Scotty-Doo! Where Are You?!

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"Over here!"

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

Well, well, well - people actually do read the blog - that's great to know. Over the past few weeks I've gotten no less than twenty-six emails regarding my apparent pseudo-vacation from the internet.

"What's up with the Crichton post being your last one?"

"Why aren't you posting anymore? I hope nothing's wrong..."

"What's the deal? Are you still writing?"

Falkner? Where are you!?

First off, thanks for the concern. Second of all, I'm a bit frightened and a tad thrilled at some of your apparent addictions to The Daily Cave. Hee. Yes, I'm still here, and yes I'm still writing - in fact, the writing is a large part of the reason that I haven't been "online" much as of late.

It's a double-edged sword, ain't it?

You gotta write to stay in the game - hell, I wouldn't be here if I wasn't a writer - I'd probably be in the midst of a flame war over at Ain't It Cool or Shocklines. At the same time, however, in the world of being a burgeoning writer, you've got to stay visible, and in the opening decade of the 21st Century, the easiest and best way to do it is via the internet.

Spend too much time online and you can't get any writing done.

Spend too much time writing, and everyone thinks you're dead.

Ah well.

In the words of the unimitable Jack Torrence: "Honey? I'm home."

First off I want to address a few writing questions that have been posed to me by readers over the last few weeks:

The first is from Antonym Mouse (who's turning into a regular at the blogger version of the Cave - yay!):

AM writes: Out of sheer curiosity, being a Wisconsinite myself, what section of Wisconsin have you moved to?Also, your new house sounds like a dream. It also sounds like a perfect source of inspiration. When I write I like to dial in on a certain object and create a story sort of focused around that, whether it be a central or a more supplemental part of the story. That house sounds most excellent in that respect.

First off, thanks for your questions and great comments, Mouse. Second, where I live is a bit of a mystery, eh? Privacy is a big thing for me. Those that know where I live, know where I live. Those that don't can wonder. :) Being a bit less dramatic, however, I live in the Northwestern Tier of the state, far enough north to understand that January is unbearable without a major-league snowblower in the garage and a case of Leinies in the fridge - (wink - hint given).

Yeah, the house is growing its sea legs, and we're growing with it. I'm getting used to the way the second story stairwell leans to the left when you're walking down it and where the main floor hardwood creaks when you step on it. I'm liking it more and more.

The next question was emailed to me by a woman who only wishes to be referred to as "Dammit Janet": "Scott, just writing to let you know how much I enjoy your books. I've read The Feast of Catchville, Swaybuck, and the first Delving book. As much as I liked Delving, I'm really not a dark fantasy fan, if that's what you want to classify it as. For the most part, my favorite genre is horror, with the occasional mystery thrown in for fun. What I wanted to ask you is, with the science fiction serial that was available through your web page, your horror books, and now the dark fantasy Delving series, do you or your publishers ever want to tie you down to just one genre? I've read in the past that authors who jump from genre to genre have a harder time building up readership than authors who stick to a single genre. Just curious. Oh, and one more thing, write more horror books! You're great at it!

Thanks for the email, Janet, and thanks for reading. As of today, no one has "pressured" me to stick to a single genre. So far, I've been incredibly lucky to work with Stone Garden Press, a publisher that is open to a wide range of subjects. As for limiting myself to one genre - I understand what you mean about building readership, and that has crossed my mind from time to time, but it comes down to this: If I'm forced into a situation where I have to write something, the writing becomes less fun, and more forced in the process. (What was that Johnny Cash quote, "If you put the screws on me I'm gonna screw right out from under ya!"). I guess there's a point where you have to decide whether you're going to do this for the art or for the money. The brilliant ones, of course, do both. I've elected to follow my head and heart simultaneously, and to write what I want to write. Hopefully, if I do it well enough, readers like yourself might take a chance on something that you haven't read before, and maybe, just maybe you'll dig it.

As to writing more horror? Definitely. A great horror book, actually two are on the horizon. Keep your eyes peeled.

Okay, the last question we'll address today is from Jess via the blogger version of the blog - (is that redundant?):

Scott, I saw in your previous posts that you're ok with answering questons. Mine is, how much does your real life play into you work? Do oyou use actual events from your life in your books. Just curious. Thanks.

Thanks for the question, Jess. And as a reminder, any of you fine folks out there are free to ask me whatever, whenever. You can do it anonymously through the Blogger version of The Daily Cave, (though I do like to read at least a first name so I have an idea of whom I'm responding to) through the myspace version, or just email me through the Contact section of www.scottfalkner.com .

Okay, now to the question. Real life events? Yes, I actually shot a zombified deputy when I was in college which made its way into one of my... okay, okay, I'm kidding. Of course I've drawn on real life experiences when writing my books, though they're not written down verbatim - otherwise it wouldn't be fiction. More than events, I - as all good writers do - try to tap into emotions that have been caused by certain events in my "real" life, and try to transpose those emotions to events happening within my books. I'm trying to rack my brain to see if there's anything from the books that are out now that were close to something that happened in my own life... hmm. The only thing that really comes to mind is the funeral scene in "Swaybuck." The part when the pastor tells Carl the thing about sap running over a broken branch is a way that a tree "cries" or "mourns" a death... yeah. That was actually told to me by a pastor at a funeral for a family member of mine.

Anyway, thanks for the question, Jess. I hope I answered it adequately.

All right. I think that's it for this installment. Yes. I'm here. Yes. I'm writing, or at least I will be in a moment. Lot's will be happening in the buildup to and past the end of the year. "Exile: The Collected Helman Graff" comes out next month, and we'll have lots of Goodies (with a capital "G") to be read in anticipation of it. I promise to check in more, too.