Ask the Author: M. Sean Coleman
Answered Questions (6)
M. Sean Coleman
I've been intrigued by the role of 'Miracle Detective' for years now, and in this story, I finally found a way to let Dr Alex Ripley find her voice. It's partly, originally, inspired by a documentary I saw about a town in New York State where all of the teenage girls seemed to contract Tourette's. I combined that with another theme I like to explore - Faith and religion. I have always held a fascination for exploring people's faith and the kind of things ordinary people can be led into doing because of their faith. The Cuckoo Wood is the first in a series which represents the sum of all that research and curiosity.
M. Sean Coleman
I read and collect a lot of the small ads and skippable stories in the papers. I tend to cut them out and keep them in a notebook for another time. I jot down thoughts I've had, and dreams often throw up starting points for stories for me. It all goes into the journal and slowly my brain filters by re-reading until the idea presents itself clearly. I don't like waiting until I've finished one project before finding the source of the next, if that makes sense. I like the idea of part of my brain working on something in the background while I'm busy working.
M. Sean Coleman
I'm just finishing the final edits on the second Alex Ripley Mystery, called A Hollow Sky. This one sees Alex Ripley heading to North Wales to look into a faith healer... When that's done, I am starting the plotting on a book with the working title No Going Back, which I can pitch as Time Travelers Wife meets Back to the Future, with a bit of Inception thrown in for good measure. It's completely messing with my head!
M. Sean Coleman
Read everything you can in your genre. And write every day. This is key. Even if it's only a paragraph. Writing is a muscle, and it needs to be used and honed. Take criticism calmly and sensibly. Even if you think a reader's comments are unfair, they will probably not be the only one to feel that way about your story, so step back and listen to what they're saying and see how you can use it to make your story better.
M. Sean Coleman
Being able to dabble in any subject matter, or try any job - through your characters, of course. If you can get to the stage where you are earning enough to live on, then the freedom to come and go as you please without having to hold down another job is a true luxury.
M. Sean Coleman
I am quite organised, and I like my little routines, so I don't tend to struggle with writer's block. I start out very simply, writing the plot out in 10-15 bullet points. And then I fill those out onto record cards, and fill in the gaps, slowly expanding, still in note form, until the whole thing is there and makes sense. Only then do I start writing the actual words that readers will read. Even then, I try not to be too precious on the first draft. It's much easier to edit something that exists... If at the writing stage I find a scene or a plot point that is really sticking for me, then I know something about it isn't working, and I go back to the record cards. It means that there is never the pressure of the blank document staring back at you.
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