Saturday, June 30, 2012

Spotlighted Author Chris Lindberg Shares More About Writing on Last Day at BRH...


Which comes first: character or story?
 
By Chris Lindberg 



Every author has a different way he or she goes about building their novel.  It’s a brick-by-brick process, after all.  You start with the story arc as foundation, then take the raw materials of character, scene, detail, and dialogue … then bond them together with the mortar of storyline and plot twist, and at that point, you have most of what can be called a novel.  (After that, the real work of editing and revising begins, but that’s an entirely different story.)  

A common question writers often ask (and get asked) is: where do you start?  Most of the time, we start with one of two elements: character or concept.  In the case of character, you somehow get an idea for a character in your head, and decide they are fascinating enough to build an entire story around.  Think Harry Potter, Batman, or Jason Bourne as a few examples.  In the case of concept, you dream up a high concept for a story, build a storyline, and weave in characters that will push the story along.  Think “Twilight”, “The Hunger Games”, or pretty much all Dan Brown novels. 

Again, each writer’s method is different.  Some probably switch back and forth.  When I began writing my debut novel, Code of Darkness, it actually began as an entirely different concept (and too long to talk about here).  But I opened it up with a character whom I found fascinating: an alienated, weaponized young man, with a chemical imbalance baked into his altered DNA that makes him want to do very bad things.  He becomes a vigilante in order to channel that fury into his own brand of justice, but he has inner demons to battle.  And unknown to anyone, there are others out there like him … 

While working on this first draft of Code of Darkness, I also spent time doing character studies, to broaden my comfort level with writing different kinds of characters.  In this process I created many new possibilities, including a widowed Chicago cop, and a small-town social worker who’d recently moved to her new home in the big city.  After writing a few short stories about both characters, I decided to retool Code of Darkness into more of a modern thriller, with these three characters (vigilante, cop, social worker) as the foundation.  I began revising the story to include them from the beginning.  The cop could be on the vigilante’s case, closing in to make the arrest.  The small-town social worker could provide his moral compass, and possibly be a love interest.
 
So in the case of Code of Darkness, I switched mid-stream, starting off with a concept, but then scrapping that original concept and building a better one, based on the characters I’d created. I’d love to hear how any of you built your stories – did you start with character or concept?  Leave a comment below!  

Trimming Down: to cut or not to cut?  
One Author’s Experience 


Quite awhile ago, I began writing the main character for what is now my novel Code of Darkness: a mysterious loner-turned-vigilante known only by the name Rage.  I had recently graduated from college, was living in the suburbs with my parents, and commuting on a train to downtown Chicago.  I decided the train would be my “writing studio.” 

I remember coming up with that first line: “Rage walked into the shadowy bar with one thing in mind: vengeance.”  The line contained a lot of angst, energy, and foreshadowing for what would be the first chapter of my writing life.  I wrote the chapter in a few days, happy with the result, and moved on to write other chapters, getting about a hundred pages into it. 

About a year later I moved downtown, and suddenly found a lot of other things to do with my time.  Without the long commute to give me a “studio” in which to write, the book project was tabled for a long time. 
Five years ago, I moved back out to the suburbs and started a family.  I was back on the train, so I thought I’d try picking up where I’d left off.  I found the old manuscript and began to put down new material.  But I decided to go an entirely new direction.  I scrapped old characters and storylines, and wove in new ones: a Chicago cop, a rogue NSA agent, a government conspiracy.  My goal was to make the story more of a page-turning thriller. 

But through all the changes, the chapters that centered around Rage stayed mostly intact.  That first chapter, the one in which I’d first introduced him, and most importantly that first line, was always going to be my starting point, I’d decided. 

I finished the novel at a whopping 198,000 words.  Yes – 198,000.  I was advised to get it down to about half that.  Half my creation was going to be on the chopping block?  No way was I going to do that.
 
But it quickly became clear that I was going to have to.  So I began removing chapters, storylines, characters.  In some cases I was simply trimming fat.  Two revisions later, at 123,000 words, I discovered an angle that would probably cut another ten to fifteen thousand words easily: introduce the three main characters together in the same chapter, putting them in a perilous situation that would set the tone for the book.  The problem with this was, what would this mean for my cherished original starting point?
 
I tried to find another home for it: the second chapter, maybe later in the story, but nothing worked.  It just didn’t fit into the story anymore.  And the problem was, the new first chapter didn’t just cut the word count, it also gave the story a much better starting point.
 
So after much deliberation, I said goodbye to that original first chapter, and my story became a thousand times better for it.  It will always have a home in the first draft of Code of Darkness, and if enough people are interested, maybe I’ll post it on my blog someday. 
So now you now the rest of the story.  I’d be curious to know what all your experiences were with your first novel: how long the first draft was, did you cut anything, and if so how much … and most importantly, what was the biggest or most difficult change you made? 
_____  
Chris Lindberg’s first novel, Code of Darkness, was released in August.  You can find out more by visiting www.codeofdarkness.com, or visiting Facebook and searching on “code of darkness.” 
To purchase Code of Darkness in paperback or e-book edition, please check out: http://www.lulu.com/browse/search.php?fListingClass=0&fSearch=code+of+darkness
Or search “code of darkness” on Amazon or BN.com. 

You can also email him at chris@codeofdarkness.com – he’d love to hear from you. 

Have you read Code of Darkness yet? If not, clicked over to my review and find out more about it!

It was great having Chris share what happened while he was writing his first novel, don't you think? But even after all the advice...hey, I think I'm just going to continue reading all those great novels that you writers produce! Much more fun and NO frustration about changing, cutting down, whatever! LOL

Chris, thanks for visiting Book Reader's Heaven!lated articles
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Kindle Single from Nelson DeMille Was Fun!

detective
"Otis Parker, I noted, was wearing good shoes and good slacks and a nice white shirt. His snappy sports jacket hung on a coat tree nearby I couldn't tell if he was wearing a tie because he was facedown. So obviously he'd been sitting at his desk when the bookcase behind him had somehow tipped away from the wall and silently fallen on him, his desk, and his chair. He may have seen or felt a few books landing around him, but basically he never knew what hit him. Indeed, it looked like an accident. Except why did a thousand-pound bookcase fall forward? Well, shit happens. Ironic, too that Otis Parker was killed by the books he loved. Okay, the bookcase killed him. But that's not what the New York Post would say. They'd say, "Killed by the books he loved."
detective (Photo credit: The Thinking Doll)




The Book Case


By Nelson DeMille






I hadn't read DeMille for quite some time given my steady incoming requests for reviews; however, when I saw the title plus written by a well-known author, I had to get it. OK, I admit it--my passion for books extends to reading books about...books! I'm certainly glad I got this one.

Every author must think of just writing for fun once in awhile...J. P. Lane admitted to me that she had often laughed as she wrote The Tangled Web. I'm certainly not going to get the chance to discuss this short story with Nelson DeMille, but I got the same feeling as I enjoyed this quick mystery...

One of the things mentioned was that he was going to solve the murder mystery before he called in CSI! Ha! Can you blame police detectives with all the CSI shows going on TV where the detectives silently stand in the background while the technicians solve the case? I enjoy both but for a professional detective like Detective John Corey, he knows who really solves the cases! And within a minute or two being on the crime scene, he had declared that the apparent accidental death had been murder!

The crime scene: Owner Otis Parker, at the Dead End Bookstore,  is sitting at his office desk; a large book-filled bookcase has fallen over and killed him...

The Murder Weapon


 No, this is not Plum Island or any other of the wonderful novels by this author, so don't think that's what you are getting for less than $2! But I definitely enjoyed spending several hours with this well-known author when he let his hair down a little and pulled no punches...Things like including himself as one of the top authors making more than the detective working to solve the case provides just the type of story that took me completely away from the heavy suspense novels I have read recently...a delightful side of Nelson DeMille I had not seen before!

Enjoy!


GABixlerReviews


Nelson Richard DeMille was born in New York City on August 23, 1943 to Huron and Antonia (Panzera) DeMille. He moved as a child with his family to Long Island. In high school, he played football and ran track.
DeMille spent three years at Hofstra University, then joined the Army and attended Officer Candidate School. He was a First Lieutenant in the United States Army (1966-69) and saw action as an infantry platoon leader with the First Cavalry Division in Vietnam. He was decorated with the Air Medal, Bronze Star, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.

DeMille returned to the States and went back to Hofstra University where he received his degree in Political Science and History. He has three children, Lauren, Alexander, and James, and still lives on Long Island.

DeMille's earlier books were NYPD detective novels. His first major novel was By the Rivers of Babylon, published in 1978 and still in print, as are all his succeeding novels. He is a member of The Authors Guild, the Mystery Writers of America, and American Mensa. He holds three honorary doctorates: Doctor of Humane Letters from Hofstra University, Doctor of Literature from Long Island University, and Doctor of Humane Letters from Dowling College.

Nelson DeMille is the author of: By the Rivers of Babylon, CathedralThe Talbot Odyssey,Word of HonorThe Charm SchoolThe Gold CoastThe General's DaughterSpencerville,Plum IslandThe Lion's GameUp CountryNight FallWild FireThe Gate House and The Lion. He also co-authored Mayday with Thomas Block and has contributed short stories, book reviews, and articles to magazines and newspapers.



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Friday, June 29, 2012

Irving A. Greenfield is Back With Literary Thriller!





Snow Giants Dancing 


by Irving A. Greenfield










I was honored to be a first reader of Snow Giants Dancing! That was quite some time ago since this prolific author is busy all the time, so I was happy to learn that this novel is now available as an e-book. I bought it right away since I had developed a small library of Irving Greenfield's books, some of which are no longer available in print. Hopefully, with the rise in e-book popularity, many of his earlier books, such as Tagget, that was made into a popular movie, will once again be made available to today's audience!

You know, I read so many books that often I cannot remember the plot unless I refer back to the book; but with Snow Giants Dancing, I could remember the entire story, except the names of the characters. Greenfield not only entertains in this novel, he presents such an intimate look into the lives of his characters that, in some cases, it may force readers to look into themselves. There is prejudice, there is hatred and murder--there is also love...

"In the gathering twilight, Eric looked down at the mount of his
mother's unmarked grave. He stood very still. His hands were
thrust deep into the pockets of his hooded winter cloak. A biting
wind came off the snowfield on the mountainside above the
village. The mound had already lost much of its convex shape.
When covered by the summer grass it would hardly be
distinguishable from the rest of the earth surrounding it.
"Eric remembered telling Max how beautiful his mother was. He
and Max were having a discussion about childhood...
"With memories of his mother running through his head, Eric
was not immediately aware of the ragged cross-like
arrangement of stones in the center of the mound. When he
became conscious of the shape, he could not believe his own
eyes. He knelt down to be sure, of what he was looking at...
"He stood up and looked toward the village. Someone else
remembered his mother. Someone took the trouble to mark her
grave with the Christian sign of forgiveness...
"The sun was far down in the west. Its light touched the snowfield,
where the wind was lifting great veils of snow high into the air.
Eric could not ever remember having seen such strange wisps of
snow coming off the top of the snowfield. They looked like the
tentacles of some beast..."
But there are also...the Snow Giants Dancing...

And when they do, good and evil may both fall to their mighty power...

Come with me, now, and visit Oberfest, a small village far up in the snow-covered mountains where the population is small and the traditions, the buildings and many of the families have been there for generations. They are self-governed, where a Bourgomeister is the leader of the community. But as sometimes happens, it is his wife, behind the scenes, who is the powerful one who really controls much of what happens there.

Eric Muller is the main character and had been the son of a prostitute, who claimed didn't know the father. After fighting in many wars, not caring on his side, he had returned to home, taking up residence in one of the towers of an old fort. Having grown tired of wars, he had taken up sculpture and had been commissioned to create two figures who would stand on either side of the entrance of the new church. Everyone in the village had contributed with either work or money. Interestingly, but perhaps not surprising, it had not been religious fervor that had been behind the construction--rather they had decided that it was something that they could do together--a tangible purpose.

Eric had not yet decided what those sculptures would portray, but The Bourgomeister and his family had come to find out why they were not yet finished, since he had already been paid for them. He promised they would be done by Easter...

Hilda, the wife of the Bourgomeister, was an invalid who never left her bed--but she always knew what was going on in the village. So after the talk with Eric, Hilda demanded to know what had been said and when the statues would be completed. Always claiming to be near death, she wanted the church completely done since the priest had submitted to Rome to have her name in the church as a major contributor.

All of the village attended the same church except for Chayym Zimmer, a Jew and his daughter, Shulamith. She was a very beautiful girl and was favorably looked upon by certain men in town, but it was Eric with whom she was in love. Prejudice again them by town residents had begun when they had first moved there and rumors flew about the two young people being lovers.

The people in the village were individuals, who mostly kept to their own activities but Hilda and her two nephews began to scheme related to Eric and the sculptures. And even the priest began to talk to Hilda, indicating that once the church was completely done, then the people would be idle and God might not be as protective as He was while they were all working together. And with so much depressing discussions, Hilda prayed and felt she had been given directions from God--by divine inspiration she was chosen to lead the people...

The story may be set in a strange land and the people may sound as if they lived long ago--but this story is really ageless. It speaks of those emotions that are still alive today and the drama that happens can be analogous with any location, any race, or any religion. When good and evil come face to face, we can be sure that a major event will result...

But nobody knew that the Snow Giants were dancing...

Fascinating in its content, this novel is not like the thrillers he wrote through the years that you might have read. This is a serious work that demands that readers realize what happens when man turns against man... Greenfield has provided us with a literary masterpiece that will haunt you...in many ways...for the rest of your life... I consider this a must-read...


GABixlerReviews


SOMTHING ABOUT ME

My latest project is a play within a play based loosely on the life and writing of Friedrich Nietzsche. This will be a full length drama with five or six players and a very simple set. While working on the play, I also continue to write short stories. These works represent some of my interests; namely, philosophy and human relationships at a particular time of an individual's life.

I was born in Brooklyn. I now live in Staten Island with my wife Anita, to whom I have been married to for well over 50 years. I spent many years teaching at Wagner College; I am still associated with college and hold the title of Research Fellow. My expertise is in the field of English Literature and in Composition. I was awarded a PhD for my work in fiction.

I found this site that has the entire library of this author...http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/g/irving-a-greenfield/
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How Do You Create Characters? Spotlighted Author Chris Lindberg Asking...


The Hardest Character to Write 
 (Comments Wanted)
 
By Chris Lindberg

As much as some of us won’t admit it, every author has a favorite character in each and every book they’ve written.  And they also have a favorite character to write: whether it be the hero or villain, the character they relate to most, or just the one they had the most fun developing.  If you’ve written a story or two, I’ll bet as you read this, you’re thinking about those particular characters right now. 

But what about the hardest character to write?  There is always one of those, too.  It could be a character of the opposite sex, or one of a much different age, or one with a mindset that is difficult to understand, or any number of other things that make writing them a tall task.  Now you’re probably thinking back to those characters and nodding your head as well.  Wasn’t easy to write them, was it? 

In my novel Code of Darkness, the most difficult character for me to write was the secondary (though some would argue primary) villain, Elias Todd.  Elias Todd was a character that had it all: he was rich and he was gifted in many ways, but he was also a sick and evil man.  As a professional killer, he ended peoples’ lives for profit, but also for the sheer, twisted joy he felt in making others suffer.  Because Code of Darkness is ultimately a story about good versus evil, it of course would need a good bad guy.  In many cases a good villain is more important than a good hero.  After all, which characters do people remember the most from classics such as The Silence of the Lambs and No Country for Old Men?  Exactly. 

So, how do you write someone who is so evil and disturbed, a cold-blooded killer whose mind dwells in places you’d never want to go?  You have to start someplace.  I started by doing some character studies, putting Todd in different situations: hunting a target, putting his back against the wall, etc.  I even wrote a chapter about his past, to help me figure out how a person could become what he’d become.  (The chapter didn’t make the final cut, but I still have it and may post it someday if anyone’s interested.) 

After all that, it was time to write some actual scenes for the book that showed what Todd was capable of.  One in particular is Chapter 37, titled “The Curtain,” where readers get a glimpse of Todd’s evil, and it serves as a foreshadow for what he does later in the book.  I won’t tell you what happens obviously, but I will say that I had to rewrite the scene six times until I was satisfied with how disturbing it was.
 
And that’s my hardest character to write.  Who was yours, and what made them a challenge? 
_____  
Chris Lindberg’s first novel, Code of Darkness, was released in August.  You can find out more by visiting www.codeofdarkness.com, or visiting Facebook and searching on “code of darkness.” 
To purchase Code of Darkness in paperback or e-book edition, please check out: http://www.lulu.com/browse/search.php?fListingClass=0&fSearch=code+of+darkness
Or search “code of darkness” on Amazon or BN.com. 

You can also email him at chris@codeofdarkness.com – he’d love to hear from you. 



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Thursday, June 28, 2012

Spotlighted Author Chris Lindberg Talks About Writing Friends...

Writer's Stop
Writer's Stop (Photo credit: Stephh922)

Writing Friends

By Chris Lindberg 


As a writer, how often do you find yourself encountering writer’s block, second-guessing your decisions as you create, having trouble finding the right word, or just plain wondering “is this story going to be any good when I’m done with it?” 

If you’re like me, it happens at least once every time you sit down to write.  Luckily, most of the time we can dig ourselves out of these ruts: after all, we are writers, and the worlds we’re creating are our own, right?  But on those rare occasions where the rut is just too deep, your solution just might be to find a good writing pal.
 
A few years ago, I was taking a writing class, creating character studies for what would ultimately be two of the main characters in my debut novel, Code of Darkness.  One of the characters was Mira Givens, a twenty-something social worker who’d recently moved from her small hometown to the big city, and makes the fateful decision to befriend a loner who turns out to be the target of a covert Federal manhunt.  I wanted her to be tough and resourceful for the rigors my story was going to put her through, but also a believable character: I didn’t want her to be Wonder Woman or Lara Croft.  And of course she had to be a character the readers were going to care about. 

Luckily, my studio class provided a forum for my fellow writers and I to bounce ideas off one another.  And outside of the sessions, a few of us would get together to help each other through some of the challenges we faced with our projects.  All this resulted in not only Mira becoming more fleshed out as a character, but many of the other main characters benefited as well. 

For most of us, writing is a solitary act – we tend to have our best, most creative thoughts when we’re alone, undistracted by other voices or opinions.  But having a writing friend or two can definitely help get you over those humps you just can’t get over on your own.  And they don’t always have to be writers: my wife, who claims she doesn’t have a creative bone in her body, gave me more ideas than she’d probably ever take credit for.
 
So the next time you find yourself in a writing rut you can’t get out of, reach out to a writing friend and bounce an idea or two off of them.  I’ll bet you’ll be happy you did. 
_____  
Chris Lindberg’s first novel, Code of Darkness, was released in August.  You can find out more by visiting www.codeofdarkness.com, or visiting Facebook and searching on “code of darkness.” 
To purchase Code of Darkness in paperback or e-book edition, please check out: http://www.lulu.com/browse/search.php?fListingClass=0&fSearch=code+of+darkness
Or search “code of darkness” on Amazon or BN.com. 
You can also email him at chris@codeofdarkness.com – he’d love to hear from you.  

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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

OMG! Have You Read Deborah Ledford's "Staccato"?



Staccato


By Deborah Ledford




A number of years ago, I briefly interacted with Deborah Ledford and had the chance to read an excerpt of Staccato. I was captivated and have never forgotten the title and the essence of the story. Then recently, I chanced upon an announcement from her publisher seeking reviews for their books. I immediately asserted I would read and review Staccato!

Now, here's why for me, I enjoy the classics and have had some training in the piano and singing so I knew Staccato might mean that the music (the story) would be "quick and perhaps heavily played..." I had also sensed that it had a touch of gothic which has always been a favorite of mine. I hope by now you have clicked on the video and set the tone for the story...

He had been a great pianist when he was young and accepted. But as he grew older, audiences no longer were willing to accept a man with a club foot as a master... He was left to teach others... and he did it with the passion and dedication he had put into his own life's work. But the pain of what he had to put forth in practice and the later rejection of his ardent fans had left him bitter, a man who would accept nothing but perfection--in everything...

Nicholas was the first boy he taught. The talent was there and he loved the piano. Before long, he had been moved into the magnificent home of Alexander Kalman and after much maneuvering, he adopted him...

Timothy was the next boy that came to live there. He became obsessed with the home, the instruction and the wealth Alexander displayed and he soon was jealous of Nicholas...

But  neither of them escaped the wrath of Alexander's cane if they did not perform as taught and demanded; i.e., perfectly... Still, Nicholas had the talent and though he did not practice as much as Alexander preferred, he did start giving recitals and was soon a well-known pianist, touring the world.

Music was his profession, but his love was Elaine. Elaine was the daughter of the woman who had first taken Nicholas into her home, away from his real parents so they had fallen in love over the years and had become lovers. It was a magical kind of love, but one they knew had to be kept secret...

Until that day the Alexander announced to her that she was to marry...him...her uncle...

During that same time, Nicholas had found a journal that was written by his real father. He told the horrible tale of what had happened to him under Alexander's tutelage--that he had been driven mad...

But it was not only Nicholas' father who had fallen under Alexander's own madness... And now Nicholas was fighting back...until he, too, woke in the hospital...

Although Staccato is very much about the Kalmans' lives and those who were somehow touched by them, I do want to mention another character that played the important role of Deputy Sheriff Steve Hawk, who was assigned one of the most confusing, long-playing, and maddening cases he had ever had. Hawk captures readers' attention as he objectively listens and yet wouldn't accept even what his boss ordered--he was going to solve, and understand, what was going on!

The scary thing about Staccato is that it is totally believable! Relatives, children and servants' lives were affected by the master of the house...But what happens to those surrounding that master when he is mad with pride, greed and a need for all things to be perfect? This novel is haunting--a masterpiece that must be read for what it is--a gothic thriller like no other added with psychological suspense--a beautifully carved duet. Perhaps the horror overpowered the romance for most of the book, but the ending is a fresh romance that drives the darkness from readers' mind...even if not from the minds of the characters who remained...

Memorable in its study and overview of those composers who gave us the classics that we still love to hear played today...Too bad that we who love the music will never hear Nicholas play...

Brava! Brava! Deborah Ledford!


GABixlerReviews


BIOGRAPHY

Deborah spent her summers growing up in the Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina which is the setting for her suspense thriller novels and many of her short stories.

As well as a suspense thriller novelist, Deborah J Ledford is a three-time nominee for the Pushcart Prize in the short story category. Her award-winning short stories appear in numerous print publications as well as literary and mystery anthologies. She is also a professional content editor and is most proud to be Lead Editor of two Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter (AZ) anthologies.

She began her writing career as a screenwriter and wrote, directed and edited her first short film, "Blind Ambitions" as an entry into Scottsdale, Arizona's first international film festival. "Blind Ambitions" won Third Place in that competition, as well as Honorable Mention in the Tucson International Film Festival. From there, she wrote the full-length version of the same script as well as six other original full-length screenplays.

In a quest to produce her screenplays, Deborah launched her own independent film production company IOF Productions Ltd . In the '90s, she assisted other independent film production companies (in a co-production capacity) composing investment prospectus packages, choosing scripts, scouting shooting locations, compiling and structuring budgets/day-out-of-day lists/character and scene breakdowns in order to present fully fundable projects for investors.

Before her career as a writer she worked for a decade as a professional scenic artist on motion pictures, industrial films, national commercials and live theatre. Due to her work on industrial films for clients such as Intel and Motorola, Deborah earned security clearance through the United States Government. Her highest acclaim is for her paint work on the Coen Brothers' film Raising Arizona.

She is currently writing her fifth novel of suspense and the screenplay for her current novel, SNARE.

TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

International Thriller Writers Association (ITW), Mystery Writers of America (MWA SoCal), Sisters in Crime (National and SinC LA), current President of the Sisters in Crime Desert Sleuths Chapter (AZ).

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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Chris Lindberg Asks Writers: What's Your Sources of Inspiration?

English: Collage of photos of authors
English: Collage of photos of authors (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sources of Inspiration: 

Authors or No Authors? 
(Comments Wanted) 
By Chris Lindberg 


A pretty common question for a writer is “what authors have inspired you?”  It’s actually a great question, since all writers’ styles and works are somehow related to one another: inspiration is what ties us all together. 

However, I am probably the odd person out here, but I’d have to say the majority of my inspiration doesn’t come from other authors at all.  Now, before you dismiss this crazy notion and close your browser window on me, please allow me just one more paragraph to make some sense here. 

Sure, I get inspired by good writing: Franzen, McCarthy, and others.  But reading the works of the best authors makes you want to continue to develop your prose, and take your writing to another level.  Will most of us get there?  No, not even close.  But it’s something to aspire to, and that pushes us along as writers. 

Now on the flip side, I’m also inspired by not-so-good writing (I won’t name names here, since good vs bad writing is clearly subjective): it gives me confidence to think that if some authors can make a living putting out that stuff, maybe my work just needs to catch the right set of eyes, and I’ll get a lucky break, too.  

But really, what inspires me more than any other authors’ works, is the stuff I see and hear on an every day basis. 

What stuff, you ask?  It could be anything, really.  A conversation you overhear.  Someone wearing an odd-looking shirt, walking by on the street.  A pair of dogs playing in a field.  A cloud pattern in the sky.  See?  Anything, really.  It just has to resonate with me: capture my attention for a split-second, and start a train of thought in my mind that turns into a scene, storyline, or character interaction.  And something I see or hear will likely only inspire me, not another writer; just like what another author sees may put a thought in his or her head that would never occur to me. 

And that’s what really inspires me as a writer, more than anything else.  What about you, is your main source of inspiration other authors, or something entirely different too? 
_____  
Chris Lindberg’s first novel, Code of Darkness, was released in August.  You can find out more by visiting www.codeofdarkness.com, or visiting Facebook and searching on “code of darkness.” 
To purchase Code of Darkness in paperback or e-book edition, please check out: http://www.lulu.com/browse/search.php?fListingClass=0&fSearch=code+of+darkness
Or search “code of darkness” on Amazon or BN.com. 
You can also email him at chris@codeofdarkness.com – he’d love to hear from you. 


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