Ask the Author: John D. Sperry
Answered Questions (7)
John D. Sperry
My most recent book, the one I'm still writing, is an idea that I sort of stole from the Dave Matthew's Band in their song "The Dreaming Tree". I won't say anymore, but you can look up the song and get a feel for the emotion of the book.
John D. Sperry
I find inspiration in everything around me. If I could find the time to write, I could probably write four to five books a year based solely on little things that I see and hear on a daily basis. These can be things from a newspaper headline that I ready incorrectly, to a friend's dream, to a discussion with my wife or children about a problem we face in the world.
John D. Sperry
My mother was adopted in 1957 to parents who were already in their mid thirties. The story is that my grandmother could not have children, but following her death, there was a lot of doubt about the story my mother was told, and a few interesting facts sprang up to suggest that my grandmother's life, before my mother's birth, was quite out of the ordinary.
John D. Sperry
I have three current projects. The first is a retelling of the classic story of Aladdin. Inspired by the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, this retelling takes place on a futuristic Earth where power motivates and technology rules.
I'm also working on a story called The Dreaming Tree about a boy who sees the dreams of his town like little clouds of light resting above each house. When the tree that creates the dreams dies, he and a new friend must go on an adventure to find the seed keeper and bring back a new dreaming tree seed.
The third piece I'm more or less plotting right now is a legal thriller about two firms of lawyers in Washington D.C. who use a controversial machine to see into the closest alternate past realities of their clients' crimes to determine the severity of their punishments. When a young, new lawyer to the city tries out the machine, something goes terribly wrong and he is suddenly under scrutiny for the a possible murder he may commit in the future.
I'm also working on a story called The Dreaming Tree about a boy who sees the dreams of his town like little clouds of light resting above each house. When the tree that creates the dreams dies, he and a new friend must go on an adventure to find the seed keeper and bring back a new dreaming tree seed.
The third piece I'm more or less plotting right now is a legal thriller about two firms of lawyers in Washington D.C. who use a controversial machine to see into the closest alternate past realities of their clients' crimes to determine the severity of their punishments. When a young, new lawyer to the city tries out the machine, something goes terribly wrong and he is suddenly under scrutiny for the a possible murder he may commit in the future.
John D. Sperry
For aspiring writers, I say just keep writing. Just like any skill or talent, you will never get better by quitting. Practice makes you better.
John D. Sperry
This may sound like something out of the Twilight Zone, but the best part about being a writer is being a creator. I love being able to build worlds and create new and individualized people. I feel that as I write I get to know the places and people I have created and it becomes real to me.
John D. Sperry
When I find I have a really stubborn block, I try to take a break and read. Sometimes I will go back and read my own work--generally the work that has blocked me--or I will read someone else's work. When I read the work of another author, it often inspires me and helps me through the block. This has proven effective on a few occasions.
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