Kman999
asked
David Wong:
I'm interested in your writing process. Do you know how your stories end before writing them? Do you brainstorm different endings? Do you ever write chapters in the middle of the story and then go back to write early chapters?
David Wong
This answer contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[Yeah I'm one of those writers who has an outline ahead of time. I don't stick perfectly to it (no one does) but I have to know where it's going when I start. So the first step in writing a novel for me isn't to just sit down and write an opening scene. It's to spend a few months thinking through the plot and characters and working up an outline with tons of notes to remind myself what it all means later. It takes a bunch of notebooks and note cards and sloppy word docs. Shifting stuff around.
Now, once I start, there's lots of times when I'll jump ahead and fill in a scene that I know is coming later, or write a conversation that's from the second half of the book. If I feel particularly interested in working on a certain scene I'll just do it. Otherwise I work sequentially. But my attention span is too short to just write it A-Z, if I get bored with what I'm working on I'll look at the outline and go write something that seems more fun.
But for instance the first full scene I wrote in Suits was the confrontation between Zoey and Molech in the park, that little back and forth between the two of them, when they meet for the first time. It's just what I felt like doing first.
(hide spoiler)]
Now, once I start, there's lots of times when I'll jump ahead and fill in a scene that I know is coming later, or write a conversation that's from the second half of the book. If I feel particularly interested in working on a certain scene I'll just do it. Otherwise I work sequentially. But my attention span is too short to just write it A-Z, if I get bored with what I'm working on I'll look at the outline and go write something that seems more fun.
But for instance the first full scene I wrote in Suits was the confrontation between Zoey and Molech in the park, that little back and forth between the two of them, when they meet for the first time. It's just what I felt like doing first.
(hide spoiler)]
More Answered Questions
Natalya
asked
David Wong:
Have you ever lived in Colorado? I'm a Colorado native, and I'm not sure why but the way you write makes me think you've at least spent a bit of time here..... After reading John Dies and Spiders you instantly jumped up to one of my very favorite authors. I just started reading Futuristic Violence and when I saw Colorado mentioned in the first few sentences I freaked! -in a good way-
Erich w/ an h
asked
David Wong:
In my humble opinion, Spiders is your best written novel. I believe that partially because I view the titular Spiders as a metaphor for addiction. That makes them a lot more terrifying for me. Is this just my interpretation, or was that something you intended when writing the novel?
Patrick
asked
David Wong:
This question contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[
Do you ever see yourself revealing in a John Dies at the End novel what the origin or source of Soy Sauce is?
Like, in the first book, it seems to be heavily tied with the minions of Korrok, but still seems to be a different thing with its own motivations.
Then, in the third book, we learn about its mysterious ties with "Min", seemingly related to the Egyptian fertility god. Will the audience ever know more?
(hide spoiler)]
Like, in the first book, it seems to be heavily tied with the minions of Korrok, but still seems to be a different thing with its own motivations.
Then, in the third book, we learn about its mysterious ties with "Min", seemingly related to the Egyptian fertility god. Will the audience ever know more? (hide spoiler)]
David Wong
5,748 followers
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