FAQ

• Where do you get your ideas?

  Ideas come. They come when I'm driving in my car, playing golf, taking a shower, doing my laundry, laughing with friends, or watching an ant carry a breadcrumb. I don't invite them to come. They just show up. Some of them of them are sharply dressed and very well groomed; some are shambling messes with merry gleams in their eyes. I welcome them all, but I'm only lucky enough to spend an extended period of time with a few of them.

• How does a writer get published?

  There are three ways: you can be lucky, you can be good, or you can be lucky and good. I wouldn't count on the first, the third one is rare, but the middle one—that one takes hard work, dedication, and a lot of patience. To become good, you'll have to read all sorts of books and write and write before even thinking about being published. Then, once you have learned not only how to write well but also how to revise relentlessly, you must research publishing houses and literary agents until you find a handful that seems a good match for your work. Then write them a letter. Polish it as much as you do your books or stories before you send it. After that, cross your fingers. Maybe they will ask to see your manuscript. Even then, you might receive a rejection letter. That's where the dedication and patience come in.

• What is your writing process?

  Much of my writing takes place far away from the computer, the notepad, and the office. To some, I may appear to be a daydreamer, a slacker, or perhaps mildly crazy. Actually, I'm working. Inside my head, characters are talking to each other. Fights are being lost and won. Jokes go off like firecrackers. Plotlines unfurl like the flags of exotic nations. Then, when my head is full, I buy a fat stenographer's notepad and begin jotting down the ideas in no certain order. You wouldn't want to read the contents of this notepad. If you did, you would be convinced that I'm more than just mildly crazy. "This is nothing but nonsense," you would say. But it makes sense to me. It's how I get better acquainted with the characters who want me to tell their stories.

  When I feel I know them well enough for them to trust me, I go to the computer. By now, I already have an idea of how the book will start and I can see a few of the bigger landmarks that the characters must pass on their ways to the end of the story. Each evening, after dinner, I sit at the computer for at least thirty minutes. If nothing comes, I brainstorm ideas until something catches and the wheels start turning. If that doesn't happen, then I'm finished for that day. But usually, something does come and I write until I wear out. It does no good to keep writing after you're worn out. You'll only have to delete it later. The next day, when I sit down again, I revise what I wrote the day before, which moves me back into the spirit of the story. These steps I repeat until the end comes up before me, smiling and waving like an old friend that I thought I might never see again.

  But the ending is really a beginning because now it's time to revise everything I've written. I talk to the characters again, find out what else I need to tell about them or how I might have been unfaithful to their stories. Words that just lie around doing nothing have to be replaced with more charismatic words, words with strong hands and jutting chins, their hair blowing back in the wind. Out of place scenes need to be rearranged to capture the correct feng shui. Flat dialog gets the air hose. I could go on and on with the revising process, but the manuscript must go to the publisher sooner or later, so finally, I pat it on the shoulder, tell it good luck, and send it on its way. See you later when the editor packs you back to me for still more revising.

• How do you deal with writer's block?

  Some days getting into your story might be tough. It can be like trying to open a jar that has had the lid screwed on too tightly. Don't give up. There are more ways than one to get the lid off of a jar. If you can't hear what your characters should say to each other, make a list of things they could say. The first three lines will probably be trite and dull, but the fourth one could very well be the perfect quote. Or you could try freewriting—just letting ideas flow onto the page in a rambling, unedited sprawl. Halfway down the page, you may find what you are looking for. The seal on the jar will be broken. The lid comes off with ease, and you are glad you didn't give up.

  "But," you might say, "What if the lid still doesn't come off after all that?" Well, why worry about it? There are other things in life besides writing. Do those until the ideas start flowing again. If I'm lucky enough to have the time, I like to get away from a resistant computer and play golf by myself. There is no better place for mulling, and mulling is one of the most important things a writer can do. If you have writer's block, there is a good chance you simply haven't mulled enough. So take up golf. You'll like it. And it's not uncommon for me to return from the course with all sorts of notes about the story I'm working on scribbled on my scorecard.