Ask the Author: Vincent Berg
Answered Questions (13)
Vincent Berg
Anything NOT related to the current president, our current political and health crisis! For me, fiction generally opens one to discuss 'big picture' topics, without getting weighed down by the slow daily grind of utterly depressing facts.
Though, as I've said elsewhere, I'm generally more curious where my own stories are going, than in where other authors may take theirs. So I typically focus on creating all-new worlds, rather than escaping into someone else's.
Though, as I've said elsewhere, I'm generally more curious where my own stories are going, than in where other authors may take theirs. So I typically focus on creating all-new worlds, rather than escaping into someone else's.
Vincent Berg
He awoke on day, realizing the world he'd always thought he knew, wasn't what was really happening, and the realization affects how he responds to everything else in his life. A sentiment I expect many can relate to during the current Covid-19 epidemic. ;)
Vincent Berg
Alas, I'm always my curious about exploring my own imaginary worlds, than in exploring someone else's. While I enjoy a wide variety of books, I try to keep clear of any books which might affect how my story will unfold on it's one.
Vincent Berg
I'm not sure about mysteries, but every author borrows pieces of themselves, what they've experienced or personal accounts from authors. My latest book, "The Demons Within", while science-fiction, details much of what I've learned about both mental health issues, the 'alternative health' movement, and traditional mental health 'experts', which I weaved into a story about invisible dragons, demons and fairies.
In my "Catalyst" series, the eventual fate of the protagonist, Alex, was flavored by my experiences with a progressive disease, Type 1 diabetes.
Since I write science-fiction, most of my mysteries focus on 'unknown' forces which the characters attempt to unravel so real-life mysteries may not apply.
In my "Catalyst" series, the eventual fate of the protagonist, Alex, was flavored by my experiences with a progressive disease, Type 1 diabetes.
Since I write science-fiction, most of my mysteries focus on 'unknown' forces which the characters attempt to unravel so real-life mysteries may not apply.
Vincent Berg
Write, write, write. Stop, read, edit a little, and then get back to writing.
It doesn't even matter what you write. If you're stuck for inspiration, shopping lists or describing characters you encounter on the bus count. Writing is a learned talent that degrades quickly. Years of effort are diminished within weeks if you DON'T write every day. What's more, the best story won't count for much if it's not told well. Thus you need to be 'in practice' for when inspiration eventually hits.
Reading also helps (as does constant revisions), but never in the genre you're currently writing in, as the works you read will ultimately filter into your own writing, and your story will sound like you borrowed heavily from other authors.
It doesn't even matter what you write. If you're stuck for inspiration, shopping lists or describing characters you encounter on the bus count. Writing is a learned talent that degrades quickly. Years of effort are diminished within weeks if you DON'T write every day. What's more, the best story won't count for much if it's not told well. Thus you need to be 'in practice' for when inspiration eventually hits.
Reading also helps (as does constant revisions), but never in the genre you're currently writing in, as the works you read will ultimately filter into your own writing, and your story will sound like you borrowed heavily from other authors.
Vincent Berg
That's a tough one, as I don't often read 'couple's stories', but rather 'one man's' stories as he struggles to overcome adversity. There might be romance involved, but it's rarely the major driving force in the story, it's more the icing on the cake.
That's probably why the romances of my main characters tend to occupy relatively minor subplots. While they define the characters, and what they're facing, once the characters figure out they're madly in love, I tend to drop it to focus on the main crisis resolution.
That's probably why the romances of my main characters tend to occupy relatively minor subplots. While they define the characters, and what they're facing, once the characters figure out they're madly in love, I tend to drop it to focus on the main crisis resolution.
Vincent Berg
The best thing about being a writer is directing where stories go. Instead of simply following a story from beginning to end, I can twist it around, through in roadblocks, take it down several backroads, and still end up at my planned conclusion. This allows me, as an author, to address many issue not normally addressed in other stories, as well as enriching the stories themselves.
Using my most recent book, "Zombie Leza", as an example, I wanted to write a zombie alternative, one in which zombies not only exist, but which explores what they're capable of, and why. It digs down beyond traditional zombie lore and explores where a zombie virus might originate from, what drives the zombies to behave as they do, and then follows that information into what the future of a zombie apocalyse might look like. Likewise, my "Great Death" series took another look at post-apocalyptic stories, asking what would happen if, rather than fighting one another over the spoils after the world as we know it ends, if everyone simply wanted to be left alone, how it would impact the story. If you begin after the apocalypse, you miss at least half the story. By beginning with the apocalypse itself, the story story evolves on its own.
Using my most recent book, "Zombie Leza", as an example, I wanted to write a zombie alternative, one in which zombies not only exist, but which explores what they're capable of, and why. It digs down beyond traditional zombie lore and explores where a zombie virus might originate from, what drives the zombies to behave as they do, and then follows that information into what the future of a zombie apocalyse might look like. Likewise, my "Great Death" series took another look at post-apocalyptic stories, asking what would happen if, rather than fighting one another over the spoils after the world as we know it ends, if everyone simply wanted to be left alone, how it would impact the story. If you begin after the apocalypse, you miss at least half the story. By beginning with the apocalypse itself, the story story evolves on its own.
Vincent Berg
Sure. After all, that's why I offer my books into book giveaways. Contact me at my website: vincentberg (at) vincentberg (dot) com, and we can discuss it.
Next time, though, it's probably safer for everyone involved to simply reply to the author directly via goodreads, rather than risking using the public question & answer mechanism. :(
Next time, though, it's probably safer for everyone involved to simply reply to the author directly via goodreads, rather than risking using the public question & answer mechanism. :(
Vincent Berg
Frankly, it was unintentional. While planning the book, I played with both versions, originally including "the" in a smaller offset font. I ended up with "Zombie Leza" for the cover, but when I submitted the book to Amazon, I left the earlier "The" in the title.
I'm not sure whether it'll impact sales, as I can't picture many readers typing the extra word, but I'll have to see. It just proves that you need to double check before clicking the "publish" button.
I'm not sure whether it'll impact sales, as I can't picture many readers typing the extra word, but I'll have to see. It just proves that you need to double check before clicking the "publish" button.
Vincent Berg
I typically get inspired by ideas. Since I mainly focus on science-fiction, whenever I read new information, I try to imagine how it might affect people in unexpected ways. My best stories are a hodge-podge of unrelated information that bounce off each other to produce a rich, hearty stew of original ideas.
Vincent Berg
A new three-book series, "Not-Quite Human". The first book, "The Cuckoo's Progeny", has almost completed the first draft phase. It features a group of individuals, drawn together by forces they don't understand, who realize they aren't like everyone else around them, and even worse, they're not welcome here. They search for where they belong and who they are, looking for a new home to call their own.
Vincent Berg
My most recent book, "Seeing Hope Among the Ashes", follows the other book in my Great Death series. I wrote the first, "Love and Family During the Great Death", as a different take on an existing genre. In it, I explored how a random group of individuals would respond to an apocalypse.
Having written that, it occurred to me that the survivors, having watched their friends and families die, wouldn't seek out others to fight, but would instead hide away and nurse their psyches. That let to "Grappling with Survival".
In the same way, my newest book, "Seeding Hope Among the Ashes", takes the series in a new direction as it leaves the protagonist behind and instead details the adventures of his follows as they attempt to take his cure to others in different cities, attempting to make the reluctant sick in order to save humanity.
Thus each book leads into the next by creating questions in my mind which lead in completely new directions. Alas, "Seeding Hope" is already seeding new directions for a fourth sequel. Except, I've got another four books ahead of it in my publishing schedule!
Having written that, it occurred to me that the survivors, having watched their friends and families die, wouldn't seek out others to fight, but would instead hide away and nurse their psyches. That let to "Grappling with Survival".
In the same way, my newest book, "Seeding Hope Among the Ashes", takes the series in a new direction as it leaves the protagonist behind and instead details the adventures of his follows as they attempt to take his cure to others in different cities, attempting to make the reluctant sick in order to save humanity.
Thus each book leads into the next by creating questions in my mind which lead in completely new directions. Alas, "Seeding Hope" is already seeding new directions for a fourth sequel. Except, I've got another four books ahead of it in my publishing schedule!
Vincent Berg
I've got stories backed up out my Wazoo (whatever that is), so I'm not so blocked as stymied. And I've discovered that, when the story doesn't flow, it's normally a problem with the story itself. In which case, I need to step back and examine what's wrong with the story and how can I restructure it to free the blockage.
I suspect too many authors hit a roadblock, figure there's no way around it, and wallow in helplessness, instead of seeing it as an issue with how they've structured the story itself.
I suspect too many authors hit a roadblock, figure there's no way around it, and wallow in helplessness, instead of seeing it as an issue with how they've structured the story itself.
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