That 'What If?' factor can set a writing stage

 

“Whenever I start a novel, I'm always looking for two things: a bit of science that makes me go 'what if?' and a piece of history that ends in a question mark.” – James Rollins
 

One of two pen names for American veterinarian James Paul Czajkowski, Rollins is a writer of action-adventure/thriller novels who was born on this date in 1961.   His had been practicing veterinary medicine when tried his hand at creative writing in 1999.  He's been almost unstoppable since, penning nearly 50 novels, and counting.  Among them the wildly successful Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and his current bestseller Tides of Fire, part of his “Sigma Force” series.

 

His first novel, Witch Fire – written under his other pen name James Clemens – was “discovered” as an entry in a contest sponsored by the Maui Writers' Conference.

 

Rollins also never stopped practicing veterinary medicine and strives to help abandoned or abused animals.  An amateur spelunker and a certified scuba diver, he found those pastimes to be great background and settings and says much information can be gathered by simply asking.   “Generally, if you preface a request with, 'I'm an author writing a book,' for some reason, that seems to open a lot of doors.”

 

“I don't actually have a one wellspring of inspiration,” he said. “I subscribe to National Geographic, Scientific American, Discover, and a slew of other magazines. And it is while reading articles for pleasure and interest that an interesting 'What if?' often will pop into my head.”