415 ratings | 58 reviews | avg rating:4.38

Alex’s Year In Books

Alex’s 2023 Year in Books

Take a look at Alex’s Year in Books. The long, the short—it’s all here.

Go to Alex’s 2023 Year in Books

Alex Dolan’s Followers (77)

Alex’s Bookshelves

read (417)
currently-reading (0)
to-read (88)

Alex’s Friends (496)

Kyle Wendy Skultety (gimmethatbook.com)

1,557 books | 123 friends

Minotaur Books

709 books | 2,058 friends

Kris V

2,436 books | 346 friends

Peter Hogenkamp

151 books | 568 friends

Elizabeth Crowens

229 books | 544 friends

Christine

3,497 books | 1,808 friends

Claire Hopple

817 books | 520 friends

Deborah Taylor-French

896 books | 1,594 friends

More friends…

Alex Dolan

Goodreads Author

Born

in Boston, MA, The United States

Website

http://www.alexdolan.com

Twitter

alexdolan

Genre

Thriller, Suspense, Fiction

Member Since

April 2007

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/alexdolan

edit data

Alex Dolan is the author of The Euthanist and The Empress of Tempera, both published by Diversion Books. He also hosts the show “Thrill Seekers,” part of the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network, which reaches more than 3.5 million listeners. His short fiction is featured in the anthology The Swamp Killers (Down & Out Books), and he is the creator of the audio drama “The Patron Saint of Suicides,” produced in partnership with Audiohm Media. Visit www.alexdolan.com. ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Alex Dolan questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Alex Dolan I trudge through it. Some days, that means slagging through a few hours of garbage before I feel like I've written anything worthwhile.

I feel like it…moreI trudge through it. Some days, that means slagging through a few hours of garbage before I feel like I've written anything worthwhile.

I feel like it happens more when I'm going through the "blank canvas" syndrome—in other words, it's easier for me to freeze up at the beginning of a project, before I've defined the characters or the story. When this happens, I don't force myself to write prose, and instead work on the elements of the story or the people. That way, I can keep moving forward on a process that feels more mechanical and requires less creativity.

For example, I can take a notebook and brainstorm interesting character names. Often, I'll fill out biographies for each of the main characters, where it's easier for me to plug in information about someone's life history. When I have all of that figured out, I'll play around with an outline for the book. So if I'm having problems writing a chapter, I can always go back to my outline, and figure out, with what I know about my characters and the situation, how I can move that scene forward.

Basically, if you find yourself having writer's block, I'd recommend stripping your book down to its smallest elements, and work on those, rather than overwhelming yourself with a blank page (or screen).

If that fails, read. Letting the creative part of your brain rest can be healthy, and sometimes reading a book can spark something interesting.

If that fails, get out and do something. That's not meant to be glib. Sometimes your brain is simply fried, and it might be time to stimulate it with something other than your laptop screen. Ultimately, life experiences are going to fuel your writing anyway.(less)

flag

like
Comment

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Alex Dolan The obvious answers are always "keep writing" and "keep reading." But I'd really recommend finding a mentor. You could start by taking a class and con…moreThe obvious answers are always "keep writing" and "keep reading." But I'd really recommend finding a mentor. You could start by taking a class and connecting with your teacher, or if you're already working on a manuscript, finding an editor who really knows the craft and understands the kind of book you're trying to create.

Don't be afraid to approach people before you commit to working with them. If you're spending money, you should make sure you're comfortable with the person who will be giving you feedback on your work. Don't be discouraged if it takes you a while to find the right one. I've gone through my share of bad haircuts before finding the right salon. For something as important as your writing, you'll want to make sure you have the right person.

I'd recommend that you find a person with a deep knowledge of writing craft, and someone who respects your work enough to improve it without changing its fundamentals. Also, you want to have basic chemistry with them, so you like each other enough to work together.

A good mentor will encourage you to push yourself, and inspire you to write. Ultimately, you want to create the best book you can. A good mentor can help accelerate your development so you can get to a publication faster.(less)

flag

like
Comment

See all 3 answers from Alex Dolan…

Combine Editions
Alex Dolan’s books

Average rating: 3.77 · 478 ratings · 117 reviews · 4 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Euthanist 3.75 avg rating — 407 ratings — published 2015 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Empress of Tempera 3.87 avg rating — 71 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Aspecific Sculpture 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Euthanist by Alex Dolan (2015-06-02) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

64 posts
Alex Dolan's Blog

What's in an obituary? Ask Jill Orr

LISTEN NOW SUBSCRIBE & LISTEN LATER

In her debut novel, The Good Byline,Jill Orrpresents herself as a fresh voice to the thriller genre. The book centers around a young woman who is obsessed with obituaries, only to find herself forced to write an obituary for her best friend. It's a wonderful mystery, but also a refreshing does of humor in a genre that can be at times, fairly morose.In the intervie Read more of this blog post »

View more on Alex Dolan's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on May 02, 2017 10:55

View all 64 posts »

rss
Alex’s Recent Updates

Alex Dolan rated a book really liked it The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business by Erin Meyer	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19 hours, 26 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Culture Map by Erin Meyer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Culture Map by Erin Meyer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Alex Dolan rated a book it was amazing How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 24, 2024 09:13PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Alex Dolan rated a book really liked it Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 20, 2024 10:44PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Alex Dolan rated a book it was amazing The Book of Lost Things (The Book of Lost Things, #1) by John Connolly (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 15, 2024 09:48PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Alex Dolan rated a book really liked it Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 11, 2024 01:04PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Fuzz by Mary Roach. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Fuzz by Mary Roach <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Alex Dolan rated a book really liked it The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 05, 2024 03:53PM · 1 like · like
Alex Dolan rated a book it was amazing Revelator by Daryl Gregory (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 01, 2024 01:01AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Revelator by Daryl Gregory. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Revelator by Daryl Gregory <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Alex Dolan rated a book really liked it Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 26, 2024 09:11PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Alex Dolan rated a book really liked it Wildwood (Wildwood Chronicles, #1) by Colin Meloy	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 23, 2024 04:10PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Wildwood by Colin Meloy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Wildwood by Colin Meloy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Alex Dolan rated a book it was amazing Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 18, 2024 10:20AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Alex's books…

Quotes by Alex Dolan (?)

“When someone is repulsed by the sound of body noises like eating, there’s a name for that. Misophonia.”
― Alex Dolan, The Euthanist

3 likes

“Kali. That’s the name I used with clients. Kali is the four-armed Hindu goddess of death. She has been appropriated by hipster flakes as a symbol of feminine power. Maybe that’s fair too. But make no mistake. Kali is a destructress. In one of her hands she holds a severed head.
I know, I know, so fucking dramatic. I’ll admit to a little cultural appropriation for choosing a name like that.”
― Alex Dolan, The Euthanist

tags: kali, the-euthanist

3 likes

“Are you going to do anything stupid?” he asked. I looked around the room and marveled at having landed myself in this pickle. “Stupider than this?”
― Alex Dolan, The Euthanist

2 likes

See all Alex Dolan's quotes »

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
A Good Thriller: Chat/Banter/Review - May Read	368	118	Jun 04, 2015 01:06AM
A Million More Pages: * Belladonna's vs. Badass Bibliophiles	731	72	Aug 29, 2015 02:51AM
2024 Reading Chal...: My own little corner 2016 (LindsayIL)	12	92	Jan 01, 2016 04:06PM
A Million More Pages: Lumi Meets The Mystery Machine	181	109	May 16, 2016 10:50AM
A Good Thriller: Share Your Review	10161	2236	May 02, 2023 07:48AM
A Good Thriller: Just Finished	15442	3472	May 02, 2023 11:22AM
Just For Fun!: A Wick-ed Challenge	156	91	Mar 24, 2024 07:12PM
A Good Thriller: NetGalley Books ... Just Had Approved	4236	1291	May 09, 2024 12:40PM

More…

Alex’s Quotes

“It's a funny phenomenon. You can never visit your own funeral, but if you want to see how people feel about you, commit a crime.”
― Elizabeth L. Silver, The Execution of Noa P. Singleton

14 likes

“And if you press us, be sure we’ll press back. Because the two of us are as vengeful as the Old Testament.” I”
― Alex Dolan, The Euthanist

1 likes

“Death should feel special, so I always dressed for my final meetings.”
― Alex Dolan, The Euthanist

1 likes

“We could have been miserably married for all the attention we paid one another.”
― Alex Dolan, The Euthanist

1 likes

“the beauty of stuff. Somewhere, someone’s always making more of it.”
― Alex Dolan, The Euthanist

1 likes

More of Alex’s quotes…

Alex Dolan’s Followers (77)

Alex Dolan

Goodreads Author

Popular Answered Questions

rssAlex’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — The Culture Map by Erin Meyer

See a Problem?

Preview — How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

See a Problem?

Preview — Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi

See a Problem?

Preview — The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

See a Problem?

Preview — Fuzz by Mary Roach

See a Problem?

Preview — Revelator by Daryl Gregory

See a Problem?

Preview — Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay

See a Problem?

Preview — Wildwood by Colin Meloy

See a Problem?

Preview — Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman

Topics Mentioning This Author

rss
Alex’s Recent Updates