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I actually started writing short stories when I was in elementary school. I was fascinated by this show called Rat Patrol. They used to play reruns of the show on Saturday mornings when I was growing up and I started writing my own version of those adventures. I would cut up the pages and make little books out of them for my aunts and uncles to read.

Just do it. As a new writer myself, I know that there are a thousand reasons to not take the time to write, but when you feel the need to write, you just have to make the commitment. 

I am a complete pantser, which means I write by the seat of my pants. Once I get a character in my head, I begin writing and that character will basically take on a life of its own. As funny as it may seem, my characters basically tell me what they want and the plot develops based on what the characters are doing.

I start at 8am each weekday morning and write until about 2pm.

Just how quickly the characters come alive for me. I start out with a simple idea of a particular character and they literally morph into something completely different in a very short amount of time.

The initial spark comes from things I see or read that I wish were different.

All the time. My playlist consists of rock bands from the 70’s and 80’s ranging from softer rock to heavy metal. Each writing session begins with one of Neil Peart’s (Rush) epic drum solos. If he isn’t your favorite drummer, it’s a pretty safe bet that he is your favorite drummers, favorite drummer.

Dean Koontz without a doubt. The man just knows how to tell a great story. From magic dogs, to aliens, to government conspiracies, he covers them all.

The door to December by Dean Koontz.