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Neil Ellis Orts

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August 2008

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https://www.goodreads.com/neilellisorts

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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Neil Ellis Orts The germ of Cary & John came to me decades ago, probably before I was even out to myself as a gay man. One of the advice letters (Ann or Abby, I don't…moreThe germ of Cary & John came to me decades ago, probably before I was even out to myself as a gay man. One of the advice letters (Ann or Abby, I don't recall which or maybe if there was even another) ran a letter from an older man who was writing just to express his secret grief. It seems many years earlier, he'd been on a business trip with a co-worker. During that trip, sharing hotel rooms and whatnot, they fell in love. I don't recall the details, exactly, but I believe they were both married and kept their love affair a secret for a long time. One of them had died and the other didn't have a way to grieve in a public way. I was probably morally appalled at the affair, but the image of this sad, lonely man, writing an advice column just to so someone knew of his grief touched me.

Then a few years ago, something or other spurred an image of a conservative woman learning of her deceased father's homosexuality. It came to me as a very strong image and I knew it was the start of a story. It took me a while to find the details (how did she find out? what would a dead man would leave behind to reveal this?), but eventually, I just started writing letters between these men.

There's always more to the start of a story than what I described above, but that's the broad strokes of its genesis. (less)

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How do you deal with writer’s block?

Neil Ellis Orts Depends upon what you mean by "writer's block."

If it means sitting in front of a blank sheet of paper or computer screen without knowing what to writ…moreDepends upon what you mean by "writer's block."

If it means sitting in front of a blank sheet of paper or computer screen without knowing what to write, I can't say I have that problem.

What I experience more are periods when the writing stinks, when I can't seem to write much of anything that I would ever want to show anyone. That feels like a block to me.

And the only way to deal with it? Keep writing. (less)

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Neil Ellis Orts’s books

Average rating: 4.36 · 66 ratings · 18 reviews · 16 distinct works

	Charmed Lives: Gay Spirit in Storytelling by Toby Johnson (Editor/Contributor), Sterling Houston, Bill Blackburn 4.14 avg rating — 29 ratings — published 2006 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sky Songs II: Spiritual SF by Steve Stanton (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Cherith Baldry (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Andrew M. Seddon (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 4.70 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 2005	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	cary and john really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2014	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Able To... it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2006	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Hidden Gifts it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2004	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Watch And Pray 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 1996	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Thirty-six Echoes 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2006	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cary and John 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cary and John 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Body of grace 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars