Paul Spite Question and Answer

Here is a list of frequently asked questions about Paul Spite. Feel free to comment and ask your own question. Paul will be happy to provide an answer for you. He is very approachable and loves interacting with fans of his work.

Q – How did you get into writing?

A – My last year of college, I was engaged to the young lady who would become my wife. I quickly realized I barely knew her. For nearly a year, we slowly revealed ourselves to one another as we exchanged letters almost daily. I came to value the potential of written communication as opposed to what is spoken. In writing, I could think through words and rework those which did not convey their intended message. Unfortunately, the same was not true when I spoke. Later, I became involved in various activities involving teaching. I began again to rely upon writing to order my thoughts. My first body of work was a manual for churches considering building or remodeling facilities. I found myself going over the same subject matter again and again with each church using my services as an architect. I eventually just wrote down the advice I felt they could each utilize. That body of writing eventually became From A To Z on Church Building and Remodeling, which is still in use. I quickly saw the value of recorded information to be distributed widely. That is a good definition for most pieces of writing. Fiction and poetry were just for enjoyment.

Q – What is your favorite story you have written so far and why?

A – My favorite story I have written thus far would have to be The Last Plague. I do not feel I have yet done the main character justice, but he symbolizes to me the potential for incredible evil and incredible good which lies within us all. So much of that potential is realized in the context of the world we inhabit and how events and circumstances force our decisions. Those decisions, in turn, shape our future and what we will become. In creating this one character, I began to comprehend the best and the worst of how taking a stand for morality can shape our world and that of those around us. These are things I see now just dimly, but God willing, by the time I flesh the story out into a novel, I will know more about those concepts, about that character and about myself.

Q – How do you come up with the amazing plot twists in your books? Do they just come to you or what?

A – That is a more difficult question. Some plot twists begin with a “What if” question or a “How could this circumstance be forced to come about?” In some cases, as I write, the stories take on a life of their own. I began to wonder with a few of the “Games of Life” stories, just who was in control? Was it me, the story or God? The tale just spewed out, one idea at a time. My hope is that it is my Savior directing my steps. As this peculiar journey continues, I want my path to lead me closer to Him and to bring Him glory.

Q – What aspect of writing do you enjoy most?

A – I need to qualify this as coming from someone really very inexperienced thus far. But once I have the initial idea, the core of the story, what I really enjoy is the process of fleshing it out into a sequence of smaller stories. I guess I would describe that as deciding how the core incident I have in mind would likely come to pass in a real world. At this point is when the story begins to take on a life of its own. And I wait, with much anticipation, to see what will actually come to life.