Word Craft #8: Brian Pinkerton

I’m fascinated by how one aspect of an author’s writing process can influence others. Brian Pinkerton writes first drafts by hand, which is probably why he doesn’t do any revisions until his first draft is complete. He maps out his novels using note cards, which is something I’ve always wanted to do but I never seem to have enough table space. 

Word Craft is a deep dive into writer’s methods and practices. Please welcome Brian Pinkerton, author of The Gemini Experiment!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR – BRIAN PINKERTON

Brian Pinkerton deep in plotting mode.

Tell us a little about yourself and what inspired you to become a writer.

I’ve always been fascinated by stories and storytelling. My earliest aspirations were to be a cartoonist and book writer. I wrote my first novel when I was very young. I enacted the entire plot with the Fisher Price Little People Village and then wrote it all down as quickly as I could remember it. I still have that manuscript somewhere. It was written on lined, three-hole-punch paper. The pages were tied together with string.

What’s your book about?

The Gemini Experiment is a sci-fi thriller about a dying man recruited for a secret experiment to sustain human life through technology. The goal is to successfully digitize his mind and transfer it to a physical replica of his body. Of course, all sorts of things go wrong, and the conflict escalates to a global crisis involving international spies.

What author has most influenced you, and why?

There are two writers who inspired me the most. Richard Matheson was an amazing storyteller with a knack for strange and surprising tales grounded in everyday people and settings. William Goldman influenced me through his writing style – brisk, exciting and full of personality. He was able to write successfully across a wide range of genres – including literary, thriller, western, romantic fantasy and historical. He wrote novels, screenplays and nonfiction, always in a compelling voice. Both Matheson and Goldman were very prolific and productive. They didn’t coast on one famous work.

INSPIRATION AND MOTIVATION

Why do you write?

It’s a compulsion. Over the years, it has become as natural as eating or sleeping. I just do it. Sometimes it’s to express a particular mood. It can be therapeutic that way. Other times it’s just the thrill of constructing an exciting story. I love to twist the plot and surprise readers. I suppose it all comes down to a feeling of accomplishment and creation. It’s a basic human need to make stuff, to leave our mark.

Have you ever taken an extended break from writing? If so, why, and what brought you back?

Sometimes life gets in the way. Family and the day job always take priority. Usually it doesn’t take much to get me in the groove. Fortunately, I’m a pretty fast writer when I’m just making stuff up. I have a hyperactive imagination. Having a good relationship with a publisher motivates me to create new content. Just knowing there’s a healthy pipeline to readers.

What do you do when you need additional inspiration or ideas?

I have a little notebook stuffed with random ideas. Some of the ideas are on the pages, some are shoved between the pages on scraps of paper. Sometimes the idea gets lost to bad handwriting. I scribble some of them while I’m driving. Usually it’s just a few words – a concept or a hook.

Do you finish everything you start? If a piece isn’t working, at what point do you cut your losses and abandon it?

Time is my biggest obstacle. Writing a novel is a big commitment. If I spend a lot of time on a project, I hate to abandon it. I’m more apt to continue reshaping it until it’s right. I don’t have a drawer of half-finished novels. Part of that might be because I’m a diligent user of outlines. I work from a stack of notecards (see photo).I basically know where my stories are going, so I don’t write into dead ends. Everything is mapped out in a deliberate cadence. My chapters are purposeful, not spontaneous. I don’t make it up as I go along.

METHODS AND PRACTICES

Pinkerton’s writing space

How often do you write?

Once I have a reliable outline and start drafting the book, I try to write a chapter or two every week. Seven or eight months later, I have a full-length manuscript and begin editing and clean-up for things like continuity and punchier language.

Do you have a regular time of day and place that your write?

Saturday and Sunday mornings are good. I like to write in 4-5 hour chunks, sometimes longer, occasionally shorter. I write on a drafting table in the basement (see photo). I handwrite the first draft. The brain will imagine some outlandish scene and the pen starts moving across the page.

Do you keep a writing log? What data do you track (word count, session start/end, etc.)?

I can’t track word count because my first draft is handwritten, but I look at page counts. I keep a list of chapters with short descriptions of the story beats and check them off one by one. It’s not very formal or consistent. Sometimes I’ll plan out what days I’m writing certain chapters. If I have a strict deadline to meet, I’ll be sure to plan against that and allow for some cushion in case life gets in the way.

What elements of your life distract you from writing the most, and how do you manage those distractions?

For me, it’s all about time management. What do I do with my “free” time? Binge watching a bunch of TV shows is a distraction. Getting caught up in too many baseball games is a distraction. Roaming the internet is a distraction. Sadly, when I’m writing, I don’t read enough. The TBR pile stacks up.

Do you revise as you go, or wait for a complete first draft?

I wait for a first draft. If I try to make each chapter perfect before I move forward, I lose momentum with the broader story I’m telling. It’s too easy to get stalled in a rough patch of writing. Usually it’s easier to fix it when I go back later with a fresh perspective.

Who sees your work first, and why?

My wife Jill and a couple of writer friends who are retired and have nothing better to do.

What’s your backup system (for computer files)?

When I’m drafting, I toss the used notes in a basket. Once I have the manuscript entered into the computer, I back up the file to an external hard drive on a regular basis.

Do you have any particular methods via which you communicate with your subconscious mind?

Alcohol.

What methods or practices have you used to increase your productivity?

I really just have to force myself to sit down and write, even if I’m not in the mood. I commit to my writing schedule. The middle part of the book is often the hardest, after the initial excitement wears off and it feels like I’m grinding out a mountain of pages with no end in sight. After I’ve lived with a story for a few months it can start to feel a little stale, like listening to the same song over and over. Then, as I build toward a mind-blowing climax, my pace and enthusiasm pick up again.

Poet Friedrich Schiller was famously inspired by the smell of rotting apples. How important are lighting, sound/silence, smells, and other sensory factors to your writing process? What about caffeine, alcohol, or other mind-altering substances?

Actually, I find that the absence of stimuli is more helpful to unleashing my imagination. That’s why I write in the basement. Sometimes I play music to help drive a particular mood for a scene, but it can’t have lyrics. When I was younger, I could write late at night with beer. Now I write early in the morning with caffeine.

FORTHCOMING

What are you working on now, and what projects do you have scheduled?

I’m almost done with a new book about time travel. It’s a psychological thriller, literary drama, twisted romance, sci-fi fantasy (or not), horror novel (sometimes) with a very dark sense of humor. Also, it’s a tearjerker. With a dog named Toby.