John Donohue writes:
I wrote academic non-fiction for twelve years. I first tried my hand at fiction in about 1993, but couldn't interest any agents in my work. So I left that in a bottom drawer and concentrated on my academic career. But ultimately, the lure of writing fiction was too strong and I reopened the drawer…
My initial writing was related to my academic specialization in Asian martial culture. It could be seen as a good preparation for the type of fiction I started in about 2001. In addition, the fact that I had completed a number of well-received books and articles in my field and developed a clear writing style may have helped in attracting an agent and eventually a publisher.
I developed the idea for Sensei as my first fiction work and stuck with it. I developed a synopsis and three beginning chapters, but resolved not to work further until I had some indication of interest from an agent. (I write for love, but not unrequited love.) When I was able to secure an agent and finish the manuscript, he managed to place the book within a few months. THEN the rewriting began -- I think we went through something like 6 permutations before it was done.
John Donohue writes about what he knows. He holds black belts in both karatedo and kendo and over the span of 25 years has studied various Asian disciplines, such karate, kendo, judo, aikido, iaido, and taiji. He is the author of two martial arts thrillers, the latest of which is Deshi.
Don't miss Mystery Ink's interview with John Donohue.
