Ask the Author: Stephen M. Holak
Answered Questions (7)
Stephen M. Holak
A very short answer: Tad Williams' "Otherland," obviously for the scope and variety of the VR worlds available to experience. A very close second would be "Revelation Space," (A. Reynolds); I'm a space-opera addict, and that universe is top-of-the-heap.
Stephen M. Holak
I'd have to say Jamie and Claire from the "Outlander " series. I'm not a fan of historical time-travel romance, but Gabaldon does a great job, and those characters are so well realized; their relationship is amazingly realistic, and their interplay is entertaining. Watching the relationship evolve over the series is highly interesting.
Stephen M. Holak
I'll answer this on two levels: strategic and tactical.
But first, my Golden Rule: "Don't edit yourself as you write. Let it flow and revise later. The later, the better." The creative and editor sides of your thought processes are different and conflicting. You can't do both at once productively.
On a strategic level (starting a new project), I pretty much follow the "Snowflake Method" (Google for it) to write out the book's blurb, three-act structure, and scenes. I outline this structure in a tool called Scrivener and do my first scene drafts there, allowing myself to wander if the story and characters change as I go along. I also write out character sketches and backgrounds before I begin. I export to Word after that first draft and do subsequent drafts there until I think it's ready for my editor. Then my editor returns each chapter to me one-by-one and I revise and send it back until we agree it's done.
On a tactical (daily level), I set a goal of 5-15,000 words a week, depending on other life activities, and daily goals of 500 to 2,000 words, track the word count in Scrivener, and write in bursts throughout the day until I reach or exceed the goal. If I'm on a roll, of course I keep going. (I don't bother with word count stuff when I'm in the editing phase; I just keep plogging along.)
I run for fun and fitness; I try to use the running time to brainstorm deeper details of a scene, dialog between characters, or plot twists and storylines to move a scene from ordinary to better. Lots of good stuff come from that.
I make a point to read as much as I can whenever I can, and if a book really works for me try to take it apart and analyse why. All good writers are big readers as well.
Hope that answers your question. Feel free to follow up or ask another.
Thanks for your interest.
Regards
Steve
But first, my Golden Rule: "Don't edit yourself as you write. Let it flow and revise later. The later, the better." The creative and editor sides of your thought processes are different and conflicting. You can't do both at once productively.
On a strategic level (starting a new project), I pretty much follow the "Snowflake Method" (Google for it) to write out the book's blurb, three-act structure, and scenes. I outline this structure in a tool called Scrivener and do my first scene drafts there, allowing myself to wander if the story and characters change as I go along. I also write out character sketches and backgrounds before I begin. I export to Word after that first draft and do subsequent drafts there until I think it's ready for my editor. Then my editor returns each chapter to me one-by-one and I revise and send it back until we agree it's done.
On a tactical (daily level), I set a goal of 5-15,000 words a week, depending on other life activities, and daily goals of 500 to 2,000 words, track the word count in Scrivener, and write in bursts throughout the day until I reach or exceed the goal. If I'm on a roll, of course I keep going. (I don't bother with word count stuff when I'm in the editing phase; I just keep plogging along.)
I run for fun and fitness; I try to use the running time to brainstorm deeper details of a scene, dialog between characters, or plot twists and storylines to move a scene from ordinary to better. Lots of good stuff come from that.
I make a point to read as much as I can whenever I can, and if a book really works for me try to take it apart and analyse why. All good writers are big readers as well.
Hope that answers your question. Feel free to follow up or ask another.
Thanks for your interest.
Regards
Steve
Stephen M. Holak
I'm working on the sequel to THE WINDS OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, titled THE DARK PATHS OF THE WORD--the second book in a series about a man who follows his missing pregnant wife to another universe and discovers his child is central to a power struggle and an ancient prophecy.
I'm also working on a novel about the 1947 Roswell saucer crash; I wanted to bring all the voluminous mythology together the way Justin Cronin did for vampires in THE PASSAGE.
I'm also working on a novel about the 1947 Roswell saucer crash; I wanted to bring all the voluminous mythology together the way Justin Cronin did for vampires in THE PASSAGE.
Stephen M. Holak
Just write. I know it sounds like a cliche, but it takes a million words and thousands of hours to "get it." And read: all the best writers are also voracious readers, and you need to see what others are doing, absorb their techniques and approaches and incorporate them into yours.
One last thing: don't edit yourself when you write. Just let it flow. There's two parts to your writing mind, and they contend--let the story come out and edit the hell out of it later.
One last thing: don't edit yourself when you write. Just let it flow. There's two parts to your writing mind, and they contend--let the story come out and edit the hell out of it later.
Stephen M. Holak
I actually don't get writer's block; I have writer's diarrhea. If I had the energy and time, I could pound out 10,000 words a day. In the rare cases where I struggle with a scene or plotline, I move on to another scene or another project for a bit, or brainstorm / outline a future project. My editor's big on not self-censoring when writing--just let it go. Edit later. Those who try to be perfect in a first draft are those who wind up blocked.
Stephen M. Holak
Connecting with readers. It's a thrill when someone responds to your work--of course praise or a note that a reader enjoyed a story is gratifying, but any feedback at all is always welcome.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more