Ask the Author: Christopher Church
Answered Questions (9)
Christopher Church
The mystery I’m faced with on a daily basis that would make a good plot for a novel is time dilation. When I’m working on something engaging, time loses all perspective, and there’s never enough of it. I’m interrupted to learn that it’s dinnertime, even though I sat down moments ago to get into a project, or that it’s well past midnight, and I’m not quite ready to quit for the night. I’ve heard this phenomenon called creative flow, as in, time flows when you’re engaged. But to me it seems more like time evaporating, a whole afternoon or evening just—gone. My protagonist engages in time travel a lot, which causes other issues for him, but perhaps I’ll get him lost in the flow of his work. I’d definitely be writing from experience. I’m looking forward to Mystery Week on Goodreads to find out what other writers are doing with this idea.
Christopher Church
Nick and Nora Charles. They have adorable chemistry, and an implicit mutual trust that gets them through all the bumps and the unexpected. I don't think Hammett intended them to be witty and urbane in his work, but on film they become something else. A lot of that might be about William Powell and Myrna Loy. In any case, their rapport is enviable!
Christopher Church
Reach for the Sky is available on Google Play Books as well as Barnes and Noble, and the Kobo store, among other etailers; hopefully one of those places is compatible with your device. One way to find it quickly at any vendor is by using the ebook ISBN number, 978-1-942267-12-6. Thanks for your interest!
Christopher Church
In recent years I've been taken aback to find that Los Angeles is still quite segregated. There are neighborhoods that people never visit because the residents don't look like they do, despite the vibrancy to be found there. The city's Leimert Park neighborhood, for example, where a good chunk of the action in Signs Point to Yes occurs, is statistically 80% to 90% African American, but many white Angelenos have never heard of it and have never been there. My thinking is that one way to move segregation firmly into the past is to ignore our differences and focus on what we have in common. This doesn't have to be a threat to anyone's cultural identity, and I think it comes through in Signs Point to Yes that things like skin color and where we live are unimportant details.
Christopher Church
I talk to new people, look at interesting architecture, read the news, and think about unusual and memorable experiences I've had in my life.
Christopher Church
I'm working on the next book in the Mason Braithwaite series. Mason is going to have some more intense psychic experiences that I hope will help develop his character. Ned and Peggy will be around too, of course.
Christopher Church
I took Maya Angelou's advice to heart, and it helped me a lot. She advised aspiring writers to take time to write every day, even if you later discard everything you wrote that day. I would add, do it even if you don't feel like it that day. It helps develop an effective habit and also helps hone the skill of writing. Fine artists call it "brush mileage," developing better skill over time by continually doing it.
Christopher Church
Creating ideas that people upload directly into their minds—and then hearing from readers what they think about those ideas.
Christopher Church
The best way I've found to stimulate creativity is to go out into the world and see something new. For me this usually means visiting some part of the city that I don't know very well and walking around, maybe grabbing a coffee. Physical exercise is also a great way for me to get inspired; nothing beats a bicycle ride down the LA River bike path to Long Beach.
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