Patricia Stoltey

Author

If You Could Ask Your Favorite Author One Question…

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I’m launching a new series called “Three Authors, Three Questions” at Chiseled in Rock blog the third Tuesday of this month. Three authors will answer the same (or at least similar) questions in January. In February I’ll have three different authors and three new questions. And on and on as long as I can find authors willing to play the game.

January is a great kickoff to the series. I’m not going to spoil the surprise by revealing the names ahead of time, but I have one Colorado author whose paranormal novels have gone international, a mystery author whose main character is headed for television, and the author of seventeen bestselling medical and political thrillers.

In February, I’m featuring a local author with a new YA sci fi series, and two mystery authors (one from Colorado and one from Minnesota). In my next author search, I’ll be looking for writers of women’s fiction and horror.

Is this going to be fun or what?

If you have favorite authors you’d like to see on this series, let me know. I’ll do my best to track them down and issue the invitation.

If you have a question or questions you’d like to have me ask the authors, just say the word. I’ll be looking for a total of 36 different questions for 2012. Suggestions are welcome.

And for now, be sure to check out my “What’s New From Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers?” post at Chiseled in Rock tomorrow. RMFW authors rock!

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Comments

  2. Great idea for a series of posts, Pat.

    The questions I always want to ask other writers are: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received? What’s the worst? If you could change one thing about your writing career, what would it be?

    Happy new Year!
    Donna

  6. Excellent questions, Laney. Thanks!

    When answering #3, I’ll bet every author would pick someone who’s no longer living so they don’t hurt anyone’s feelings. It’s a lot safer to say Agatha Christie or Charles Dickens… 🙂

  7. This sounds like such a fantastic idea! I can’t wait to read some of the answers from the authors.

    I’m not sure which author I would ask but just in general for some of the authors:

    1: How do you find inspiration/motivation to keep writing even when the going gets tough?

    2: How do you stay in touch with your characters?

    3: Who is your favorite author and why?

  9. Oh, good suggestions, Julie. Maybe I’ll group three horror writers together one month and see if we can understand what kind of mind works in this genre. 🙂

    Thanks for the questions, Clarissa. I’ll add them to my list. I think there will be a lot of interest in who writers view (or interact with) their characters as they work.

  10. I have a few questions:

    How real are the settings and characters when you write them?
    How far do you go to make the stories real in your mind?

    Can’t wait for the series.

  11. I’m so excited by this idea. It’s a great chance to ‘meet’ your favorites. I’d like to suggest Christopher Moore, and for horror, how about Stephen Gramham Jones from Boulder?

  12. Good question, Justin. I’ll add it to my list. I’ve heard some authors talk about their characters as though they were real people…

    Hi Elspeth. I just hope I can keep my questions interesting enough to inspire great answers.

  14. Great idea! My question: When a character becomes fully articulated on paper, how do they come alive to you when you are not near the paper you have sketched them on?

  15. Margot, I’m going to have fun making the contacts. So far I’ve been very pleased at the response from very cool bestselling authors.

    Alex — I’m betting on that as well. Might be boring if everyone answers a question the same way.

    Hi Talli — Happy new year to you as well. The idea just popped into my head when I was trying to find a new series idea for Chiseled in Rock. It’s going to be fun.