SOMETIMES I GET ASKED STUFF... #44!

And we're back for the 44th installment of Sometimes I Get Asked Stuff… 

You can check out all of the past installments of Sometimes I Get Asked Stuff... here.

Q: What do you WANT from your writing career?

Why, fame and fortune, of course. Isn't that why we all do this? Okay, seriously, I want to make a decent living as a writer. I'm a long way from that being a reality, but it is a goal I strive toward. I also want my work to reach as wide an audience as possible. I am working on growing my audience daily. It's a process, but I am making it work. On the selfish side, I would like to be known as a New York Times Best Selling Author one day too. I think that would be great and it's one of the goals I aspire to achieve.

Q: CREATORS: inspire the next generation by telling them how you broke into the industry.

One Friday night, after a stressful week at the day job, I emailed every publisher with a website. I had done some stuff on my own and with locals, but I introduced myself to all publishers. I received one reply,which thanked me, but mentioned they were closing shop and wished me well. A year later, that same person was at another publisher and asked to see samples of my writing then asked me to do a try out issue. They liked what I did and I was on the book. When that project ended, I had to break in again and again. Eventually, I got more work. I keep looking for more writing work and sometimes that feels like breaking in again, even after all this time. Keeps me hopping.

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Q: What makes you happy? I mean giddy happy, the kind of happy that feels so good you want to jump for joy? It can be a writerly thing or not. Make us all smile!

This is a hard question to answer. The last few years have been difficult for me as a writer and as a person. The past week has quite possibly been the worst of my life with the passing of my mother. Giddy happy is not something I've seen in a good long while... but I hope to see it again.

I love the beach, Standing barefoot in the sand as the waves crash around me is one of the most peaceful feelings I have ever felt. I am long overdue visiting a beach again. I love conventions. Yes, they are work and yes, they are exhausting, but I never feel more alive than when I am surrounded by such creativity. I would do more cons if I could afford them. Cons next to a beach get bonus points. I'm actually doing one like that in October, hurricanes permitting.

Q: Do you ever get excited for your character? Like, you know what they're about to walk in to and you get butterflies for them?

Sure. Sometimes. Other times I smile knowing the hell I'm about to put them through. It varies. Ha! Ha!

Q: Has DragonCon gotten too big?

I don't think it's too big. Dragon Con seems all about growth and changes. Every year brings a new change. I love this con spread out like t is. If it were in a convention center only, for instance, I would probably think it's too big, but not in its current, spread out configuration.

Q: How do you pick yourself up? I mean, when you feel down, when you feel like your writing sucks when your creativity level seems to be 0, how do you pick yourself up and keep going?
This is a hard one to answer because the same thing doesn't work every time. Sometimes I need a different perspective. Getting out of the office and going for a walk
helps me loosen up and kickstarts the creativity. Reminding yourself that you're not finished yet and there is room to improve the parts you don't like helps too.

Q: Does anyone else have trust issues regarding doling out their creative babies?

I have trust issues. Oddly enough, not about that though. I know a lot of writers and I can tell you that in my experience, no one is stealing others writer's characters. It's just not something I see happening. Where do you feel your characters are being stolen from? If you post them on-line, they are technically published with a time stamp and everything so that's proof of date you shared it. If someone wants to do something similar to you, they'll do it, whether you've only talked about it on-line or if it's published. Look at how many Batman clones there are out there.

Q: Is using the titles "Mr." or "Miss" in front of a first name just a Southern thing? Or is it used all over the country? You know, like "Mr. Bob", or "Miss Alice".

Miss Scarlett

It is used in the south a lot. It drove my mother crazy when people called her "Miss Margaret."

Q: Who is your BIGGEST fan and/or writing support in the whole world?

In recent years, my Dad has been a terrific cheerleader for my books. My parents are proud and they read my books when I give them to them. I have fans as well, which is really cool, but also a little odd feeling as well. I am pretty lucky, I think. My fans are all great.

Q: First Person, Second Person, Third Person ... How do you prefer to tell a story?

Third person is the one I use most, usually at the publisher's urging. I almost wrote the Snow books in first person, but then decided against it. With first person, Snow is front and center in every scene, which could have been cool, but I do like to spend time with the supporting cast and the bad guys too so I opted for third person. With comic books, I use first person narration often.

Q: What is the most extreme character development you ever wrote in a book or series?

Sommersville County Sheriff Tom Myers was created as a secondary character in EVIL WAYS and was never meant to be seen again. When writing DEADLY GAMES!, I had part of the action take place in the fictional town of Sommersville I created. As I'm writing, Sheriff Myers kept pecking away at the back of my brain, reminding me that the sheriff's department really should be part of this. Eventually, I relented and Myers and his deputies became an important part of the story. The character keeps reminding me he's there. He will appear in 2018's EVIL INTENT and 2018 should also see him in his own stand-alone digest novel called "In The Wind" that may be the beginning of a series featuring him. We'll see how it goes. He has come a long way from the throwaway character he was originally created to be.

Q: What steps have you taken to improve your vocabulary?

I read. I also listen to how people talk. Not everyone uses the same words. Words have power and some real people and characters use different words to get their point across. An example. I might say, "Hurry up!" Elmore Leonard's Boyd Crowder, on the other hand, says, "With alacrity, gentlemen!" to get the same point across. Tying the character to language works. I can't have all of my characters speaking the same.

Q: How much do you love your secondary characters? Do they often become more, or have you mastered a way to keep them working in support of the main characters and not step ahead?

I love secondary characters. They are usually the ones who get to have the most growth. See the Sheriff Myers answer above for how one of these characters decided he needed more exposure and brought a few other characters with him.

Q: Are you an author or a writer?

Most of the time I refer to myself as a writer, but there are situations where I've found that the word author helps me, such as on applications, with conventions, etc. To those who are not in the business, if I say writer, they generally say "oh, that's neat", but if I say author, they say "oh, who publishes you?" so in some situations, author helps, but mostly I introduce myself as a writer.

Q: What are your top 5 hour-long shows *currently* running (ie. there is a guaranteed next season)?

Longmire, Bosch, Supergirl, NCIS: Los Angeles, and Major Crimes.

Dark Matter would have probably made the list, but it hasn't been picked up yet for a 4th season.

Q: What are your favorite time travel movies?

Time After Time. Planet of the Apes, Terminator, and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Galaxy Quest, Groundhog Day, and Star Trek: First Contact are good time travel movies too.

Q: Why do we get so excited to see a favorite movie pop up on TV when we already own it?

Because it is a nice, unexpected surprise visit from an old friend. I could watch JAWS every time it's on.

Q: How do you handle stressful days/weeks?

I lose myself in a good book or something on TV to relax and/or I eat junk food. That last one I try not to do, but stress and eating seem to go hand in hand.

Q: So how are your characters getting killed off this week?

I haven't killed anyone this week, but next week, I plan to make up for it.

Q: Writers: how do you define "writer's block"? Is it a lack of ideas? Being stuck on a plot point? Finding motivation to write? Something else?

It's never a dearth of ideas. It's usually, at least for me, a desire to do anything else but write. Once I sit down and get started, I'm okay, but getting my butt in the chair is tough sometimes.

Q: Question for book lovers: You start reading a book because all the indicators suggest that it would be something you’d like, but you get 50 to 100 pages in and you realize that it’s just not your style. Do you keep going because you feel like you’ve made a commitment, or do you give it up and move on to something else because life is too short?

I usually give up if it's not working for me. Plenty of other books in the puke waiting to be cracked open. I may or may not revisit the novel later.

Q: Writers, what's the site to look up places that are scams?

Writer Beware and Preditors & Editors are both good places to start. I have heard Preditors and Editors was down. Will have to check on that one.

Q: Would any Self Published Author turn down a legit, reputable agent/publisher, with a legit contract? Assume it's good, honest, fair. 

I can't speak for others, but I probably wouldn't turn it down. It would depend on the details. I know some who have turned down those kind of deals. I, myself, have said no to projects that have gone on to be popular.

Q: Books. I am quickly running out of bookshelf space for them. Do I start stacking them in the floor, buy another bookshelf, or get rid of some books?

Buy a second house.

Q: Are you a travel to a destination, and take it easy with no schedule - no goals type of person, or are you a get up and hit the ground running - see and do as much as possible type?

Who gets to travel to relax? Most of my travel involves a convention, which means work, so I hit the ground running.

Q: Fill in the blank: I'm bored, I think I'll rewatch ____t.v._series___.

M*A*S*H

Q: Where do you write? Office? Home? Coffee shop? Gas station? I'm currently in office space. Separating work from life is important to me. If I work at home, I never stop working. Where do you do most of your writing?

Most of my writing happens at the office desk. I love writing outside on my porch, but Georgia summers are not built for that sort of thing so I only get to do that for a short time each year. Sometimes I hit the library or a restaurant to write, but usually, I stay in the office.

Q: Do you ever take working vacations to write? Go someplace inspirational and let the words flow? 

I wish I could. Sadly, that's an expense I can't afford right now. If I could swing it, I would be in a bungalow overlooking a beach right now.

Q: What's something you've written recently that you don't think you'd have been able to write five years ago?

Adapting published material from one medium to another. I adapted Edgar Rice Burroughs novel, At The Earth's Core (still on sale) into a graphic novel with artist Jamie Chase and adapted The Wraith, a comic book by Frank Dirscherl into a novel (coming soon).

Q: There seems to be something in the air. A lot of people who used to write until life got in the way are getting back to writing. Just out of curiosity, are you one of those people? And how did you find your way back?

I've been writing since the 90's, but there were lean times in there. Since 2000, I've been pretty steady. After my first novel premiered in 2005, I've been going full tilt. The day job does slow things down when I have one, but I keep on plugging away.

Q: Does the outside temperature affect your writing?

Sometimes. Right now, it is extremely hot and humid in Georgia, where I live. It sucks the energy right out of you.

Q: Thriller vs. mystery. Working on a novel that almost-begins with a body. We're not sure who done it. A mystery, right? But then there are threats, from the killer and others. Thriller or mystery? Am I the only one who finds these genre distinctions tenuous at best?

That's why I call EVIL WAYS a Mystery/Thriller.

Q: Do you have to face a specific direction when you write?

Only in the direction of the laptop. I do hate having my back to the door or room. That probably stems from having family that likes to sneak up behind me and try to scare me.

Q: In a psychological thriller / mystery, do you think the suspects all need to be introduced early on in the piece like in an episode of Murder She Wrote? Or is it okay to introduce them later on?

Introduce them where you need to in a way that best serves the story. If a character comes in around chapter 5 or 6, it's okay as long as you play straight with your reader. You wouldn't want to introduce the killer in the next to last

chapter, for instance. You want to allow your reader ample opportunity to try and deduce the killer's identity so the clues need to be there. I personally dislike it when the one main clue that the character uses to solve the crime or identify the killer is a clue that the reader did not see. That's not playing fair. When I wrote EVIL WAYS, I made sure all the clues were there. In fact, I was stunned when so many people told me they couldn't figure it out. I thought the clues stood out like a neon sign blinking "KILLER!" pointing at a specific character. I was pleasantly surprised when readers did not automatically guess the killer's identity.

Q: Are you such a dedicated writer that you still do your stint on Christmas and other holidays?

Sometimes. It has been known to happen. My family usually has a small get together on holidays then we go our separate ways. That's a great time to write.

Q: Name a book you wish more people would read.

Any of the ones I wrote. Okay, in all seriousness, I would recommend Alex Kava's Maggie O'Dell novels. Also, you can't go wrong reading anything by Van Allen Plexico, Derrick Ferguson, Paul Bishop, and Barry Reese.

Q: Finished a first draft a week ago. How long should I wait to start editing for storyline, spelling, etc.

How quickly do you want to get it finished? I go right from one step to the next. Sometimes I take a day to let it percolate int he back of my mind, but I don't let a lot of time sit between steps. In the end though, it is really whatever works best for you.

Q: Do you consciously write your stories around a theme?

Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, no. It really depends on the story. I use whatever method best serves the story.

Q: Name two novels that you read that you felt changed your life. (novels that you have just read over and over again because of its impact on you). What was that change?

Snowbound Six by Richard Martin Stern because it kickstarted my interest in adventure fiction as a kid.

Kiss The Girls by James Patterson because it showed me that not all chapters have to be a particular length. When I started writing EVIL WAYS, I was under the impression, based on books I was reading, that a chapter had to be a certain length so I was padding my prose to get the chapters to that length. Upon reading my first James Patterson book with its incredibly short 2 page chapters, I realized that not all books needed to have set chapter sizes. By applying this thinking to my own writing, EVIL WAYS became a much better novel.

Q: Do you think writing is a learned skill or are you born with it?

Great question. I think that writing is absolutely a learned skill. Storytelling, on the other hand, I think part of that you are born with. Not all writers are good storytellers and vice versa.

Q: In need of an inspiration now, i don't know where to start from, each time, i write a draft, my brain is life "What a mess", what to do?, i am scared if i won't increase my writing level, i will not reach my goal.

Keep going. Ignore your brain and keep writing. Don't stop. Always remember that you can go back and fix anything later, but getting your story down first will help you move along. Once you finish a story, then you start tightening it up, making it better on your second draft. Most authors will tell you that their first attempts at writing were a mess too. My first attempt at a novel was awful, but I finished it. Years later, I rewrote it from scratch, but at least I had a finished story to rewrite.

Q: Do you count your words, trying to maintain some sort of average?

I use word counts to help me meet deadlines. If I write X number of words a day, I can meet the deadline. That sort of thing. Plus, it helps me see how productive I was on any given day. Of course, only words written on the story count. On marketing heavy days, my word count is less because I did a lot of writing I don't count. For example, this Sometimes I Get Asked Stuff...column takes a lot of writing, but does not count against my daily word count.

Q: Writing a rape scene. I want the reader to hate the rapist as much as I do, but I find myself conflicted. Where do you draw the line between showing and telling when what you're showing is awful?

This is a tough call. If you're writing this for a publisher, then there are probably guidelines of what they want and don't want to see in the pages of the novel. I've not written a rape scene because that’s an area I have personally decided to avoid, but when I write horrible murders, I tend to do it in a way that is more suggestive. By allowing the reader's imagination to fill in some of the blanks, those grisly scenes become even more so to the reader because they are adding their imagination to your words. Good luck.

Q: What's your biggest pet peeve murder method? You know, the one that makes you want to toss the book across the room, then stomp on it? For me, it's the "ice dagger.". You know, a knife made of ice that supposedly melts away and leaves no evidence?

I don't have any particular pet peeves off the top of my head, but I agree there are some that have been done a lot. The ice dagger you mention is one as is the ice bullet. As a writer, I try to avoid the cliche, but sometimes I've found that the more outlandish method of murder is more about spectacle than the murder. The murder needs to make sense to the character committing the murder, I think. Of course, I'm also the guy who has written murder by weed eater, murder by clothes iron, and murder/suicide by lighting ones self on fire. Hopefully, that book will see daylight in 2018.

Q: I hear questions about how many words or how much back story. Your book/story is just that a story. The answer to the above questions is however many words or back stories it takes to tell the story. Hmm, are not all writers story tellers?

No, they aren't. However, I hear the common phrase "however long it takes to tell the story" and, while that is true to an extent, there are ties when it is not. If you're writing a novel that you plan to self publish or shop around, then by all means, make it as long or short as you want. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. On the other hand, if you're under contract to a publisher that wants a 60,000 word novel, then you've got 60,000 words and that's it. You have to tell your story in the space allowed if you want the publisher to

publish it. That's the reality I live in. With self publishing, there is also the very real business consideration of cost. I keep all of the SNOW novellas around the same size so the cost is similar for each book. If the book is $6.99 for paperback and $2.99 for ebook on books 1, 2, and 3, I would be foolish to suddenly have vol. 4 be a $9.99 paperback then go back to $6.99 for vol. 5. That's a business decision that impacts the size of the story. I don't want to lose readers by doing that so consistency with size is important. Sometimes that means things get cut or help over for another book.

Q: In writing a series: how much back story do you include in your subsequent books without being redundant to those who have read all of them? In my case, this is my third. I've just noticed I get really bored with too

much back story when reading it; I don't want to be guilty of the same thing. What is the best example you can think of of an author who catches readers up on what happened before without burying them in it?

Always remember that each book could be someone's first. I try to put in just enough of the important pieces. In SNOW DRIVE (book 3 of the series), I remind the readers that Snow was shot in the chest previously after he has a run in with a hitman. I also remind the readers that Big John spent some time in prison for boosting cars. These can be done with just a line or two. You don't have to give full, in-depth backstories on each character in each book. Just let readers know the important parts like how Snow's friend, Mac, is an FBI Agent or that Snow's grandfather, Archer Snow, owns Snow Securities. 

Q: As a thriller writer, do you read or write in other genres?

Absolutely. I'm recently finished reading a Star Trek novel following the exploits of Doctor Julian Bashir as he and his friends try to take down the mysterious Section 31. It's part sci fi, part thriller, exceptionally well-written by David Mack. The last book I read was Mars One by Jonathan Maberry, about a group of families heading out to colonize Mars.

Q: When writing a series: How much time has generally elapsed between when you finished the last and beginning of your next (in your characters' lives, not your own) Considering some characters escape barely with their lives, they do need some time to recover and move on to be believable.

It varies. There's usually a little down time for Abraham Snow between books, though not a lot. I'm currently working on EVIL INTENT, the sequel to EVIL WAYS. Originally, Evil Intent would pick up a few months after Evil Ways. However, now that so much time has passed between them, I plan to have Evil Intent take place a few years later.

Q: Are you a "pantser"? How do you avoid getting lost in the "woods" of your story, mid-point?

I am a panster with a plan. Or, as I put it in a blog post once, you can call me... CAPTAIN PLOTTYPANTS! I literally got lost in the woods int he middle of DEADLY GAMES! Once I figured out that I was lost, the solution was

simple. I got them out of the woods in the very next chapter instead of several chapter later as originally planned. It made the story flow so much smoother. I do not outline well, but I do have plot points I know I need to hit so I aim my characters at the plot point and see what it takes for them to get there. Most of the time it works out just fine, but sometimes things happen in ways I never could have foreseen. I usually love those moments and they are some of the most stressful moments as well.

Q: Why do you write?

It's the only way to get the stories out of my head.

Q: Do you have a specific writing style?

I suppose I do, but I don't know what to call it other than my writing style. I don't write overly flowery prose. I tend to be more straightforward in how I present the story. I have been told by those who know me that when reading my books, it sounds like me reading it to them. I take that as a compliment. 

Q: Perhaps it's just my family, but do you find older readers prefer paperbacks to ebooks?

I would have said yes, but last year my parents were gifted Nooks that were loaded with a lot of novels. They loved reading on the ereader as long as someone else loaded the books for them.

Q: Would you be in favor of bringing back local comic/card shows and scaling down conventions?

What do you mean by bring them back? We have a lot of them in my area as well as cons. I enjoy attending all kinds of cons. There are one day shows, small hotel shows, large hotel cons, convention center cons, literary/art events, and Dragon Con, which is really its own unique animal.

Q: What is your favorite writing- or reading-related decoration object in your house?

Tough one. I have a few knick-knacks cluttering up my office that includes a couple of TARDIS (TARDI?), Thor's hammer, Captain America's blue Winter Soldier shield, Federation space station Deep Space Nine, etc, but hanging above my office is the plaque I was awarded for being named Pulp Ark 2013's Best Author. That was a special moment for me and it hangs above the desk where I can see it from time to time.

Q: What is a writing weakness you're working on right now?

Finding new ways to describe actions that I use regularly. I don't want to sound repetitive so I'm learning new ways to approach scenes.

Q: How's your handwriting? Because I can't read a word of the mess of pages I wrote long hand over the past week my computer was down.

Mine's about the same. Pretty messy. There have been times I couldn't make things out. 

Q: Have you struggled with anxiety or depression. Or any other mental health issues. How do you let your self keep writing? I'm in a not so wonderful place, thought I'd ask. Apologize in advance.

I don't suffer from anxiety or depression to a clinical degree. I think we all experience these from time to time, which is the category I fall into. My family is going through a tough time the past few years and there have been times when it has gotten to me and depression sets in. Writing has been a way to help me escape from the worries of my daily life. It's hard to get started when all I feel like doing is lying in bed, but once I get started, once I'm actually typing away at the keyboard, I get drawn into the words and for a short time, I can step away from my troubles. I hope that helps.

Q: Dialogs are a pain! How can I write them without sounding repetitive? ( He said, They said, She exclaimed, said laughingly etc.. ) ughhh! Is there an extensive list for identifying the persons speaking?

Try writing the dialogue out without the tags and see if it makes sense. If only two characters are speaking, not every line needs a tag on it. I get all of my dialogue down, especially if it's flowing well and then I go back and break it up with tags where needed or actions happening.

Q: If you could be granted one wish , what would it be?

"Peace on Earth, good will toward all" is always a good go to answer. I wonder what it would be like to live in that kind of world. Of course, if I got a second wish, always having enough money on hand to meet my needs and wants would be a nice runner up.

Q: What are your favorite movies about writers and/or the publishing industry?

Misery, Stranger Than Fiction, As Good As It Gets, and Secret Window are the first that spring to mind.

Q: When is it all right to kill off the protagonist in a novel or short story?

When the story demands it.

Q: Share A Favorite San Diego ComicCon Memory!

I ran into a fan of the comic I was writing at the time while walking the floor. He ran off to buy a book so I could sign it for him. That was pretty darn cool. Oddly enough, I also got fired off that self-same book at that same con when the publisher nixed it from the schedule. Easy come. Easy go.

As a fan, I got to meet Ray Harryhausen and Ray Bradbury on the con floor. Both were great gentlemen. A big fanboy moment for me.

Q: How important is it to you that your comics (books, strips) are in color?

It's not essential. I have enjoyed comics in black and white as well as gray scale. The trick is, if you're doing them without color then you have to draw them for no color.

Q: In a novel, how long should a chapter be? Should every chapter be about the same length?

Chapters can be as long or short as they need to be. If you've already got a publisher attached, they may have guidelines for chapter length. If not, make your chapters be as long as you need them to be. They do not all have to be the same size, but they can if

you want. When I first started writing my first novel, I thought that chapters all had to be a certain length because the books I was reading at the time all seemed to be the same length. I found myself padding the story to reach that page count. Then, after a little research, I realized that they could be whatever I needed them to be so I cut out the extra garbage that was just there for padding and I had a much better story that I was eventually able to sell to a publisher.

Q: Are you traditionally published? With a small publisher? Self-published? Or still writing and not published yet?

Yes to all but the last one. Most of the publishers I work with are small/medium press-sized, but I have also been fortunate to work with a couple of large publishers. I also self-publish on occasion as well, especially this year with my experiment in publishing the SNOW series myself as novellas. So far that has proven semi-successful so I suspect I will do a series 2 once Snow series one wraps up with book 6.

Q: If we were all forced to wear warning labels, what would yours say?

Do not touch.

Q: What Is Your Greatest Regret?

Not taking my writing serious sooner.

Q: What did you think "being a writer" was going to be and what is it for you now?

I thought it was going to be riches and fame. Turns out it's a lot of work, a little bit of money, and very minor fame. Ah, well.

And I think that is a good place to stop for this round of Sometimes I Get Asked Stuff… Do you have any questions you’d like me to answer? Post them here as a comment or send them along to bobby@bobbynash.com and I’ll answer them in a future installment of Sometimes I Get Asked Stuff...

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Thanks for listening to me ramble. Let’s do it again soon.

Happy reading!

Bobby