About Alex J. Cavanaugh:
Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design, graphics, and technical editing. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. He’s the author of Amazon Best-Sellers CassaStar, CassaFire, CassaStorm, and Dragon of the Stars. The author lives in the Carolinas with his wife.
What inspires you to write?
I write to read the stories I don’t find anywhere else.
My first published book was a complete rewrite of a story I wrote thirty years prior. I found it in a drawer, was inspired by the strength of the characters, and decided I could make the story stronger.
Since that time, my fans have inspired me. For some odd reason, they want more…
Tell us about your writing process.
Once I have a story idea and I know the characters, I let it all play out in my head like I’m watching a movie. I do this many times until I’m happy with the flow of the plot. Then I type out a basic outline and keep adding and adjusting to it. The whole process can take several months and often much longer than it takes to write the first draft!
Outside of the outline, I do create character sketches, but that’s about it. Anything else would just confuse me.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I’ve never spoken to my characters and they’ve never talked back. I just know who they are and what they’ll do. Sometimes they will surprise me on the page, especially secondary characters, and I just run with it.
What advice would you give other writers?
Write what you enjoy and believe you can succeed. Writing just to sell and doubting yourself suck all the joy out of the process.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I knew I’d have to find a publisher, as I had no idea what I was doing in the beginning. I didn’t have any previous writing credentials, so I didn’t bother trying to find an agent and went straight to querying publishers. And it worked! I’ve been very happy with my small publisher. So my advice would be to consider all possibilities.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think it’s wide open at the moment. So many of my author friends have self-published their books and been successful. With more people shopping online, that’s given a lot of authors a better chance and given readers more options. And I think we’ll see a lot more innovative options open up in the future for everyone.
What do you use?: Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: science fiction
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Alex J. Cavanaugh Home Page Link
Link To Alex J. Cavanaugh Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
Twitter
All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit, to allow you, the reader, to hear the author in their own voice.
Everybody has their method of writing and it is up to you to find yours. Alex is a wonderful individual who loves to help others and along the way has become a part of a wonderful community and an author himself.
How interesting to see it as a movie in one’s head. I usually see incomplete scenes and can only have a real idea of the entire story when I outline it on a spreadsheet.
Having read all your books Alex, I do hope you write more. I know you are now doing shorts, but I prefer the full novel which you do so well. Wish I still lived in the Carolinas.