Exclusive Bits from James Scott Bell Interview - Part Two

More that my article missed out on:

I have spent the past 20 years collecting, trying, developing plot and character techniques. Many of these will be in Revision & Self-Editing.

For plotting, I still like to use 3 x 5 cards (which I used as a screenwriter). I like to write random scenes on cards, just brainstorm, then shuffle the cards and see what kind of crazy connections I get.

For characters, I always do a "voice journal." It's a free form, stream of consciousness, run on document in the character's voice. I need to get to the point where I "hear" the character before I can start doing dialogue.

How does your Ty Buchanan series differ from your previous novels?

The series, which begins with Try Dying, is written in first person POV, which I've only done a couple of times before. That's also a great way to get into a character's life.

In this series, not only do I want to have twisting plots, but also create a cast of great secondary characters -- like the basketball playing nun, Sister Mary Veritas.

P.S. This week, the CFBA is featuring For Pete's Sake by Linda Windsor.