About Neil Herndon:
From an early age, Neil's passion was telling stories and putting word to page. He won the Illinois Young Authors competition several times, attending both state and county conferences. He was published in a young authors' poetry book before he entered his teens. At both Butler University and Columbia College-Hollywood, his focus was writing. After attending those school, he had work published at USAToday online, contributed for Forbes Online, was the subject of an article at Publishers Weekly, and earned a Masters degree at Lindenwood University. As an author, he constantly pushes himself to be better, and prides himself on being able to tell a story in any genre, making each one exciting and engaging. Neil always held on to a simple goal: to tell great stories.
What inspires you to write?
I have always had a mind geared towards imagination. As a kid, I was always building things or creating things, and even if they didn't work, that active imagination would see them function. Now, as a professional author, that imagination had something on which to focus its power. My brain is constantly asking 'would it be interesting if…' or 'what would happen…' I'll see something out in the world, or just have a notion pop into my mind, and the imagination takes over from there. I love that side of me, the always dreaming. And as long as it continues to think of new ideas, I will keep writing them. That is probably my biggest inspiration, keeping that side of me dreaming. And all I need to do to keep it happy is keep writing. One feeds the other, generating a loop of creativity and imagination.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
My home library has quite the range of authors and genres. There's a lot of classics that I love to read and re-read, Verne, Wells, and the like. At the same time, more modern authors like Stephen King and Michael Crichton are really engrossing.
Tell us about your writing process.
I wish I had the skill to draw some of the things I want to do. Sadly, a skill I lack. All my strength is in words. So, I keep to that. I start with a tag, create a short blurb, and then start filling in the elements. I do create an outline, often one that has a lot of details. Every beat and event that I want the story to follow. However, I'm also what you might call a 'living entity' writer. And by that I mean if you've done your job well enough in the planning phase, a story begins to tell itself. Characters will speak or do something that isn't in the outline because it's simply what would happen. But it all starts with an outline. For me, whiteboards aren't a bad choice, but I usually use them for keeping track of projects and schedules. For an outline, I just type it into Word, and then it's right there when I'm working on the project itself. I can also copy and paste sections into various chapters, so I know what beats I'm trying to hit.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Absolutely. We may not have conversations, but I listen to them, put myself in their shoes. Let their words flow. As I said in the writing process question, I am a firm believer in a story coming to life. I feel that if I've done my job right, then a book stops being words and starts being real. At least in my head. And all I'm doing is transcribing what I see and hear. Of course, the only downside there is taking too much time to describe.
What advice would you give other writers?
I am a firm believer in the 'new' Three Rs. Read. Write. Research. Read others to see what's good and what's bad. Write down as much as you can. One of the best things an aspiring author can do is hone their abilities. At the same time, this can also help break any bad habits they may have. And forcing yourself to adhere to common practices can do that. But the more you write, the better your storytelling ability becomes. Just something that happens over time. And that last R is research. Teach yourself about as much as possible. Learn how things work. Learn in as many topics as you can. Granted, it is often best to learn about things that directly play into your chosen genre, but learning about topics in general is always a big help. Plus, the more you research specific things, the more you protect against criticism. We as authors want our work to be as realistic as possible. And the only way to achieve that is to make sure things that we create are somewhat correct. My first novel was a pirate story, and one of the criticisms I received was 'the procedures wouldn't work like that'. I had written unfurl sails first and then haul anchor, but in reality it's the other way around. You don't have to retain all the knowledge you find, but a little bit here and there always helps.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I chose to self-publish. When I was first writing there was a bit of a slow-down on traditionally published work. So, I took my ball to a different field. Kindle publishing was on the rise, and I just wanted to get my work into the hands of the public. A few years later, I started a small publishing company, and it functions more or less the same. One thing I always tell people is that famous authors had their work rejected dozens of times. And sure, maybe my work when I was first starting wasn't as good as it is now. I can accept that. But when gatekeeping is too strong, it keeps out the truly good. For any new author, I would still try this process. Submit to a number of trad houses, and see what they say. Then, if you get back nothing but 'no', submit to an editor (someone like myself) and have them give you notes. Is a trad house not taking you because of too many errors? Or incorrect formatting? Or are they just fulfilling their quota of 'no'? A good editor will make an author better.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think we're going to see a bit of chaos for a while. Audiences are still trying to figure out what they like. Digital printing has changed the game. And the rising numbers point to the fact that eventually all publishing will be going digital. If you don't like that, that's fine. But remember, even the big companies are cutting costs by going digital.
What genres do you write?: Mostly science fiction, with the occasional drama, and a few fantasy titles as well.
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Neil Herndon Home Page Link
Link To Neil Herndon Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Facebook
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.
