About Michael Murphy:
Michael Murphy is a full-time writer and part-time urban chicken rancher. He lives in Arizona with his wife of more than forty years and the four children they adopted this past year. He’s active in several local writers’ groups and conducts novel-writing workshops at bookstores and libraries.
What inspires you to write?
I’ve always enjoyed reading novels of all genres. I still do. These books inspire me to create the worlds and the characters I write about. It’s an honor to follow those who’ve inspired me.
Tell us about your writing process.
All That Glitters is my 10th novel. I’ve evolved on this issue, starting out as a by the seat of the pants writer into an author who outlines the novel and creates character profiles before starting work on the manuscript. I’ve found this process helps speed the process, however I reserve the option to change the plot or the characters as opportunities present themselves.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I definitely listen to my characters. They’re very real to me. Jake Donovan even has his own twitter page.
What advice would you give other writers?
If you enjoy reading, you can become a writer. Don’t be intimidated by creating a 70,000 word document. The basic component of fiction is the scene. Scenes are often short and fast paced. I like 500 word scenes. If you can write 500 words, you can write a scene. If you can string three or four scenes together, you have a chapter. If you can write one chapter, you can write a couple of dozen and before you know it, you have a novel.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
That’s been an ongoing process. Today authors need to evaluate the market and consider the traditional route with agents and publishers and also self-publishing. Either way, become actively involved in marketing and promoting your work. It’s a full-time job.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Traditional book publishers must evolve to compete with the self-published marketplace. It’s happening. My publisher is Alibi, an ebook imprint of Random House. It offers the support of a large publisher with the hands on work of a self-publishing company.
What genres do you write?: Mystery, historical fiction and general fiction.
What formats are your books in?: eBook
Website(s)
Michael Murphy Home Page Link
Link To Michael Murphy Page On Amazon
Thanks so much for the opportunity to chat about the writing process, something I’m continuing to learn as I continue to write.