John’s Comments (group member since Jan 31, 2012)

John’s comments from the Q&A with John R. Fultz group.

Oh, the PotA soundtrack is full of brooding menace, stalking danger, and sheer revelation. I may be wrong, but very few films these days have music as powerful as the movies of yesteryear--unless they intentionally set out to capture that feeling. I recently watched DRIVE--that movie had terrific music (no wonder--it was Angelo Badalamente).

Hey! Sorry I haven't posted sooner--it's been crazy busy this month!

Fred, your analogy with the towers and the wires and the mist...it's perfect. You have blown my mind, sir.

Dorothy: It's very much like music! I'm also a musician, as are many, many writers. And there is a lot to be said for the translation of musical composition into fiction composition. A novel is a symphony--composed of various movements. A short story is more like a single song. Having a "natural feel" for storytelling is sort of like having a "natural feel" for music. I think writing music (of any kind) is a great way to improve your storytelling skills.

I can only write to SPECIFIC music. MOST of it is instrumental--soundtracks I really dig for the most part. There are only a few bands with lyrics whose albums I can listen to when I write: THE SWORD's first two albums and MONSTER MAGNET's Superjudge both work for me, and various others. I really like the soundtrack work of Tyler Bates, Basil Poledorous, and Jerry Goldsmith. PLANET OF THE APES is one of the most brilliant soundtracks ever recorded.

Good question indeed...

Short stories are quick bursts of inspiration and hard work...novels are long-term commitments.

Someone once said writing a short story was like balancing on a wire, and writing a novel was like balancing on SEVERAL wires.

It's different at each stage of the process...but usually the story grows in my mind until it simply can't wait anymore to "get out" and make its way onto paper. It's a catharsis of sorts to get a scene finished, so I can move on to the next scene...or rest, recharge, and let the next scene begin to blossom in the mind's eye. Sometimes I'll put on just the right music...that usually does the trick.

Thanks, Fred! Your new site looks totally bitchin'...

Good question! Sometimes (most often) they just come to me...it's a kind of poetic sensibility. However, sometimes I find actual names that I think are terrific--these might be names from ancient times or names from other cultures. (I once discovered the Indian name "Santha" and thought it was awesome--so I named a sorceress character Santha in one of my Zang tales.)
Sometimes, too, I look at a certain culture's names--especially if I'm trying to evoke a certain cultural paradigm in my fantasy world--and I'll take a real name and modify it somewhat--just enough to separate it from the real-world name.
One thing that was very challenging was when I was writing a Native American adventure and I made a huge list of names like "Sharp Tongue", "Black Fox," and "Wolf Skinner"--it was very challenging to try for an authentic feel while not mimicking any well-known Native American names (i.e. no "Sitting Bull" or "Crazy Horse"). It was a fun approach to take--evoking a culture that uses the events and qualities of the natural world to name themselves.

I'd have to say the first draft is the most enjoyable part of the writing process. The thrill of inspiration meets the mad joy of creation when I'm "becoming one with the keyboard." I call it going into the "zone"--when I begin putting words on the page and cranking out the words by the thousands. It's thrilling and can be extremely draining, but it's my favorite part of the process--when I turn Nothing into Something. Of course, doing revisions is absolutely essential...but it's not as fun, or as full of wild creative energy.