By Bob Mayer
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| Bob Mayer |
Story
comes out of experience, intellectual interest and emotional passion. Looking back over my career of 25 years and
over 60 books, I can see patterns. I
didn’t focus on one genre or one series (which would have been a smart career
move). I wrote whatever I wanted when I
wanted. And now, I’m beginning to merge
some of my series, moving characters from diverse stories into the same overall
storyline. So I what were my four
pillars of story?
Write what you know: My military background, from West Point,
through the Infantry, and particularly into Special Operations is a large part
of my books and was a large part of my life. In fact, pretty much every
protagonist I have is military or ex-military. I’m one of the few
thriller writers with actual military experience, especially in Special
Operations, so that has affected not only my writing but the way I view the
world.
Write what interests you: I love history. Not just for the
information, but more the people. Also, because I am a big believer in
the maxim those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.
Experience is the best teacher and history is experience. From a novel
that is purely historical, Duty, Honor,
Country, to the 50% of the last five Atlantis
books where I use a past timeline to support the current story, a large portion
of my writing has to do with history. What I find fascinating is what we
think we know is often wrong; and we know a lot less than we think we
know.
Write what is your passion: Last,
and most importantly, I go back to the mind.
When I went into West
Point
I was sure I was going to major in engineering. But once I started in
psychology, I realized this was where I wanted to concentrate. I find the
human mind utterly fascinating. I had to laugh when reading Esquire and
they ask a celebrity what book they have on their nightstand (no one ever says Conan the Barbarian) and Sean Penn
replied: The Origin of
Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind. Okay, maybe I
believe him. I remember pulling the hardcover of that book out of a Jeep
I totaled about ten years ago. It’s still sitting on our bookshelf here
at Write on the River.
Learn more about Bob at http://www.coolgus.com/bobmayer.html
4 comments:
Hi Bob, Thanks for celebrating our 3rd Blog-O-Versary with us! I write what I know. I've been a member of women's circles for over 30 years so there are many of my personal experiences in The Sacred Women's Circle series. An ancillary to that is whatever I research adds to my own spiritual experience so it isn't an intellectual exercise but becomes internalized. And I write what I'm passionate about - people learning new ways to overcome problems so they can have the life they want. My characters must try something different or something they are afraid to do if they are to achieve their happily-ever-after.
No saving the world from evil-doers, etc. just finding a path through life's challenges so each day they experience joy and happiness.
Since most of my stories are paranormal I guess my writing is based on legend, reading other paranormal writers and research. I also write historical/paranormal and so I get the opportunity to research historical facts for accuracy. Enjoyed your blog! And enjoyed your lectures at the Rose City Romance Writers Portland, OR conference.
Great advice as always, Bob. You've given me food for thought. Thank you for returning to RTG!
Inspiring advice and yet so obvious and simple. Writing is all about knowledge, interests, and passion. Thank you for reminding me why I love to write!
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