Ask the Author: A.R. Simmons
Answered Questions (15)
A.R. Simmons
I am sending you an epub copy of ERASED which will be released around New Years Day. Please note that there are a few small corrections currently being edited out. Thank you.
A.R. Simmons
The old man never intended to take the family secret that he had discovered to the grave with him. What he didn't know—couldn't know was that the secret was headed that way and was dragging him with it.
A.R. Simmons
I’ve read lots of horror, dystopian, and true-crime stories. Having a vivid imagination, I wouldn’t visit any of those worlds willingly. Instead, I’ll travel back to the London of 1898 and seek out a certain mahogany table that reflects the faces of five men sharing claret and listening as Charles Marlow spins tales of the sea, youth and life itself. I’ll sit quietly and listen as that master story-teller (surely he’s Joseph Conrad’s alter ego) transports us aboard a square-rigged mail packet on his first voyage to the East. I anticipate hearing more of his stories.
I’ll sit there silently as befits one whose closest brush with the perils and wonders of the wide sea is through vicarious adventure aboard the Pequod with Ishmael and with Richard Henry Dana as he rounds the horn on the brig Pilgrim.
I’ll sit there silently as befits one whose closest brush with the perils and wonders of the wide sea is through vicarious adventure aboard the Pequod with Ishmael and with Richard Henry Dana as he rounds the horn on the brig Pilgrim.
A.R. Simmons
Believe it or not, I will be reading a slew of books and unpublished manuscripts from young and aspiring writers. I belong a a group of authors, readers, and reviewers that gives feedback and writes reviews gratis. The group is called Bookvetter. If you are interested in this rewarding undertaking, check it out.
https://www.bookvetter.com
I'm currently reading Jonathan Kellerman novels
https://www.bookvetter.com
I'm currently reading Jonathan Kellerman novels
A.R. Simmons
I struggled to find a real mystery in my life that could possibly be the basis of a suspenseful plot. Finally, I settled upon a mysterious occurrence that almost prevented my life from even being, but was the reason for it being. It happened at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Chicago during World War II. My father, a farm boy from these Ozark hills, was one of the "Greatest Generation." He enlisted to serve his country.
He was training as a submariner when a contagion of some kind swept the base. This was before the common use of antibiotics and antivirals. The latest medical treatment was the administration of sulfa drugs. My father was one of the statistically insignificant group that was allergic to them. He suffered a severe reaction. Then, for some unknown reason, he and three other men who had the same reaction were given a second dose of sulfadiazine. He survived, but barely. Although covered with blisters that looked life cigarette burns, he never sought nor would consider asking for compensation for this incident.
This took him out of action for the next fourteen months. During his time in the hospital, a young German-American girl met him. He married my mother just as the war ended.
What do you think? Medical or spy thriller with a romantic twist?
He was training as a submariner when a contagion of some kind swept the base. This was before the common use of antibiotics and antivirals. The latest medical treatment was the administration of sulfa drugs. My father was one of the statistically insignificant group that was allergic to them. He suffered a severe reaction. Then, for some unknown reason, he and three other men who had the same reaction were given a second dose of sulfadiazine. He survived, but barely. Although covered with blisters that looked life cigarette burns, he never sought nor would consider asking for compensation for this incident.
This took him out of action for the next fourteen months. During his time in the hospital, a young German-American girl met him. He married my mother just as the war ended.
What do you think? Medical or spy thriller with a romantic twist?
A.R. Simmons
I have to go to one of my early role models, Marshal Matt Dillon paired with his friend who seemed more than a friend, Kitty Russell. They had a deliberately ambiguous relationship. Was it romantic? Or platonic? Whichever, it worked. Miss Kitty was a shrewd entrepreneur, owner of the Long Branch Saloon. Her moral compass was as precisely set as was Matt's. Their relationship was unusual for the time (the 1950s and 60s). They were equals who shared mutual respect and understated but genuine affection. They were much more progressive than another iconic TV couple of the era, Ward and June Cleaver.
A.R. Simmons
I try to give the reader a vivid setting, an interesting situation, and someone to identify with. It is also important to have strong female characters. I think there is no better hook than to give readers someone precious and then put them at risk. (By the way for POV tags I totally ignore Leonard's "rule" that we shouldn't use anything but "said.")
A.R. Simmons
Pearl, Thanks for the question.
I have to think about this one because the process of projecting a character’s personality for me is an ongoing thing. Characters develop, and just as we get to know real people gradually by seeing, hearing, and interacting with them in a variety of situations, so it is with the people who populate my stories. I try to do it by the dialogue, both what they say and how they say it. Of course, actions speak louder than words, so projecting character by narration has its limitations. Backstory is useful, just like knowing about a real person’s past. However, the immediacy of interaction via dialog and the inner dialog of thoughts is better I think.
I do actually hear my characters speak. I also know that the engaged reader will be able to do that. I try to remember that what I hear and learn about these people will be slightly (or perhaps not so slightly) different from the reader’s. My hope is that I do my job well enough that the reader will care about each character.
I have to think about this one because the process of projecting a character’s personality for me is an ongoing thing. Characters develop, and just as we get to know real people gradually by seeing, hearing, and interacting with them in a variety of situations, so it is with the people who populate my stories. I try to do it by the dialogue, both what they say and how they say it. Of course, actions speak louder than words, so projecting character by narration has its limitations. Backstory is useful, just like knowing about a real person’s past. However, the immediacy of interaction via dialog and the inner dialog of thoughts is better I think.
I do actually hear my characters speak. I also know that the engaged reader will be able to do that. I try to remember that what I hear and learn about these people will be slightly (or perhaps not so slightly) different from the reader’s. My hope is that I do my job well enough that the reader will care about each character.
A.R. Simmons
I start with a general idea of their physical appearance and manner. I begin with people I know, and then I modify them, usually exaggerating their characteristics. After several scenes, I know what they look like, how they sound, and the way they are likely to behave in a given situation. My characters flesh themselves out and become quite real to me.
A.R. Simmons
I observe people, real and fictional.
A.R. Simmons
I edit when I'm creatively fatigued. It may begin as a grammar and style exercise, but it usually gives me ideas and gets me started. Once into a story, I can't wait to write the next scene.
A.R. Simmons
Write every day, and don't be afraid to use both ends of your pencil. It comes with an eraser for good reason. Other than that, exercise your "voice," and then trust it.
A.R. Simmons
One of the most satisfying things for me is to be able to bare my soul through the thoughts and actions of my characters.
A.R. Simmons
I am currently on sabbatical, but will pick up with The Journey Man (Richard Carter #11) in late fall/early winter of 2015. See you in Hawthorn County in 2016.
A.R. Simmons
I get some of my best ideas while driving. One of the places I drove through repeatedly was an old German town in central Missouri, Westphalia. On the highway is an old cemetery where some of the markers are large iron crosses. Putting that together with the frequently encountered roadside memorials to accident victims, I thought of the plot for Road Shrines, a novel about a serial killer's "memory lane."
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more