Sunday, June 13, 2010

Do you set yourself goals when you sit down to write such as word count?

Absolutely. Not every session involves writing. Some sessions involve authoring, which usually doesn’t produce words, but mental images and a cornucopia of ideas. However, in the writing session, my goal is 4,000 words, but my happiness is 2,000 words . . . that work. I never have Writer’s Block, because I always stop mid-flow and begin afresh in the next session in the middle of a thought.

Edward C. Patterson, Interviewed

Sunday, June 6, 2010

What do you draw inspiration from?

Every day and every moment that I encounter inspires me. Few things do not inspire me to write. As for story ideas, they come to me without my searching for them. To contrive a plot (I don’t believe in plots, except the one I’ll wind up in), is nothing more than pretending to be an author. If it doesn’t come to you, how can you nurture it until it becomes something to offer a reader?

Edard C. Patterson, Interview

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?

I detest outlines and over planning. Generally, books derived from outlines and extreme details (to the point where every back-story and character arc is predestined) are indubitably flawed works. Research, I do, although most of my novels come from my experience level, in either life or education, so I generally do not need to go too far a field for the research, and in that, I will jot down a note or two. I primarily use the computer, however, I have a scratch sheet, one per novel with some notes to keep me honest — character names (especially Chinese ones), places names (especially Chinese ones) and doodle maps (especially . . . well you get my drift). By developing a novel organically, you allow the elements that make a story to form. You also permit your characters to come alive and then share the writing task. Although I sometimes need to chastise a character and they have held union meetings to protest something I’ve forced on them, generally a first draft is born from a harmony of my imagination and the characters extendion of that imagination, thus engaging the reader.

Edward C. Patterson , Interview