1.
I am definitely a plotter. I need to have at
least a general idea where my characters are going and how they get there. What
happens along the way slides to some extent into the realm of the panster.
2.
Hard to say what actually comes first, character
or plot? An idea for a story takes root and then things evolve from there. Who
a character is as a representative human being, say the protagonist, can
determine where his or her choices lead. Plot will put obstacles in the way.
Occasionally a setting will fire up the imagination, and I’ll want to see something
dramatic take place there. That requires characters. Plot develops from that.
3.
At present I am close to completing a first
draft of a novel. Although the setting is similar in places to that in a
previous work of fiction, and with a few themes overlapping, this represents a
completely new direction. It is not part of a series.
4.
Greek mythology plays a significant role in
underpinning my plots. Knowing the myths helps readers grasp what is going on
in the background. Allusions to art, literature, philosophy, and religion serve
a similar function. Bars and cafés are preferred places for relevant dialogue.
5.
I sit down to write every day. I try to come
away from the desk having achieved at least a workable page. Frequently what
comes of my effort amounts to no more than a paragraph, but one I am satisfied
with. Having coffee out or nursing a beer in a pub can lead to observations
that connect to themes I’m developing. It could be a bearded face or the shape
of a table leg or a tune playing in the background.
6.
You can find me at the following:
reedstirling@gmail.com; reedstirlingwrites.com; Reed Stirling at BWL Publishing
7.
Favourite authors: Among contemporary writers,
John Banville, Ian McEwan, and Richard Dawkins
Among twentieth century authors: James Joyce,
Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemmingway, Lawrence Durrell, John Fowles, and there’s
always Shakespeare to fall back on.
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