almost invariably hits.
As for the impetus to sit down and write, I try to make it a daily thing - an hour at least in the morning - but the press of day-to-day life makes that difficult. I do know that I can't afford to wait for the muse to strike. I have to pull myself to my chair by the scruff of the neck, grab my wrist and make my hand open the file, force my eyes to read the last scene. Once I'm there, the inspiration almost invariably hits.
Dean Whitlock
The fame and fortune, of course.
Seriously, the best thing is creating new worlds, new characters, new plots, and being the very first person in the world to read these books. Of course, seeing and hearing how people have enjoyed my books is also a very big plus.
Seriously, the best thing is creating new worlds, new characters, new plots, and being the very first person in the world to read these books. Of course, seeing and hearing how people have enjoyed my books is also a very big plus.
Dean Whitlock
I write something else for awhile. Or I go back to the start of the chapter and start editing it. Or I write a stream-of-consciousness "plot synopsis" of the next scene - letting it spew out, bad grammar and all, with no hindrance from my onboard editor/censor/critic/jerk. The important thing is to keep writing. You can always fix it in the rewrites.
Dean Whitlock
Read every chance you get. Read good books, in more than one genre. Write the kind of books you love to read - but make sure you do your research. Write every day. If you can't write a lot, at least write a little. It should be on your schedule in ink, not pencil. Try to make it the kind of habit that nags at you when you can't do it, and that makes you feel good when you clear the desk and get back to it. Rewrite as carefully as you write, then rewrite again. Treasure your first readers, and don't get mad at your editors. Make rewriting just as creative - and fun - as writing the first draft.
Dean Whitlock
I have several books in process: I'm preparing to publish an ebook edition of RAVEN, to be followed by an ebook of FIREBOY - the third book in the Carver's World series and never before published! I'm also editing the first draft of a book set on an ocean liner in 1978, and I'm plotting out a science fiction novel very loosely based on the fairy tale about Rapunzel. Too many stories, so little time!
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