Ask the Author: Russ Hall
Answered Questions (8)
Russ Hall
I would climb into Huck Finn's world and float down the Mississippi. I would have sailed with Richard Dana's Two Years Before the Mast, but that would have been a lot of work and climbing around on wet ropes in a cold hard wind.
Russ Hall
Woke up in America. Virus was everywhere.
Russ Hall
The next Al Quinn book, "Never Look Back in Texas," takes he and Fergie down into the Rio Grand Valley of lower East Texas to look for a missing man. They deal with a number of former high school classmates, and moreover must confront a cartel-connected nest of MS-13 gangbangers. I love to do research on books, and for this one I did a lot of digging and reading of some pretty chilling data and stories.
Russ Hall
People who read a lot say the stories take them places and sweep them away from the everyday humdrum. Writers get to ride the creative process and go all that, and go anywhere they want, and do it wearing the kind of clothes they might wear for gardening.
Russ Hall
Aside from the standard "read a lot and write a lot," I would say learn to savor the revision and polishing process and not fight it or hate it.
Russ Hall
If I can think of characters who interest me, who I'd like to be around, and find stories that intrigue me, I have all I need to get going and write away.
Russ Hall
The news in the media gives me germs that when mingled let me cut to the chase of a story. In "Making it Rain in Texas" I was intrigued by tales of a Chupacabra haunting the Texas ranches at night. I mixed in with that the story of a prominent man accused of sexually abusing women. Then on to stories of scam artist of all kinds bilking the public for money. Stirred, not shaken, and I had the threads of a gripping story to share.
Russ Hall
I always have ideas. I mean stuff is going on all around us that is interesting. I leap into a book idea at a moment of tension that shows as much as possible about the emotions of characters and keep on writing. No book is perfect the first time through so revision, thinking, revision, and polishing usually takes far longer than the first draft. When that book is off to the public, on to the next book-sized idea.
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