A Good Thriller discussion
Authors
>
Confirmed Q & A's with Carter Wilson. October 23rdand Two Free Books
date
newest »
newest »
I hope I'll be able to squeeze Comfort of Black in-between.
Mod
https://www.facebook.com/carterwilson....
October 23rd Q and A's
Mod
So get thinking...
Also get reading...
Comfort Of Black is a great book.
I have just had a quick reread, and updated my original review which can be seen, spoiler free, at https://wordpress.com/post/sandysbook...
Just starting. Since I live in the PNW I'm curious why Carter based the book in Seattle. And Dallin is an unusual name I've never heard before. Where did that come from?
Mod
I was so hoping I'll get better and can read the book in time but had to stop after a couple pages - I'm still not well enought to deal with psychological thrillers right now - I hope I can join next year again.
Mod
Where did the inspiration for the storyline come from because at this point I'm seriously intrigued?!! *still reading* ☺️
Mod
Do you listen to music when you write....
What other authors do you like reading...
Do you travel and get inspiration from places you have been
Perri wrote: "Just starting. Since I live in the PNW I'm curious why Carter based the book in Seattle. And Dallin is an unusual name I've never heard before. Where did that come from?"Hi, Perri - good questions. I somewhat randomly chose Seattle - it struck me as a place full of good physical characteristics that I use. As for Dallin's name, I often go to rosters of Civil War soldiers to search for names, because you find such a treasure trove of great names by doing that. I ran into the name Dallin there and just took to it.
-Carter
Janet wrote: "I'm reading The Comfort Of Black now and nearly halfway through.Where did the inspiration for the storyline come from because at this point I'm seriously intrigued?!! *still reading* ☺️"
Hi, Janet. The whole storyline came from me thinking up one of the opening scenes (the sex scene between Hannah and Dallin). All I had thought up was this sex scene between a husband and wife, without knowing anything about the characters and who they were. Then I wrote the end of that scene just as a challenge to myself to see if I could explain why Dallin did what he did, and that was the basis of that story. So, basically, the way I write is to come up with an opening scene and using the rest of the book to figure out the "why" of that scene.
-Carter
Perri wrote: "I'm finished and wondering if you always planned [spoilers removed]"Thanks, Perri. Nope, that wasn't planned at all. I don't outline my books, and then when I got to that actually scene, it just suddenly occurred to me that of course that had to happen. It surprised me, but I went with it. It's never easy to kill off a character and I don't take it lightly, but it just made such perfect sense to me that I felt compelled to write it.
Sean wrote: "Read and loved the book a while ago...Do you listen to music when you write....
What other authors do you like reading...
Do you travel and get inspiration from places you have been"
Hi, Sean - great questions.
Yes, I always (or usually) have my headphones on when I write. Quite often I listen to recordings of thunderstorms - I have a huge Spotify list of those and loop them. It really helps me focus. Sometimes I'll listen to music, but no signing. No words. Too distracting.
As for other authors, I have to say I don't read too many thrillers, though just read Ali Land's Good Me Bad Me and loved it. Love Stephen King--he's a true inspiration for me.
Yes, I travel extensively. I try to get out of the country one or twice a year and have been all over the world. A trip to Israel was inspiration for my first book, Final Crossing. And when I settled on Manchester, NH as the setting for my upcoming novel Mister Tender's Girl, I traveled there for a few days to skulk about and get a feel for the place. I love to travel!
Carter
What's the one question you'd like us readers to ask you?
Mod
I read Comfort of Black when it was first released. Do you read other authors fiction while you are writing? I have heard of authors who won't read fiction while they are writing their own because it affects what they are writing, and others who say that if they didn't read, they couldn't write.
Luffy wrote: "What's the one question you'd like us readers to ask you?"Wow, that's a tough one...I get asked a lot of questions and they are all so good. I don't often get asked what kind of scenes I like to write most...and the answer would be a good, dark, monologue.
Janet wrote: "I have finished The Comfort Of Black and will get round to writing a review soon. Did you purposely keep the cast of characters small? Having been reading crime fiction for a very long time you bec..."Thanks, Janet. Yes, I usually keep a cast of characters fairly small, because I like the story to be very character-driven, which is harder to do with a thriller with a larger cast. And thanks for your kind words on the storyline aspect...since I don't outline, I usually surprise myself with a plot twist, so it will surely surprise the reader as well!
Carter
Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice* wrote: "I read Comfort of Black when it was first released. Do you read other authors fiction while you are writing? I have heard of authors who won't read fiction while they are writing their own because ..."Hi, Sandy - yes, I will certainly keep reading other authors will writing, and in fact it can be very inspirational to do so. I usually don't find their voice bleeding over into mine, however. And if I didn't read other authors while writing, I would never read, because I am always writing!
Carter wrote: "Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice* wrote: "I read Comfort of Black when it was first released. Do you read other authors fiction while you are writing? I have ..."Thank you, fair point. If anyone ever wanted to torture me, all they would have to do is take my books away. I would be a gibbering wreck in no time. 😉 And you answered the other question I was going to ask when you answered Jean's question. It was about outlining the plot, which I always thought would be difficult because as the characters personalities develop, wouldn't they take on lives of their own?
Mod
Could you see yourself writing a series of books with a recurring protagonist? Can a series ever be too long and lose momentum? I did wonder if Hannah would return at all with her new found skills? Or do you prefer standalones?
Janet wrote: "If you could have five people Sat round a dinner table, who would they be and why? Past and present.Could you see yourself writing a series of books with a recurring protagonist? Can a series eve..."
Oh, the five person thing - that's a tough one. So many to choose from, but for sure one would be my dad. I miss him. And honestly, then I think I'd let him choose the others.
I have never written a series, although I'm not against it at all. I just would need a sequel to be a strong, standalone story, and I haven't yet thought of a sequel to any of my books that could be that. Maybe with Mister Tender's Girl (which is out in Feb), because I think I have more to say about Alice Hill, the protagonist. As for Hannah, yes, someday I would like to know what ever became of her. Is that it's own book? Maybe, Maybe not.
Carter
An author we know well here on "A Good Thriller".
As many of us have read his book "The Comfort of Black".
Carter has confirmed he will make some copies of his new book free just for this group and especially for this Q & A.
USA Today and #1 Denver Post bestselling author Carter Wilson explores the depths of psychological tension and paranoia in his dark, domestic thrillers. Carter is a two-time winner of both the Colorado Book Award and the International Book Award, and his novels have received critical acclaim―including multiple starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal.
Born in New Mexico in 1970, Carter grew up primarily in Los Angeles before attending Cornell University in New York. He lived in Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and Miami before moving to Boulder, Colorado in 1996. Throughout his life, Carter has journeyed the globe for both work and pleasure, and his travels have been a constant source of inspiration in his fiction.