Ask the Author: James Frazee
Answered Questions (6)
James Frazee
I will have to admit I don’t think I’ve ever had writer’s block in the sense that most people think. Every writer has a different schedule for writing. Some set a specific time during the day when they lock themselves away from the world and concentrating on their writing. Personally I only write when I am in the mood. If I try to force myself to sit and write, I find myself staring at the computer screen waiting for it to say something to me. Maybe this is “my writer’s block.” However, when something comes to mind that I want to tell, my mind kicks in and the words just flow. When this happens I may write for hours without stopping.
I’ve been known to wake up in the middle of the night with an idea and have to get up and write it down before I forget it. Then the next morning I’m at the computer developing the idea and incorporating it into the story line.
I’ve been known to wake up in the middle of the night with an idea and have to get up and write it down before I forget it. Then the next morning I’m at the computer developing the idea and incorporating it into the story line.
James Frazee
To me, the best thing about being a writer is that it gives me a way to express myself and relive a lot of adventures I’ve had and reintroduce myself to friends I’ve had in the past. Of course it is also good that you can set your own hours; your life isn’t run by a clock. Sometimes however, these hours can be 10-12 a day. But since I am doing something that I really enjoy, the hours melt away and I never feel overwhelmed at the end of the day. That is a good feeling.
James Frazee
The best advice I can give to aspiring writers is the same advice given to me…Write about people and places that you know and are familiar with; also something that you have a real passion. Wherever possible weave personalities of people you know into your characters. It will give them life. Guide the reader through the book but don’t give him the answers. Let them figure it out themselves through your clues.
Some writers make detailed outlines and end up just converting the outline into words. That doesn’t work for me. I do have an outline so I know where I am heading, but it only serves as a guide. As I write I discover new areas and directions the characters need to take. A detailed outline is too constricted for me, but it may work for you. Every writer is different.
Also, when writing don’t stop and correct and re-read paragraphs over and over again. It will never be perfect in your mind. Start writing and continue writing until you reach the end of the chapter or section of your book. Once you have finished a major section, then go back and re-read it. You will be surprise that this method will help you build your characters better and also highlight areas you need to change or modify. Our mind works faster than our fingers can type.
Some writers make detailed outlines and end up just converting the outline into words. That doesn’t work for me. I do have an outline so I know where I am heading, but it only serves as a guide. As I write I discover new areas and directions the characters need to take. A detailed outline is too constricted for me, but it may work for you. Every writer is different.
Also, when writing don’t stop and correct and re-read paragraphs over and over again. It will never be perfect in your mind. Start writing and continue writing until you reach the end of the chapter or section of your book. Once you have finished a major section, then go back and re-read it. You will be surprise that this method will help you build your characters better and also highlight areas you need to change or modify. Our mind works faster than our fingers can type.
James Frazee
I am currently working on a sequel to my first novel The Mosquito Bites. The new book starts where my novel ends. I use the same characters and in the same setting, New York City, as the first book. Alex and Leslie’s lives have been impacted by the events of their first month of a new job. Will they have a job when the return to work after being in hiding? Or will they need to start over again? How will it affect their relationship? However, a little into the book an event happens which takes the characters in a new direction, a direction that will challenge the strengths of the characters and test their faith in each other.
James Frazee
I don’t think I have any one inspiration for writing. I have always liked to write. I remember in Junior High and High School I would write poetry and just enjoyed putting thoughts on paper. I think however, that I was turned off to writing when I went to college and was forced to write about things in which I had no interest.
I had no idea if I was good or bad at writing since I only did it for myself and no one ever saw my output. Something that today I regret. If I had allowed someone to read my writing they might have encouraged me earlier to publish.
What turned me on to publishing was when I was encouraged to write a beginner’s bridge book based on my teaching methods. I felt real satisfaction in that project which then lead to the writing a cookbook. After that I decide to put my experience at the research farms into a novel.
I had no idea if I was good or bad at writing since I only did it for myself and no one ever saw my output. Something that today I regret. If I had allowed someone to read my writing they might have encouraged me earlier to publish.
What turned me on to publishing was when I was encouraged to write a beginner’s bridge book based on my teaching methods. I felt real satisfaction in that project which then lead to the writing a cookbook. After that I decide to put my experience at the research farms into a novel.
James Frazee
My first job out of graduate school was working for a chemical company that produced insecticides to control pests on crops. My specific job was to go to the company’s research farms and collect data on how effective new products were against five different insects and then make recommendations to the corporations which products should move to the next stage of development. The end goal was to come up with a new product to introduce into the market every 2-3 years. Products that help control insect infestations in field crops, thus increasing yield for the farmers, and bringing better food at a lower price to the marketplace. In the end everyone wins; the company makes money on the sale of the insecticide and consumers get good food products at a lower price.
It was during my visits to the farms and my work there that I thought, “What would happen if these products changed the plants, good or bad, in a way that we were not aware.” That thought led to the character of Alex Gregory and the idea behind “The Mosquito Bites.”
It was during my visits to the farms and my work there that I thought, “What would happen if these products changed the plants, good or bad, in a way that we were not aware.” That thought led to the character of Alex Gregory and the idea behind “The Mosquito Bites.”
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