Ask the Author: Pate McMichael
Answered Questions (6)
Pate McMichael
Immortality. A great book never dies.
Pate McMichael
I do more research. Or I just chill out and let the story come to me in a natural, subconscious way. The idea that you have to write every day is a terrible piece of advice. It's hard enough without boxing yourself into someone else's idea of what a writer should be. Hemingway said: Stop when you're in a rhythm. Leave something for tomorrow.
Pate McMichael
Pick topics that challenge you. Own the story by doing meticulous research. Tell the story the best way you can and publish it how you see fit. Too many writers try to please publishers and agents, which unfortunately leads to everyone writing the same kind of books. Never hesitate to rewrite what doesn't work and hire a talented copy editor before self-publishing. Everyone needs an editor.
Pate McMichael
I'm currently writing a book about a great untold conspiracy from the 1950s. It involves a labyrinth of private detectives, former US intelligence officers, and a cruel dictator. The research is very complex and fascinating, but it challenges me in the very best way, so I've gone all in. I hope to start writing very soon.
Pate McMichael
I get inspired to write by making discoveries that change what we know about a historical event. In the case of this book, I was inspired to share what I discovered about Ray's obsession with George Wallace and his mysterious choice of counsel. Ray's decision to pick Arthur J. Hanes, head lawyer for the United Klans of America, is the central reason I wrote this book. The mysterious publishing deal that Ray forged with Hanes and journalist William Bradford Huie still gives me the creeps.
Pate McMichael
This book evolved out a magazine article that I wrote for St. Louis Magazine. You can read the article here:
http://www.stlmag.com/The-Plot-to-Kil...
http://www.stlmag.com/The-Plot-to-Kil...
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