Ask the Author: P.L. Doss
Answered Questions (7)
P.L. Doss
When I was in my early teens, a friend of mine was found dead in his backyard, strangled by a tire swing. The death was ruled accidental, but I was very troubled by it, and it had a big impact on my life. I later used elements of that boy's death in Enough Rope.
P.L. Doss
I get inspired by things I read in the newspaper (often political) and stories I hear from friends or even someone on an airplane. For instance, the book I'm working on, BLOOD WILL TELL, touches on the illegal immigration issue, which is a hot topic in Atlanta. I'm very interested in the interaction between social classes and races, and Atlanta is the perfect setting to explore that.
P.L. Doss
I love getting lost in the fictional world of my characters. Hours can go by in what seems like a short period of time as I hear their voices in my head and try to capture that on paper. They also "take over" the book from time to time and end up doing things I didn't expect to write.
P.L. Doss
One of my major characters, Tom Halloran, is a trust/estate litigator who handles clients like Anna Nicole Smith. I thought it would be interesting to create a plot that involves the young widow of an older, wealthy man in Atlanta whose family is trying to get his will overturned.
P.L. Doss
BLOOD WILL TELL, the second book in my mystery series. Hollis Joplin and Tom Halloran return as major characters, but it introduces a new character, Jimmy Hernandez, who's a bloodstain analyst. He hates it when anyone asks if he watches "Dexter."
P.L. Doss
Believe in yourself and keep writing. Listen to people--agents, friends, etc. who look at your work--and be open to criticism, but trust your own vision and instincts.
P.L. Doss
If the block has to do with a plot or character issue, I go for a walk and let my right hemisphere deal with it. If I just don't know how to start something, I sit down at the computer anyway and write. Even if I have to throw out most of it, I usually get a little piece of something I can use.
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Apr 25, 2017 08:40AM · flag