I'm minding my own business when. . . .

[B.R.Stateham]

I'm minding my own business, working on a couple of novels, when from out of nowhere this brand new character comes into my head. And he's insistent. He's packing a couple of stories with him and demands that I write them as fast as possible.

The thing is. . . the guy is sort'uv interesting. He's a cross between a Jason Bourne and Rex Stout's Archie Goodwin.

I can't say no to the guy. Yet I don't have the time, really, to write. So what do I do? I write the stories.

Does anyone else have this happen to him?

[Benjamin Sobieck]

He's the closest to legit you can get. He's always on late-night History Channel, prime watching time if you're into that kind of thing.

I liked old Coast to Coast better, before Art retired for the eleventh time. There was some really freaky stuff. Remember that panicked Area 51 caller? "They're going to triangulate on my position." Art's satellite was knocked out of whack during the call. TOOL used the call in the last track of one of its albums.

[B.R.Stateham]

We're a sad lot, Ben. . .
Staying up in the wee hours of the morning listening to crazy people. Although I wouldn't call Stanton Friedman crazy.

[Benjamin Sobieck]

Yes, it's beamed directly into my head.

[B.R.Stateham]

So Benjamin, you listen to Coast to Coast with George Nori too.

[Eric Christopherson]

My new WIP chose me, not the other way around. The story just kept appearing unbidden as I was walking down the street, or doing the laundry. I tried to ignore it, but that never worked for long, and I finally gave in ...

[Benjamin Sobieck]

Hmm...many works have been written using your situation. By that, of course, I mean aliens telepathically communicated to the author. They have a message they needs to get to the world, something like "Humans are destroying the planet." Only you can deliver it.

I need to stop listening to so much Coast to Coast AM, and you need to break out the tin foil.

[Pepper Smith]

I had a character that was supposed to die in the first book, who not only managed to talk me out of killing him, but ended up a main character in two other books. Fortunately, his story's told now, so I can tell him to go away.

[I. J. Parker]

Yes, and sometimes they really don't fit into the book and I have to strain the plot to make room for them. I have one of those right now, a female medium. Trouble is, one of my readers is enchanted by her.