Ask the Author: Nancy J. Alexander
Answered Questions (6)
Nancy J. Alexander
he long and the short of it is I got my idea for Twisted Realms (release date 10/16) from my years as a psychotherapist. Having worked intensively with severely troubled individuals, I wanted bring them to life and explore what would happen if they acted out some of their deeply repressed and often terrifying fantasies. I wanted to learn more about Elisabeth Reinhardt’s reactions when she and those she loves come face to face with two powerful, disturbed characters. Their lives intertwine dynamically forcing law enforcement and her rescue organization into a dangerous race against time.
Nancy J. Alexander
Writing was a natural progression, emerging from the realization that I have things I want to say, stories I want to tell and existential quandaries I want to explore. As a social worker and psychotherapist, I have worked with many populations including the poor and socially disadvantaged, chronically ill children, mentally ill adults and adult survivors of childhood trauma. As a mental health trainer/educator, I spent years trying to improve the quality of mental health services in public programs. And, as a social advocate, I had years of experience fighting for social, political and legislative change.
Given those experiences, given my innate propensity to generate theories of personal and social philosophy, writing is the natural way to express my views and pass on some of the wisdom and perspective I’ve gleaned through the years.
Given those experiences, given my innate propensity to generate theories of personal and social philosophy, writing is the natural way to express my views and pass on some of the wisdom and perspective I’ve gleaned through the years.
Nancy J. Alexander
Sun Runner, the second book in the Olive Branch series, returns with its charismatic collection of Middle Eastern characters, new mysteries, dilemmas and potential disasters await as we move into their intriguing world. Complete with its own set of social, cultural, moral and geo-political dilemmas, returning to the Olive Branch is as challenging as it is complicated.
Nancy J. Alexander
Let yourself go! Don’t try to write. Let yourself write. Let your mind, your worldview and your own experiences take the lead. Don’t fight with yourself, force yourself or inhibit your creative energies. Your work will be more authentic and have a ring of truth if written by the ‘real you.’
Nancy J. Alexander
It’s fun! Writing is creative because endless possibilities present themselves, as the story unfolds, I love constructing scenarios and ‘watching’ characters develop into full personalities. It’s fascinating to discover how serendipitously plot lines move, connect and simply evolve out of character intention, interactional patterns and opportunity. I enjoy the process of visualization in which multi-dimensional situations are sculpted and how characters put their metaphorical fingers on the keyboard and write their own stories. They continue to amaze me with their fluidity.
Nancy J. Alexander
If I feel blocked, I backtrack a few chapters and see which characters need to say or do something. My books are character driven, so once created, the characters drive the plot. Once I have a sense of where they are headed, I summarize that collection of ideas into a chapter heading. The name of that chapter will then determine the direction of that chapter.
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