Ask the Author: R.C. Matthews
Answered Questions (8)
R.C. Matthews
Good question. I'm not sure I prefer one over the other. Series are fun to write because you really come to know and love your characters. I loved writing River Road because I finally got to delve into Hatchet's psyche after writing his character in the firs two books of the series. That's great stuff. My editor keeps telling me to 'kill my darlings' as Stephen King suggests, but I can't do it. I did try once, though, and I cried for days. LOL. But that's going off on a tangent. Stand alone books are nice to write, too, because I get an immediate sense of accomplishment when I finish writing the story. There aren't future related books hanging over my head. That being said, I write more series than I do stand alone books, so I think you have my answer. :-) I've never tried to write a series with the same main characters through the whole series in romance - like Fifty Shades or Twilight. Who knows? Maybe I'll give that a try once. I'm always up for a challenge. Right now I'm starting a new small town series. Building a fictional town and key secondary characters from scratch is so much fun! Thanks for the question.
R.C. Matthews
Since Pride and Prejudice is the books I've read the most times, I have to say that my favorite fictional couple is Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. I'm fascinated by the dynamic of their relationship and how one small incident (i.e. their first meeting at the country dance) could shape their impression of one another so thoroughly and in opposite directions. The romantic in me love the fact that Mr. Darcy fell a little in love with Miss Elizabeth Bennett that day for laughing over his rejection and not caring one whit that he was a Duke.
R.C. Matthews
My Wish Come True series started out being inspired by my own experiences with a dating service and morphed into something else entirely once I got the hair-brained idea to make my own real life niece the star of Book#1. Because then I needed to write a book for my nephew (Book#2) and my other niece too. Book #3 stars my niece Tyler. I try to sprinkle in enough facts to make it fun and personal for my niece but for the most part its pure fiction.
R.C. Matthews
Writing is just a part of me. I love writing so I simply do it. Whenever the urge hits me. Which is pretty often. However I have a day job that pays the bills so I don't write every single day. If I did then I wouldn't have a life outside of working and writing.
R.C. Matthews
I'm currently working on Book #3 in my Wish Come True series - the love story between Tyler and Chase. I just finished and published the short story prequel to the series called The Mastermind in which I give the reader some insight into Grannie's meddling ways. Meddling grandmothers are so much fun to write about.
R.C. Matthews
Find a really good beta reader...someone who is willing to be brutally honest with you and give you advice about making your story better. As the writer, we are in the weeds and we have all this background information in our heads that the reader doesn't. So it's hard for us to see flaws in the storyline. My best friend is great at giving high level plot suggestions.
R.C. Matthews
Hmmm....probably escaping into what world I want to and laughing, laughing, laughing. I prefer to write stories that include humor - sometimes there is a little crying, because that's real life - and always, always, always a happily ever after. I abhor books that end with a cliffhanger. I still read them. But that's just mean to the reader.
R.C. Matthews
Honestly? I just take a break from writing and let my mind wander while I'm driving to and from my day job. Writer's block usually hits me because I'm not sure how I want a scene to start or where it should start. In the beginning I worried that new ideas wouldn't come to me but that hasn't been an issue yet.
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