Ask the Author: Lynn Hightower
Answered Questions (10)
Lynn Hightower
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Lynn Hightower
I have been rereading THE ENGLISH PATIENT. On my table is the latest Jack Reacher novel, BETTER OFF DEAD, thank you Lee and Andrew Child. Next up...SILVERVIEW by John Le Carre'. Just finished a book of essays by Wendell Berry...WHY I AM NOT GOING TO BUY A COMPUTER.
--LYNN
--LYNN
Lynn Hightower
I will give you a one sentence horror story, because I am a high achiever.
NO CHOCOLATE IN THE HOUSE.
NO CHOCOLATE IN THE HOUSE.
Lynn Hightower
I would always go to the world of the novel I am writing. And I pretty much do that every day. Right now I am in France. At least in my head.
Lynn Hightower
Oh, THE ENLIGHTENMENT PROJECT. I was wondering what happened to people who were possessed as children, and had Exorcisms. Did it still haunt them? Was it a big secret? Are they okay?
The research astounded me. How many people feel oppressed by demonic entities. How much demand there is for Exorcism. That Exorcism is now and official condition in the DSM, treated by psychiatrist and Exorcists. Who are in great demand. The signs of possession in the brain on an MRI.
And my hero, Noah Archer was born. Possessed as a boy, underwent an Exorcism...which freed him and made him whole. But always vulnerable. And now a neurosurgeon...with a research project to help people feeling oppressed. That shows great promise...and goes very wrong...
Lynn
The research astounded me. How many people feel oppressed by demonic entities. How much demand there is for Exorcism. That Exorcism is now and official condition in the DSM, treated by psychiatrist and Exorcists. Who are in great demand. The signs of possession in the brain on an MRI.
And my hero, Noah Archer was born. Possessed as a boy, underwent an Exorcism...which freed him and made him whole. But always vulnerable. And now a neurosurgeon...with a research project to help people feeling oppressed. That shows great promise...and goes very wrong...
Lynn
Lynn Hightower
Bills to pay?
No just kidding. Some days I am in love with it, some days not. I write anyway. Small regular quotas to keep the momentum going. And keeping the momentum going helps a lot.
I have a regular time and place to write. I write by hand with disposable fountain pens on terrific note pads -- for my first draft.
If I am dragging my feet, I might read a chapter of a book I love. That helps.
And since I am always telling myself the story I wish someone would tell me...that helps too.
I keep a fast pace going with the story because I have zero patience and a short attention span. Instead of waiting and building and giving tiny hints...I just let it go wild from page one. I don't believe in giving readers breadcrumbs. I want to give them a full meal. Pretty much in every scene. Why not? Readers are hungry, you should feed them.
Lynn
No just kidding. Some days I am in love with it, some days not. I write anyway. Small regular quotas to keep the momentum going. And keeping the momentum going helps a lot.
I have a regular time and place to write. I write by hand with disposable fountain pens on terrific note pads -- for my first draft.
If I am dragging my feet, I might read a chapter of a book I love. That helps.
And since I am always telling myself the story I wish someone would tell me...that helps too.
I keep a fast pace going with the story because I have zero patience and a short attention span. Instead of waiting and building and giving tiny hints...I just let it go wild from page one. I don't believe in giving readers breadcrumbs. I want to give them a full meal. Pretty much in every scene. Why not? Readers are hungry, you should feed them.
Lynn
Lynn Hightower
I am one third of the way through the first draft of a new thriller, which takes place in France, and I'm at the stage where I am madly in love with the story. Because my agent got tired of listening to me tell him stories about my fabulous dog, he said...just put all that in the novel. So my dog is delighted to have a big role in the story. Now my agent is saying DON'T OVERDO THE DOG. So you know, it's a tightrope every day.
Later when I call the writing police in, then I'll have combat fatigue and give my story a very hard look.
But I am still in first draft love which is great fun.
Lynn
Later when I call the writing police in, then I'll have combat fatigue and give my story a very hard look.
But I am still in first draft love which is great fun.
Lynn
Lynn Hightower
Tell your reader the story you wish someone would tell you.
Don't roam the Internet looking for advice.
Just go with once upon a time.
Write regularly with small goals. You can do two pages three times a week? Then you can get a novel written.
I'm cheering you on.
Lynn
Don't roam the Internet looking for advice.
Just go with once upon a time.
Write regularly with small goals. You can do two pages three times a week? Then you can get a novel written.
I'm cheering you on.
Lynn
Lynn Hightower
Wearing jeans to work and telling lies for a living.
Lynn Hightower
There is no such thing. It's one of those terms thought up by people who don't actually write, to terrorize those of us who do.
But you can get a bit stuck or discouraged, and usually it is one of two issues-- or maybe both.
1) You are trying for perfection. Give yourself permission to write bad fiction every day -- that takes the pressure off. You can go from there once you have scene work on the page.
2) You don't know what your story is. You've written part of it, and that is great, and then you ran out of steam. This is normal. So be thinking about your story, where it is going, and if you are not sure...then work that out. Once you do that you'll get excited again and be back writing.
This is just normal process. You'll be okay.
Lynn
But you can get a bit stuck or discouraged, and usually it is one of two issues-- or maybe both.
1) You are trying for perfection. Give yourself permission to write bad fiction every day -- that takes the pressure off. You can go from there once you have scene work on the page.
2) You don't know what your story is. You've written part of it, and that is great, and then you ran out of steam. This is normal. So be thinking about your story, where it is going, and if you are not sure...then work that out. Once you do that you'll get excited again and be back writing.
This is just normal process. You'll be okay.
Lynn
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