Ask the Author: J.J. Barnes
Answered Questions (9)
J.J. Barnes
Wow this is a cool question!!!! Mystery in my own life... my mysteries are mostly how to keep a house clean when it's full of children, where all my money goes, and how to get more sleep.
My life is fairly simple and not very mysterious. I work, I raise my children, I love my people. All the mysteries in my life are in my stories, everything else is pretty simple. I avoid drama where possible and put all that energy into creating mysteries for my characters.
My life is fairly simple and not very mysterious. I work, I raise my children, I love my people. All the mysteries in my life are in my stories, everything else is pretty simple. I avoid drama where possible and put all that energy into creating mysteries for my characters.
J.J. Barnes
Claire and Jamie Fraser from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander. There is passion, drama, a huge connection, loyalty and adventure. They're a force to be reckoned with, not without problems, but with such a bond that they come through them. Well I say that... I've not got further than when Claire goes back through the stones and unites with Stupid Frank (spoiler alert) so I am desperately hoping she is able to find Jamie again!!!
J.J. Barnes
Both! With my fiction, my imagination is responsible for the world they're in, the powers they have, the scenarios they end up in. I imagine what story I want to tell, but then once I know that a lot of it is what I know. The fears are what I know and understand, the emotions. The pain and the relationships, they're all taken from elements of my own life experiences and then adapted to suit the characters and scenarios that I've created from imagination. Most of the emotions I write about are my own emotions I've experienced, and because of that I can feel confident that they're true to life. I think that truth makes it easier for readers to emotionally connect to the characters. I was once told to open my veins and bleed all over the page.
J.J. Barnes
Write rubbish. The block is there because I doubt I can write and convince myself that I'm the worst writer ever and nobody will ever enjoy what I do. So what comes out isn't very good because I'm paralysed by that fear. So I just write badly. Even if it's bad writing it's still writing and I can then go back and edit when I've powered through.
J.J. Barnes
Creating worlds and people that I really care about! When I've got a finished product that takes characters on a journey that I'm excited to think about makes me happy that other people will get excited when they read it.
J.J. Barnes
If you don't write you'll never be a writer.
J.J. Barnes
I'm currently working on a first novel in a new series, but within the same universe as my other series. It's a new adult book so older than young adult as I've written before, and has a really scary and monstrous villain. I get to be more adult with my content than usual, so that's fun.
J.J. Barnes
It's easy to inspire me to write, to be honest. My mind is constantly whizzing around and throwing ideas at me, even when I'm busy doing something completely unrelated to writing. The challenge for me isn't being inspired, it's how to pick out the ideas that will work and fit together in a story, and ignoring the rubbish ideas or things that won't fit in the story I'm currently working on.
J.J. Barnes
The idea for my most recent book, Lilly Prospero And The Mermaid's Curse, came from a bad dream I had. I've a real fear of the ocean and the things that live in it, so often have nightmares in that sort of setting. I thought it would be interesting if those living in the ocean had a real and legitimate fear of what lives on land.
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