What is your writing process?
Writing always begins with a sense of wonder. It could be a dream that jarred me, something I read in a book or heard in a conversation (or better yet, in somebody else's conversation) and it gets me thinking. What would it be like to ride a rocket to certain death, or infiltrate enemy lines to save your lover, or hold the power of a dragon in the palm of your hand? That's the fun part--the imagining. But that's not enough. At some point, I have to turn it into a story. I have to figure out where it's all going and see if that's worth telling people. And if it is, then I have to cheat. I have to go back and plant all the clues, the foreshadowing, the symbols, the magic that make the whole experience of reading a story so gratifying.
What are your five favorite books, and why?
Top five books in reverse order:
#5 The Lord of the Rings, because it is the single greatest romantic epic of our time. (Sorry Game of Thrones but I'm not sure you know where you're going with that one.)
#4 The Bourne Identity, because it is the quintessential modern spy novel.
#3 Fahrenheit 451, because Ray Bradbury was the best Science Fiction writer of his time.
#2 Macbeth, because it is the darkest, creepiest and most magically awesome of Shakespeare's plays.
#1 The King James Bible, because it laid the foundation for western literature, culture, law and spiritual truth.
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