Where do you get the ideas for your stories?
The majority of my ideas come from reading other books. I love to read, so when I’m getting into a book and trying to predict the direction it’s going to go I’m constantly surprised when the writer’s ability to trip me up. Usually, it’s a satisfying experience. But those times when I don’t like the ending or something else along the way, my mind instantly conjures up ways it could have turned out. If the idea is strong enough and I think it has potential, I’ll jot it down and flesh it out as a full-fledged story later on.
What do you think makes a good story?
My original answer was going to be “giant monsters,” but it occurs to me that not every story I’ve enjoyed has a giant monster in it. So… let me dig a little deeper.
The stories I like have to be pretty simple, without being weighed down with a bunch of needless distractions or chatter. Ideally, they should have a minimum amount of characters, good dialogue, a ticking clock of some sort and have a satisfying end. And by “satisfying end” I mean justice. I’m a sucker for justice, in all its forms. I want the bad guy to get what’s coming to him, and if he happens to lose a toe or a little blood along the way? Well, so be it. Sucks to be a bad guy.
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