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“Ask me a question.” Andy Davidson

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Curious about your opinion on something I've noticed about books in general. The first few chapters I'll sample at a bookstore almost always feature great prose. By the fifth chapter when the business of storytelling really kicks in, I'll notice a significant drop in the quality of prose. So, are my expectations unrealistic? (There are exceptions of course, Cormac Mccarthy, you, others).
Andy Davidson Hmm, interesting question. Not sure. It's possible the early chapters get worked extra hard, as they're often the ones submitted as samples to agents and publishers, but I've never encountered that kind of advice/direction from an editor--"Make your opening few chapters great, don't worry about the rest"--so it may just be that the writer is inconsistent. My personal preference, of course, is for prose that does the job all the way through.
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Is it possible, or even realistic, to separate the author from the person(al)?
Andy Davidson Great question. From the writer's perspective, maybe not. Almost everything I write, in some way, comes from the personal, some aspect of who I am. From the reader's perspective, I think you can make the separation, though with some authors it's probably easier than others. In poetry, we assume that the speaker and the writer are not the same; whether it's true or not, it's a good-faith way to approach a piece of literature, I think -- a way of saying it doesn't HAVE to be about the writer or the writer's perspective; rather, it can be about the character's.
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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?
Andy Davidson Keep plugging away at it on a daily basis.
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What’s the best thing about being a writer?
Andy Davidson Getting read. :)
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How do you deal with writer’s block?
Andy Davidson I just write terribly until it gets better, like running a rusty tap to clear the line.
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I have been finding a few great new authors courtesy of Goodreads, but mostly from Horror Books on Facebook. Please tell me you are working on at least one new novel. In the Valley of the Sun was a moving and beautiful novel, but I have had no luck finding anything else written by you. Are you still writing for your hungry readers?
Andy Davidson Hi, Victoria! Absolutely. Next book is THE BOATMAN'S DAUGHTER, releasing in February. You can pre-order it now on Amazon or at your favorite indie bookseller, and I believe it's listed on Goodreads, too. Also, I'm hard at work on a third. If you can't find much by me, it's probably because it just isn't there. I spent a good bit of time after graduate school teaching and just not writing. But no more! As long as people keep reading em, I'll keep writing em. :) Thanks for the kind words about the first book!
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The Texas as described in your novel was very real. The desolation and depressed nature of the area came through not so much in your descriptions but in the various situations in the story. Did you ever live in Texas, or is that just your artistic interpretation of the area?
Andy Davidson Hi, Michael. No, I've never lived in Texas, but I spent time there when I was a kid. Mostly, though, I just did my research. I was lucky enough, too, to be able to travel there while working on the novel. Thanks!
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