Have you ever met Craig Allen Johnson, who is the author of the famed Longmire Mystery series?
Johnson was in Arizona recently to discuss the release of his newest novella, The Highwayman.
We are lucky in Arizona because The Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale regularly brings in top-notch authors to give talks. Even better, they record many of the events and post the videos on Livestream. Being able to watch on your own schedule is so helpful for those of us who are constantly overbooked.
If you have a few minutes, check out how living on a Wyoming ranch adds balance to Craig Johnson’s life and creates the setting for his books.
It is such a treat to get the inside scoop on what the author’s typical writing day is like. In this case, Johnson talks to his horses and ends his work day looking up at the stars in the clear Wyoming skies.
The discussion about the novella length is also fascinating. There’s the impression a novella is a short story, but really it is a 200 page novel. Johnson convinces us that sometimes the story shouldn’t be padded with extra words just to meet the novel-length page requirements.
John is a staunch plotter, writing from an outline he sets up ahead of time. He says it helps prevent the potential from writer’s block because he always knows what is coming next.
I think watching interviews like these help inspire and inform one’s own work. What do you think?
Are you a fan of the book series? What about the TV series based on the books?
If you watch the video, what parts resonated with you?
Photo via Visualhunt
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