Ask the Author: Terry Perrel
Answered Questions (6)
Terry Perrel
A sentence uttered by my father, something I could not wrap my mind around. I had to make up a story to make sense of what he said. So I went from hearing one sentence to writing 425 pages, and, in doing so, I learned a lot about history, music, TV, and the lives of four women, all whom I created. (Oh, so this is another benefit of writing. You get to play God until the characters take over and write the story.)
Terry Perrel
Reading the obituaries. Everyone has a story, but few people understand what's truly interesting about their lives.
Terry Perrel
I'm editing my second novel, The Wyatt Sisters' Songs of Sorrow, which is set in Virginia Beach, VA and Greenwich Village in 1956. I spent two years researching the period's pop culture as it relates to music and television. Some famous bad boys, such as Dennis Hopper and Charles Bukowski, make cameo appearances.
Terry Perrel
Read well. Read a lot. Learn how to build characters and plot. Join a writers' group. If you can afford to do so, take creative writing classes at the nearest college, or spend a week at a workshop where your stories can be critiqued by an author whose work you admire. Do not take your mother's praise seriously.
Terry Perrel
I can stay in my pajamas and nap when I want. My writing shed if off limits to my family, so no one knows whether in I'm in a writing frenzy or not.
Terry Perrel
I force myself to write, no matter how painful and no matter how terrible the prose, until I hit a stride. The next day I might delete most of what I've written, but one good sentence from the prior day can propel me and the story to move forward. For me, starting a novel is always harder than beginning a short story.
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