August Q&A

I’m back with more questions from blog readers. While I try to answer all questions individually, I also share some here occasionally.

Q. In your Author Spotlight, you ask people if they are a plotter or a pantster, and I’ve also heard them refer to being a planster. I keep trying to figure out what that means, but I can’t. What is it?

A. In terms of writing, a plotter is someone who does an outline and figures out the story’s plot before they start writing. They tend to stick to that outline throughout the story. A pantster, such as myself, just has an idea to start with and takes it from there and the story develops as they write. A plantster is a combination of both. It is someone who starts out with a basic plot in mind and starts writing, realizing that the characters and plot might change along the way.

Q. Where do you get your thoughts for the day? Some of them are hilarious and some of them are very thought-provoking.

A. They come from everywhere. Things I hear somebody saying, some I get from readers sending them to me, and others I find online.

Q. I saw the badges that you have in your collection. The Tweetsie Railroad in North Carolina has personalized badges in the gift shop if those are something you would be interested in adding to your collection?

A. Thanks for the tip, but those are souvenir badges. I only collect actual issued badges from government agencies and businesses.

Q. I was disappointed to read in your blog that there are only going to be two more books in the Tinder Street series once you finish the current one. Why are you ending it there? Please tell me you’re not going to stop writing altogether, especially not the Big Lake or John Lee books.

A. From the start, I planned to end the Tinder Street series with the Vietnam War days. Don’t worry, I have a lot of Big Lake and John Lee books still left to write. I’m not even close to being done yet.

Q. I saw a Facebook comment you made in a post about the Battle of Little Bighorn, saying that the instructors at West Point referred to Custer as a fool and an egomaniac who got a lot of people killed for nothing. Something has always confused me about him, and maybe you can help me understand it. When I read about him, during the Civil War he was a general, but later, when he was killed, he was a colonel. What did he do to get busted in rank?

A. Custer was promoted to the rank of brevet brigadier general of volunteers in 1863, just three days before the Battle of Gettysburg. A brevet rank was a temporary honorary rank awarded for bravery or distinguished service, allowing officers to command larger units than their permanent regular army rank. After the Civil War ended and the size of the army was reduced, he was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel, the rank he held at his death.

Today is your last chance to enter our Free Drawing for an autographed copy of Havasu Palms, A Hostile Takeover by Bobbi Johnson Holmes, it was featured in an Author Spotlight back in May. It’s the true story of one hard working pioneering family in the 20th century, and how their life’s work was stolen – a theft sanctioned by the United States Government and the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe.

For the Johnson family, 1968 was the beginning of a new adventure in a remote desert community in Southern California. They believed in the American dream, where hard work and honesty have just rewards. The family put their trust in government promises, in spite of the fact the common belief among the country’s youth was that the federal government could not be trusted. Perhaps, the family should have paid attention.

To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn this evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed. After 30 days, unclaimed prizes revert back to the drawing pool for a future contest.

Did you know that you can find all of my books and sign up for my free author’s newsletter on my website at www.nickrussellbooks.com?

And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.

Thought For The Day – There’s no need to drink the entire ocean to realize it’s salty.