Chet The Dog

Posts Tagged ‘Q&A’

Q and possibly A

Today is question day. You ask, I answer. For example, maybe you’re wondering something or other about Up On The Woof, the next Chet and Bernie novel (Oct. 17). The answer may be in my swing zone!

Q&A (More)

Belle Star and the Thieves asks:

You seem to write Chet with ease, yet what do you find challenging when writing Chet’s narration, unreliable or otherwise?

The answer to this one is that very luckily for me, Chet’s voice is always there for me. That said, writing is not easy work.

And: Chet and Bernie have left the valley for some cases. What other locations might we find them in the future?

I’ve been thinking of San Diego and the surrounding area. That’s where Chet and Bernie surfed, one of Chet’s favorite memories.

Hobbit asks: Do you dream about your characters in the process of writing them?

I wouldn’t call it dreaming, but I sometimes feel my mind working during sleep – mostly on plot issues.

Sadie is a fan of Chet and wonders what kind of chow he gets and if steak bites and Slim Jims are a part of everyday/every meal. She also feels that out of concern for the aquifer, baths should be optional and is pretty sure that Chet doesn’t get baths. Is that correct? A lot is riding on your answer.

Is it conceivable Sadie is a member of the nation within? If so, I’m not getting in the middle of this.

Q&A

There are still some of your questions left over from last week. I haven’t forgotten! Answers tomorrow!

 

Q&A With You

Here are answers to some of your questions. Will get to the rest next week. Thanks for asking! I’ll italicize the answers.

Wookie’s and Teddy’s Paw: When you wrote the first Chet & Bernie mystery, did you have any sense of where it would lead and what are your feelings about that, now that you are ten books and several short stories into the series?

I had no idea. The contract was for two books – Dog On It and what became Thereby Hangs A Tail. I feel very lucky. And as a writer I’m amazed the way the possibilities of the basic set-up keep expanding. 

Bluecat: Do you outline? Do you know how a book will end when you begin it? Is it easier to write in Chet’s voice than a character like LeAnne?

I make no A-Z outline. I do scribble a chapter by chapter outline as I go, but it often just consists of a few words, like “Mexico” or “ukulele”. All I know about the ending is that C&B will solve the case in an unexpected way that I hope will occur to me during the writing. This would not be a good approach for planning a trip to Mars, for example. I love writing in Chet’s voice, and don’t things you love to do tend to go well? As for LeAnne in The Right Side, that book was written in the 3rd person, so it’s a very different writing approach. 

Rio the Evil Pug asked several pug related questions to which all the answers are no.

More Q&A next week! Meanwhile here’s a podcast link and an FB link to Thursday night’s virtual event. Also, tomorrow morning at 9:30 AM ET, 8:30 Central, I’ll be on SIRIUS XM’s Road Dog Trucking Channel, “Dave Nemo Weekends.”

Podcast: https://poisonedpen.podbean.com/e/spencer-quinn/

FB video: https://www.facebook.com/thepoisonedpenbookstore/videos/286322119356951/?__so__=channel_tab&__rv__=all_videos_card