Q&A with Carter Wilson - Pre-Questions & Answers With 3 Signed Book Offers (USA only) > Likes and Comments
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There will be 3 signed books offered for the best 3 questions (selected by Carter). (USA recipients only)
This is a very generous offer from Carter.Carter Wilson doing a second Q and A for this group.
Thanks for a great read, Carter. I thought it was suspenseful, gripping, and innovative.I have a few questions for you.
When you finish a book, do you immediately start writing another one or do you take some time away from writing?
Have you read anything that made you think differently about fiction?
What is the most difficult part of your writing process?
Can you tell us more about When They Find Me that comes out November 10th?
Because Poe's platform trades anonymity for instant attention, did you design her first as an investigator, a performer, or someone complicit in the same appetite the novel critiques—and did that choice change as the draft developed?
I'm looking forward to today's Q&A session. Carter, there are questions in comments 5 and 6 so far.
PamG wrote: "Thanks for a great read, Carter. I thought it was suspenseful, gripping, and innovative.I have a few questions for you.
When you finish a book, do you immediately start writing another one or do..."
Thanks for the great questions!
I usually start the next book almost immediately. I only write about an hour a day, and honestly it's one of the best parts of my day. I love getting back into that creative headspace, so taking a break has never really appealed to me.
As a reader, I'm always fascinated by how authors structure their stories, especially when it comes to point of view. Right now I'm reading an upcoming novel by Lucinda Berry that uses four different POVs: two in third person past, one in first person past, and one in first person present. It's really interesting to see how those choices affect my connection to each character. Reading like a writer is hard to turn off.
The hardest part of writing is definitely self-doubt. When you've been living inside the same story for months, you lose all perspective on whether it's actually working. That feeling has never gone away, no matter how many books I've published. That's why I value beta readers, my agent, and my editor so much. They help me see the book the way a reader will.
As for When They Find Me, I'd probably get in trouble if I picked a favorite, but this might be my favorite thing I've ever written. It's a home invasion thriller that unfolds over just five hours in a remote Colorado mountain cabin during a blizzard two days before Christmas. The person trapped inside isn't who the intruders think she is... and she may be the most dangerous person in the house.
Vera wrote: "Because Poe's platform trades anonymity for instant attention, did you design her first as an investigator, a performer, or someone complicit in the same appetite the novel critiques—and did that c..."I honestly didn't design Poe to be any of those things because I don't outline, and I never know exactly who my characters are when I start writing. All I knew was that I had this image of a woman who was carrying around a tremendous amount of anger, but I didn't yet know why. As the story unfolded, I discovered, probably about halfway through the draft, that she'd started the podcast as a form of therapy she never received after witnessing her mother's murder. From there, everything else about her fell into place.
Thanks for answering my earlier questions, Carter. Here are a couple more.Can you share where the initial spark for Tell Me What You Did came from?
What themes did you find yourself exploring that you didn't originally intend to?
How has your writing style or philosophy evolved since your debut book?
Are there specific types or genres or authors that you enjoy reading for fun?
Did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
I am looking forward to reading When They Find Me. It sounds great.
More great questions! I'm repeating them here just to make it all clear (mostly to myself).What themes did you find yourself exploring that you didn't originally intend to?
I honestly don't think much about theme while I'm writing. Because I don't outline, I'm really just following the characters and visualizing what happens to them. What's fun is getting about two-thirds of the way through a draft and realizing themes have started to emerge on their own. Things like rage against the patriarchy, fear of abandonment, or the need to be seen often reveal themselves long before I consciously recognize them.
How has your writing style or philosophy evolved since your debut book?
Of course every author evolves over time. For me, the biggest shift started around my fifth book, when I began writing more in first person present tense. I found that it created a much stronger emotional connection to the characters and brought a greater sense of immediacy to my thrillers. It's become my favorite way to tell a story.
Are there specific types, genres, or authors that you enjoy reading for fun?
Most of my fun reading is actually nonfiction. I especially love books about Cold War espionage. There's something fascinating about the real-life tradecraft, deception, and psychological chess matches that I can't get enough of. I definitely find inspiration there, even if I'm writing fiction.
Did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
No, my process has stayed fairly consistent. I write for about an hour every day, seven days a week, and that's it. I've found that consistency is far more important than marathon writing sessions. Sticking to that routine has allowed me to write and publish about a book a year.
Thanks, Carter for answering my questions. Despite not writing anything other than reviews, I enjoy learning about the approaches authors take to deliver fantastic reads for readers.
Carter, sorry for my delay, hospital appointments.The great thing that helped with this novel is I had read
Mister Tenders Girl, which I loved.
In my review above, I mentioned again a complete different story, a unique story.
Yes I believe, like you this is your strongest book, why, due to the clever, slow burning , but gripping and tense communication between the two main characters.
So a few questions.
With this book, which characters grew in your mind first.
Do you know the ending, before you start, all does the story grow as you write.
Do you have a list of your favourite authors.
Do you travel to locations to help with your books.
Are there genre of books you like.
Where are some of your favourite places in the world.
Which authors did you grow up and read.
The next two months we have some interesting BOTM and Q and A
One is Robin Burcell, who wrote a Streets of Francisco book, a former police and CIA !
And in September one of my favourites Kerry Donovan, a great action series.
I hope you would read there books, both great.
Thanks for your time. So grateful
My best wishes
Sean wrote: "Carter, sorry for my delay, hospital appointments.The great thing that helped with this novel is I had read
Mister Tenders Girl, which I loved.
In my review above, I mentioned again a complete ..."
Hi, Sean! Thanks for the questions. Here you go...
With this book, which character grew in your mind first?
Definitely Poe. I didn’t know who she was when I started writing. I just saw her develop chapter by chapter into the person she ultimately became, which is one of my favorite parts of writing without an outline.
Do you know the ending before you start, or does the story grow as you write?
I never know the ending when I start. I usually begin having thoughts about where the story might be headed once I’m around 70 percent into the manuscript, but even then, plenty can still change.
Do you have a list of your favorite authors?
The list is long, but off the top of my head, Stephen King, Cormac McCarthy, Erik Larson, and Ben Macintyre are all favorites.
Do you travel to locations to help with your books?
Rarely. For my fifth book, Mister Tender’s Girl, I traveled to Manchester, New Hampshire, to get a better sense of the location. Otherwise, I don’t usually travel somewhere specifically for research.
Are there genres of books you like?
I mostly stay in the lanes of suspense and historical nonfiction.
Where are some of your favorite places in the world?
Home in Colorado is definitely one of them, but I also love traveling globally. Some of my favorite trips have been to major cities like Paris and Rome, as well as safaris in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
So sorry not to have joined in the Q&A Carter (living in the wrong time zone on the other side of the world). Just wanted to say I really enjoyed the book and now enjoying reading all the Q&As.
Discovering Poe chapter by chapter sounds like a productive kind of uncertainty, especially when the ending does not begin to form until so late. It is interesting that the character arrives before the plot destination rather than the other way around.
Carter,Thank you so much for taking the time to do a Q&A session with us. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about your writing process and insights.
We are adding his latest book Tell Me What You Did to our July BOTM.
"Poe Webb, host of a popular true crime podcast, invites people to anonymously confess crimes they’ve committed to her audience. She can’t guarantee the police won’t come after her “guests,” but her show grants simultaneous anonymity and instant fame."
Author Biography
Carter Wilson is the USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of ten psychological thrillers, including Tell Me What You Did, a Barnes & Noble national monthly pick. His work has received starred reviews from every major trade publication and has been optioned for film and television. A seasoned public speaker and dynamic event moderator, Carter is also the host of the Making It Up podcast and the founder of Unbound Writer, a company offering coaching, retreats, and online programs for writers. He lives in Erie, Colorado.