Ask Jake Soister About 'The Life He Knew' discussion

Really enjoyed this book. Have several questions: How did you devise the character, Ben? Will there be a sequel? (I sure hope so.) Did you have an ending in mind and work backwards. (The ending was a great surprise to me, but made complete sense in the scary world of Zack.). Any advice for beginning writers?

Great questions! Thanks so much for writing in! Ben - like Zach - represented different aspects of my personality. While Zach was mostly comprised of my feelings of frustration, insecurity, and yearning for something more Ben was more about my uninhibited side. He was (occasionally) dangerous and spontaneous where Zach was introspective and more likely to hesitate instead of act. Ben also spoke to that part of myself that has always been afraid people would not accept or love me for who I am.
As far as sequels are concerned I'm currently in the process of writing several companion pieces that will take a few of the characters you're already familiar with in new directions.
I had the last line of the book "dog spit" and the idea for a epilogue (which I thoroughly enjoyed writing) and then took a round-about approach from there.
Any advice for other beginning writers? Stick with it, listen to what people have to say, and leave yourself open. A fresh set of eyes/different perspective can open you up to entire worlds of possibilities you never could have imagined on your own.