Ask the Author: Deb Brammer
Answered Questions (7)
Deb Brammer
Hi Sandy. Thanks for the encouraging words. I've been writing this kind of book since 1994, though this is my first adult fiction book. I'm working on the sequel to Broken Windows and, all going well, would like to publish it in another year or so. You might want to check out my website/blog (http://www.DebBrammer.com) or my Facebook Author Page (http://tinyurl.com/DebBrammer-facebook ) My book Edges of Truth: The Mary Weaver Story, reads like fiction but is the true story of an innocent caregiver who was accused of first-degree murder.
Deb Brammer
Ideas are like muscles; the more you use them, the more they grow. I look for ideas wherever I go. Plot ideas can come from life, the news, or other stories. I take a seed idea and think of all the other ways that story could play out.
Character ideas can come from people I meet, but if I know the person I always change the character so much they aren’t recognizable in the book. I try to stay away from stock characters like the sports jock and head cheerleader type. On the opposite side I avoid the stereotypical nerd who’s smart, wears glasses, has allergies, and gets picked on all the time. I want my characters to be real, ordinary people who deal with common problems in life.
Issues that move my emotions can also be good starting points for stories.
When I read or watch a story I like, I analyze why I like it and how the things I like could transfer to another story. I cultivate ideas by collecting them, analyzing them, talking about them, and using the best of them. I think about ideas so much that I can hardly shut them out of my mind. I may struggle to figure out how to make my plot work a certain way, but I never lack for things to write about.
Character ideas can come from people I meet, but if I know the person I always change the character so much they aren’t recognizable in the book. I try to stay away from stock characters like the sports jock and head cheerleader type. On the opposite side I avoid the stereotypical nerd who’s smart, wears glasses, has allergies, and gets picked on all the time. I want my characters to be real, ordinary people who deal with common problems in life.
Issues that move my emotions can also be good starting points for stories.
When I read or watch a story I like, I analyze why I like it and how the things I like could transfer to another story. I cultivate ideas by collecting them, analyzing them, talking about them, and using the best of them. I think about ideas so much that I can hardly shut them out of my mind. I may struggle to figure out how to make my plot work a certain way, but I never lack for things to write about.
Deb Brammer
I've been working on two books for the last 4 years and haven't had to worry about that. If I'm not working on a book and want to write articles, I find out what a publisher needs and work to find topics or stories that will fit that publication.
Deb Brammer
1. Don’t start your writing for publication with a book. Work to get articles and short stories published by traditional publishers first. This will teach you a lot about writing, help you build an audience, and help you earn your dues as a writer. I’m sure I had at least 50 articles and short stories published before I published my first book. This really helped me understand what is expected in writing for publication.
2. Study your craft. My website gives over 30 articles with writing tips. You can find them here: http://debbrammer.com/writers-circle/.... They will get you started. For fiction writers, I recommend Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell and Self-editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King. These days anyone can self-publish a book, but that doesn’t mean everyone should. If you rush to publication without understanding the basics of writing for publication, you will be disappointed with the results and label yourself as an amateur. Once you’ve earned that label, you may have a hard time shaking it, even when you have become a better writer.
2. Study your craft. My website gives over 30 articles with writing tips. You can find them here: http://debbrammer.com/writers-circle/.... They will get you started. For fiction writers, I recommend Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell and Self-editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King. These days anyone can self-publish a book, but that doesn’t mean everyone should. If you rush to publication without understanding the basics of writing for publication, you will be disappointed with the results and label yourself as an amateur. Once you’ve earned that label, you may have a hard time shaking it, even when you have become a better writer.
Deb Brammer
As a fiction writer you get to make up your own little story world. You get to create people and make them do what you want. You get them into trouble and out again. You get to play around with ideas and try different things and see what happens. It’s like playing house when you’re a kid only you never have to grow up.
Deb Brammer
I’m working on the third in the Keyhole Mysteries with a working title of "I Scream." It deals with Destiny, a child prodigy in abstract art who achieves sudden fame at the age of six. Jordan becomes her agent, though he's not convinced her work is worthy of the attention it's getting. The book deals with issues like these: How can you judge abstract art objectively? Is abstract art bogus? What role does marketing play in a Christian's desire to serve God with art? Jordan is forced to divide his time between his young client, his fiancee, his job, and solving the mystery.
Deb Brammer
For Broken Windows I started with four adults in their twenties, committed Christians and unlikely companions, who are thrown together to sort out the mysteries of life. They want to trust God, but are confused about issues like failure and understanding God when life doesn’t make sense. The story grew into a mystery. Once it was completed, I let it set a few years and then came back to it to make it a stronger mystery. During that time I read about Banksy, the famous graffiti artist whose anonymous stencilled images became famous and valuable. He inspired the Zaxx character in Broken Windows which I felt added a lot of fun and mystery.
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Feb 23, 2015 08:21PM · flag
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