I used AI this week to “interview” myself. I submitted: what are the best 30 questions you can ask a writer? These are the best of the 30 it provided. I will do another one of these “interviews” soon but more ‘biographical’ in nature. Enjoy!
What is your writing process like?
After I have thought out the main plot points of my story, I like to focus on my characters. Backstory and or history for the main characters really helps bring them to life and make them multidimensional on the page. Then I work up a “beats outline” of the novel.
Do you prefer to outline your work or let it evolve organically?
Rarely do I write without an outline. I find that my mind and my story will wander if not on a targeted directory. Especially with my fantasy tales, I have several plots and subplots happening at once and it’s way too hard to keep track of if it’s not written in an organized fashion.
How do you develop your characters?
I tend to be inspired by music or ideas that I can develop characters around. For instance, one of my main characters, Taihven Artadeus, was crafted around a premise of how do you effectively live and lead if you can’t tell whether you are in the real world or a figment of your imagination.
What role does research play in your writing?
I praise every day how wonderful the internet is and how this is the greatest age to live in as a writer. For my novel, In Four Days, I used Philadelphia as the foundation city of the story. I have never been to or lived around that city. However, through my research on the net, I could plop in various key locations or national parks, etc to make it very believable. I have had readers actually ask me how long did I live in PA! Another example was the whole US Marshals and their prison transport set up that I used in my Evade series. I had to really dig to learn procedures and some of the jargon they used. Without research I couldn’t have portrayed the exciting prison escape/hostage scene realistically. I highly recommend that every writer do thorough and proper research — you don’t have any legitimate excuses now to not do it. It totally adds to your story and brings it home for your readers.
How do you handle criticism and feedback on your work?
So far, I have been extremely fortunate in my reviews, but there will be the day I am sure someone will tell me how much they did not like my work. It is unfortunate, but it is bound to come. One thing to remember is that there are millions of people with millions of various interests and tastes. No one can satisfy every person. You chalk it up to, you did your work the best you could and you know that for every hater there are tons of people who love it too. If it’s constructive criticism, maybe you learn from it. If it’s just hateful, then you pass it off as trolling and let it go.
What do you find most challenging about the writing process?
To me, finding the mental energy and fire to write is one of the biggest obstacles to being productive. I have a full house: a wife, 3 children (2 young adults now), a son-in law, a baby grandson and several animals. All need time, attention and financial support. So, a full time day job and 2 running vehicles is a must. Having time to myself is a luxury and having that coincide with having the mental stamina to produce anything…sometimes it seems rare like a lunar eclipse! Most times though I find if I set up a small goal of writing 300 words (which is pretty easy to accomplish), it will spill over into writing near a 1000 or more. It is what they call “resistance”. You have to will yourself to push through and you’ll find that unexpected reserve of energy and motivation to write.
How do you balance creativity and the need to meet deadlines?
As I said, it isn’t easy for me to find time. I usually set goals for general deadlines. In other words, I won’t set an actual date but more like a timeframe of when I want to be done. If I apply too much pressure to complete something, I will squish all the enjoyment out of the process and I will find plenty of reasons to procrastinate and never get to the work. I have to allow some freedom in order to be sure I will find the drive there enjoyable.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
When you first start out, don’t focus so much on the idea ‘will the readers like this or will they hate me?’. Write for you. Write something you want to read, something you’d like to explore or fantasize about. Free yourself from your inner critic (that bastard will never leave you and is like the school yard bully, always ready to steal your lunch money and bloody your nose). You can be free with your ideas and your story structure or prose since no one is ever going to read your first draft. Nor should you let anyone read it. Then when you are “done”, go back and allow the editing process to do its magic. Clean up everything to be readable content. But don’t let that white empty page scare you. It’s a playground waiting for you to run around in. Go enjoy yourself!
How do you create believable dialogue in your stories?
I am very detail-oriented in my story creation. As I said, I am outline obsessed. But when it comes to dialogue, I lose myself in the moment and try to become my characters in the scene. Answer and reply how they would, not how Derek would. If you are going to have credible, realistic dialogue you cannot censor or guide it based on you.
What is your favorite genre to write in, and why?
I of course have two favorite genres: horror and fantasy. I really love to write in both. Horror is much easier to write but I love the convoluted stories that bloom in fantasy tales. I have thought about or entertained writing in other genres like Steampunk, Sci-fi or History but so far nothing has been a powerful enough draw to take me away from the big two. As it stands, I have way too many stories waiting in line for me to write. Maybe one day down the road, who knows?
How do you handle self-doubt as a writer?
I am okay with doubt until it comes down to the last of a series. For instance, for my Elude series the last novel scared me witless! I analyzed and fretted over every word and detail. I really wanted to end the whole story with an impact. I put so much pressure that I nearly stalled out and didn’t finish it. I am sure that is also why it has taken me several attempts at writing the last of my Wyvernshield series. The Bleeding Crown was written in 2017 and hear six years later I am just getting out the next part of that story. I hate disappointing readers and I work hard at finding what I feel will be worth their effort in reading it. Analysis-paralysis I think it’s called. To get myself to finally push myself to write it was to just say I will do my best and write what I would want to read. Hope for the best and hope the readers enjoy the ride along with me.
What impact do you hope your writing will have on readers?
More than anything, I want the reader to lose themselves in the story. Immerse themselves in the world I have detailed. In these days of political strife and conflict, it’s nice to forget the world and its troubles. If the reader connects with the characters, feels for them and their troubles then I’ve done my job. It’s important to me that the characters are memorable, believable and relatable.
The Official Website of Author Derek Barton 