Ask the Author: Jason McIntire
Answered Questions (5)
Jason McIntire
My earliest memory of trying to write something longer than a school assignment is from when I was about nine or ten years old. My brother and I concocted a wild story idea that grew out of an action figure play, and decided to write it into a book. We worked on it off an on for about ten years, at the end of which we got busy with other things and gave up. Small loss to the literary world - there were a few good scenes found in the manuscript, but overall it was an incoherent mess.
Jason McIntire
Probably the example of my mom, who wrote books for our entertainment in bygone days. Most of my older siblings also dabbled in writing stuff from time to time, so it was pretty natural I'd start wanting a piece of the action sooner or later.
Jason McIntire
In a word: life. I use real-life incidents and personalities like a quilter uses scraps. Very rarely will I include a major element straight from the real world, but nearly everything I write can be traced to something I've learned about, observed, or experienced in my own journey. This holds true, to some extent, even in my as-yet-unpublished Medieval foray. Weapons and technology change a lot over centuries, but people change very little. I'm a student of human behavior in light of God's Word, and that's my inspiration.
Jason McIntire
I'd be honored for you to quote anything I've written on your site. I just checked it out, and I see we have at least one thing in common: I never plan to ride the coasters again at Silver Dollar City either! We might even be related - my grandmother was an Estes (from Texas), so you never know. Thanks for reaching out. :-)
Jason McIntire
Thanks for asking, Olivia. I have some desire to write a third Sparrow book (I actually "miss" the characters like they were real people), but I'm not sure whether I will be able to devote the time - or whether the idea I've got will actually work. Flight School almost didn't; after a year and a half of writing, I came within a breath of giving up because I couldn't see a way to bring it all together. Only pulled it out by the Lord's grace, ministered through my awesome family. It's hard to face the possibility of a near-fiasco like that happening again with Sparrow 3, but such are the perils of pantsing. Sometimes it all snaps right together, and sometimes it doesn't.
In addition, I do have another idea for a totally different kind of novel, a Medieval story that takes place in a country I made up. I've actually written a couple chapters of this (shh! don't tell anyone!) and so far, I kind of like it. Not sure how readers will feel, though 'cause it sure ain't The Sparrow Found a House. General thoughts on that would be welcome, if you have any.
In addition, I do have another idea for a totally different kind of novel, a Medieval story that takes place in a country I made up. I've actually written a couple chapters of this (shh! don't tell anyone!) and so far, I kind of like it. Not sure how readers will feel, though 'cause it sure ain't The Sparrow Found a House. General thoughts on that would be welcome, if you have any.
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