Ask the Author: John Hennessy
Answered Questions (13)
John Hennessy
It's not a million miles away Kate, maybe 10-15 miles. Lovely part of the city :) Hope you are enjoying California now!
John Hennessy
England, in the heart of the West Midlands
John Hennessy
Hi Erin, thank you for the question. I do like to write horror stories the most. I like writing wicked vampires in the traditional sense of the word, and I love writing paranormal horror survival stories like Dark Winter which are often not as bleak as they may seem. They may deal with dark issues, a serial killer, undead demons, the occult, witchcraft, friendships and perceived betrayal between friends. Growing up, becoming an adult, and the responsibilities that come with age.
But I could not say which is my favourite book, and I will be broadening out my writing genres in 2016. Horror will always be my favourite though.
I hope if you read any of my books that you will love them. Thanks again for your interest.
But I could not say which is my favourite book, and I will be broadening out my writing genres in 2016. Horror will always be my favourite though.
I hope if you read any of my books that you will love them. Thanks again for your interest.
John Hennessy
I'm currently checking the draft for my suspense thriller / horror chiller Clara's Song. The original idea came from a 'true' story of someone knocking down someone in the road, only for this person to turn out to be a vengeful ghost that haunted the area.
Loosely taking that idea forward, I put the principal characters in marital chaos, and the whole book is a dark romance, horror chiller, and a 'whodunit and why' to a large extent. Unlike my other books, it is likely to be a one-off, standalone story.
Loosely taking that idea forward, I put the principal characters in marital chaos, and the whole book is a dark romance, horror chiller, and a 'whodunit and why' to a large extent. Unlike my other books, it is likely to be a one-off, standalone story.
John Hennessy
I simply write when I can. I try to write 1000 good words in one sitting, but if it flows, I can write anything north of 2,000. I can write any time of the day, but find early morning is better than last thing at night for me. I'm not nocturnal - unless there's a deadline looming! Motivation, now that's more tricky. I think if one obsesses about sales, reviews, promotion and the like....what needs to be written, will not be written. Word counts tend to get missed not just on a daily basis, but also a weekly one. So I think one must put aside time to do the promotion, networking...and of course reading as well. I will say this though - once book one is written, the process does get easier I believe. I also think discipline at home and on-line is important. People around you must understand what you're trying to achieve, even if they don't support you (well, not until the millions come in :). So unplug the phone, don't answer the door until you have reached your writing goal for that day. Also, I've stopped writing on weekends, keeping it to Monday-Friday only. That way, I can recover over the weekend! In a sentence, I am motivated because I want to be a successful writer, making a moderate living from it. Until I have a breakthrough, I won't stop. The day is coming soon I hope!
John Hennessy
I think the simple answer is - everywhere! Places I visit, books I read, films I see, people I talk to, there is always something to absorb and then put into your writing. I believe this makes it more 'real' and engaging for the reader. Imagination will take you so far, but it has to be backed up by something tangible. Otherwise, what looks real to you as the writer, may appear like a photo negative to a reader. They can see what you're on about, but not with the clarity that you thought you had provided in your storytelling. Pretty much everything inspires me.
John Hennessy
I get to spend time with amazing people. What I mean by that is, I do my absolute best to create characters that become real to me - in the hope that when people read about them in my books, they become real to them. Some good stories I read would be so much greater if character development was there. I do what I can to ensure each story has a strong plot and and engaging characters. If a writer loves being amongst these characters and their worlds, readers will say 'I enjoyed that too'. That's the best thing about being a writer.
John Hennessy
Since I was a young boy, I have always had ideas in my head. Any toys I played with would be placed in dramatic storylines (!) and I had great fun as a youngster. These days, writing a full length novel requires a lot of thought and planning that goes way beyond the initial idea - though I admit that the 'initial idea' can be something small that develops into something really special.
I have travelled abroad a lot, so there is always something from those experiences that I can draw inspiration from. But my own country of England has so many treasures that I have yet to discover, and it is these elements that help me shape a story.
In short, I am inspired to write because I enjoy writing. I will try and enjoy other elements, such as editing, proofreading and so on, but I would rather just write. That's just so much more fun to do.
I have travelled abroad a lot, so there is always something from those experiences that I can draw inspiration from. But my own country of England has so many treasures that I have yet to discover, and it is these elements that help me shape a story.
In short, I am inspired to write because I enjoy writing. I will try and enjoy other elements, such as editing, proofreading and so on, but I would rather just write. That's just so much more fun to do.
John Hennessy
I've been fortunate so far that I have not had the dreaded writer's block. I have loads of ideas, it's just a case of getting them out of my brain, and onto the screen. Sometimes, if I am going over a scene, I need to think it through and make sure that it works. A single scene could take days to write if it is not thought through. I don't count that as writer's block. But it simply means I must do other things in order to leave the scene, then come back to it, knowing with full confidence that I can make it work.
John Hennessy
Thanks for the question Bill. I think we would all love more sales, but GoodReads is more about exposure. I think the giveaway program helps with exposure, which in turn, helps with sales. I think it would be wrong to say only one element of marketing or self promo would work on its own. It has to be a combination of many factors. So I would go with a giveaway, but truly one needs to network more, through the groups, through friends, through active reviewers and of course, other authors.
John Hennessy
When the writing flows, there is few better feelings in life. I'm sure you know that too Adriana. All I want to do is tell some stories and when it goes well, there is nothing else I'd rather be doing. I am especially motivated now as I have many projects on the go, but my focus is clear, as is the roadmap for those projects. I wish you well in your writing projects too Adriana. Thanks for the question.
John Hennessy
Aspiring is an interesting and positive word. It says that at somepoint in the future, the idea, the dream will be realised. However, I feel that you cannot 'aspire' to be something - not when it comes to writers. When I was younger, I 'aspired' to be a great martial artist. Did I reach that goal? I prefer to let my students and (non-fiction) readers be the judge of that. But for writers...I believe you either are a writer, or you are not. You cannot aspire to be one in the most basic sense. I believe that if you write, you are a writer, whether or not you are published, independent, just starting out, or have written your fiftieth book.
Shakespeare didn't need a publishing platform. He just wrote. Quill, ink and paper. Same for Jane Austen. That was it. So just write if you want to, and enjoy the experience. Writers write and cats miaow. It's a short life, so for sake of God...just get on with whatever makes you happy. And I promise you...writing is one of the most fulfilling things you will ever do. And if you don't write...read. It's just as wonderful!
Shakespeare didn't need a publishing platform. He just wrote. Quill, ink and paper. Same for Jane Austen. That was it. So just write if you want to, and enjoy the experience. Writers write and cats miaow. It's a short life, so for sake of God...just get on with whatever makes you happy. And I promise you...writing is one of the most fulfilling things you will ever do. And if you don't write...read. It's just as wonderful!
John Hennessy
I'm working on a vampire series called Murderous Little Darlings, this first of which I'm aiming to bring out around Halloween 2014, but it's penned for a slightly later release. If I can bring it forward, I will!
Synopsis here:-
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
As I have been in the Dark Winter / Stormling world for some years now, it's wonderful to write something completely new, exciting and it's been a joy to write. If I'm having a good time writing it, my hope is that you the readers will enjoy it too.
So keep writing, reading, blogging...enjoying life. It's far too short not to!
Synopsis here:-
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
As I have been in the Dark Winter / Stormling world for some years now, it's wonderful to write something completely new, exciting and it's been a joy to write. If I'm having a good time writing it, my hope is that you the readers will enjoy it too.
So keep writing, reading, blogging...enjoying life. It's far too short not to!
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