Ask the Author: Deen Ferrell
Answered Questions (8)
Deen Ferrell
Okay, so maybe this isn't a plot for a book, but I am fascinated by how many socks I loose in the wash. I have a half drawer of single socks who somehow lost a mate in the laundry process. In considering, I've come up with three theories:
A) Dissolvable Fabric--It is an international conspiracy by sock manufacturers. They have created a special thread that actually dissolves when some certain ingredient, found in most detergents, and water simultaneously come into contact with it.
B) Time Holes--Okay, so "Cryptic Spaces" is certainly not an award-winning series based on disappearing socks, but the idea of linked holes in the time-space continuum could also offer an explanation. Maybe there is something in the construction of washers, or the way they make clothes spin, that opens microscopic time-holes that suck unsuspecting socks into other dimensions. I am ever on the alert for dinosaur fossils that show one foot to be socked!
C) Self-Aware Thread: Somehow, in the process of weaving cloth, certain strands of thread become self-aware, with one over-riding imperative: escape! They enter the washer vortex determined to "find a way out!"
So, what is your missing sock theory? I'd love to hear from you!
Deen
A) Dissolvable Fabric--It is an international conspiracy by sock manufacturers. They have created a special thread that actually dissolves when some certain ingredient, found in most detergents, and water simultaneously come into contact with it.
B) Time Holes--Okay, so "Cryptic Spaces" is certainly not an award-winning series based on disappearing socks, but the idea of linked holes in the time-space continuum could also offer an explanation. Maybe there is something in the construction of washers, or the way they make clothes spin, that opens microscopic time-holes that suck unsuspecting socks into other dimensions. I am ever on the alert for dinosaur fossils that show one foot to be socked!
C) Self-Aware Thread: Somehow, in the process of weaving cloth, certain strands of thread become self-aware, with one over-riding imperative: escape! They enter the washer vortex determined to "find a way out!"
So, what is your missing sock theory? I'd love to hear from you!
Deen
Deen Ferrell
Interesting question! My first thought was Karen Blixen and Denys Finch Hatton from "Out of Africa," but then I realized they don't qualify because they aren't fictional. I will say, though, that I find great allure in the tale of the wondering adventurer and the head-strong Countess against the backdrop of an untamed Africa.
On the classic side, I would pick Heathcliff and Catherine from Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights." Having spent time in Scotland and England, I am somewhat familiar with the terrain the story grew out of. Heathcliff is hard and dangerous, like the craggy rocks, and Catherine is wild and untamed, like the wild grasses and vines of the moor. Such a hauntingly intimate tale of the passions and pain unrequited love can inspire.
On a more fun note, Tiffany Aching and Rob Anybody from Terry Pratchett's "Wee Free Men," and Artemis Fowl and Holly Short from Eon Colfer's Artemis Fowl series, come to mind. If you haven't read either, you've a treat in store as these stories give a new twist to the "lover's from different worlds" theme.
Lastly, looking to more modern fiction, I am a fan of Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon series. Gabriel and his wife, Chiara Allon, have intriguing back stories, re-pleat with mystery, danger, and heart wrenching pathos. The commitment they feel to each other, the way they balance life and love against a back drop of high culture and international intrigue, forms a delicate dance that literally flows off the page, making me think, this is what real romance is all about.
On the classic side, I would pick Heathcliff and Catherine from Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights." Having spent time in Scotland and England, I am somewhat familiar with the terrain the story grew out of. Heathcliff is hard and dangerous, like the craggy rocks, and Catherine is wild and untamed, like the wild grasses and vines of the moor. Such a hauntingly intimate tale of the passions and pain unrequited love can inspire.
On a more fun note, Tiffany Aching and Rob Anybody from Terry Pratchett's "Wee Free Men," and Artemis Fowl and Holly Short from Eon Colfer's Artemis Fowl series, come to mind. If you haven't read either, you've a treat in store as these stories give a new twist to the "lover's from different worlds" theme.
Lastly, looking to more modern fiction, I am a fan of Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon series. Gabriel and his wife, Chiara Allon, have intriguing back stories, re-pleat with mystery, danger, and heart wrenching pathos. The commitment they feel to each other, the way they balance life and love against a back drop of high culture and international intrigue, forms a delicate dance that literally flows off the page, making me think, this is what real romance is all about.
Deen Ferrell
Focus on the characters. Plot points begin and end there for me. Usually, I have found that writer's block occurs when I try to take the story in a direction that the characters don't want to go. As I step back and say, "Okay, what would you do?" I find the answers come and the block goes away.
Deen Ferrell
Sharing hope. Encouraging, entertaining, and inspiring those who read you. Feeling like you, your characters, and your readers are all on a GRAND ADVENTURE together!
Deen Ferrell
Write, read, observer, repeat. Write from your passion! When you really come to love your characters, my experience is that THEY push YOU. Most of the time, I feel like I'm just running to keep up.
Deen Ferrell
I am currently putting the final touches on "Cryptic Spaces: Dark Edge Rising," the third book in the award-winning Cryptic Spaces series. It is scheduled to come out in late summer. You think the first two books were full of adventure--this one will blow you away!
Deen Ferrell
Well, reading is one way. I read probably 60-80 books a year. Also, just observing people and the world around. Leonardo Da Vinci once stated that every piece of raw marble brought into his shop had a beautiful sculpture locked inside it--his job as an artist was to see it and unlock it. I feel the same way about stories in the world around us--it is my job as an artist to see them and unlock them for the wonder and enjoyment of others.
Deen Ferrell
At the mall, actually. It was 2 story, with a winding staircase and glass walls, and a sun-dog was shining down through gray clouds to illuminate a hidden corner under the stairs. I got to thinking about hidden spaces all around us in the world, and what if they were all somehow connected? That was the kernel that grew into Cryptic Spaces.
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