Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to us like a lightning bolt, through the lyrics of a song, or in the fog of a dream. Ask any writer where their stories come from and you’ll get a myriad of answers, and in that vein I created the WHAT (What the Hell Are you Thinking?) interview. Always including in the WHAT is one random question to really dig down into the interviewees mind, and probably supply some illumination into my own as well.

Today’s guest for the WHAT is Michael R. French, whose work includes several best-sellers, and has been warmly reviewed in the New York Times and been honored with a number of literary prizes. His new book Cliffhanger: Jump Before You Get Pushed imagines the year 2030 — viruses, spy drones, terrorism, and joblessness have eroded American optimism. People want something to believe in. As demonstrated in a Midwest high school election, politics have taken on the inflexibility and dogma of a new religion. Only true believers will survive and prosper. Or so they think.

How does inspiration usually find you?

Whether it's a lightning bolt or a slow-simmering memory, something that initially burns brightly in your imagination doesn’t necessarily age well on the page. For example, the allure of a plot or theme or characters  may fade by the middle of the book, and then you have to figure out why you’re no longer excited, and god forbid, what will the reader think?

Can you successfully rethink your initial inspiration, or should you go on to another story? Tough call, but to me if you struggle too much on a draft, best to park it on your hard drive for a while. I have a lot of false starts in my document file. Most of these die there. Miraculously, however,  some come back to life and you finish a book that exceeds your initial expectations.

Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?

Well, sometimes the original concept is the plot, a well-built one too. It’s like giving birth to a fully-developed baby after one trimester. A small miracle. So you end up spending most of your time on the characters who inhabit your plot. Don’t limit your imagination by thinking there’s only one way to finish your book.  The possibilities can be diverse. Putting together a finished novel is no less complex than a building a house from scratch. Neither are modest undertakings.  

Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?   

It’s a good idea to know where you think your plot is heading, but don’t be in a rush to the finish line. Insights unavailable to an author in the beginning of a story suddenly appear in the middle or end. Your characters should come to life with quirks and actions that surprise you. Be sure to consider building on them.  

Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by?

I had an imaginary gopher when I was five years old, and it dug imaginary holes in the family lawn. Thankfully my parents never doubted  my claims. If you give your imagination, curiosity and fantasies carte blanche at a young age, you may grow up to  be a pretty decent storyteller.  

How do you choose which story to write next, if you’ve got more than one percolating?

Writers I know sometimes feel plagued by too many stories percolating at once. Hopefully, one particular story feels so urgent that it demands to be heard first. Sometimes you have to exorcise it, like a wild animal has taken over your mind and won’t leave you in peace.

I have 5 cats and a Dalmatian (seriously, check my Instagram feed) and I usually have at least one or two snuggling with me when I write. Do you have a writing buddy, or do you find it distracting?

I love animals, but  when working I prefer to put myself in solitary. No distractions. The great author John Cheever once said that even a sip of sherry  in the evening can cause disaster in your writing.