Q: What first inspired The Captive Condition?

A: The Captive Condition began with two distinct short stories I’d written some years ago. The first concerned a lecherous professor having an affair with his troubled, alcoholic neighbor; the other chronicled the misadventures of two small children who visit a teenaged runaway living in an abandoned barn deep in the woods. From there I began to wonder how these two very different episodes might come together to form a unified narrative. The book evolved, slowly, over the course of two and a half years. The real challenge was getting to know the characters. It’s a bit like approaching a total stranger on the street and trying to develop a lasting friendship. Like the people we encounter in real life, fictional characters are often reluctant to reveal too much of themselves right away, and writers tend to learn about them gradually. There’s some irony to this. Somehow the writer must take these characters into his or her confidence—and then exploit their private experiences for all to see. A total betrayal!

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http://paranormal.suvudu.com/2015/07/...