Interview John

Suggested Intro

Joining us now is journalist, novelist, and writing coach John DeDakis [deh-DAY-kiss]. John is a former editor on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer." 

During John's 45-year career in journalism, he was a White House correspondent during Ronald Reagan's presidency. John is the author of six award-winning mystery-suspense-thriller novels, plus he's a manuscript editor and motivational speaker.  

John's specialty is helping wannabe writers become published authors. He also inspires people struggling with grief to use writing as a way to find healing.

Possible topics

Writing as a Way to Heal

Journalism: What Ever Happened to Objectivity?

From Novice to Novelist: How Do You Do it?

What to Expect When Working with an Editor

Writing the Political Thriller

Possible Questions

You were a journalist for 45 years, including a stint as a White House correspondent, and for seven years you were one of Wolf Blitzer's editors at CNN. How has journalism evolved over the years, and are you at all concerned? What was Wolf like to work with?

How did you get into journalism, and was it difficult to go from being a journalist to being a novelist?

In your opinion, is social media a blessing, or a curse? What about Artificial Intelligence?

In addition to Enemies Domestic, you've written five other novels in the Lark Chadwick mystery-suspense-thriller series -- Fast Track, Bluff, Troubled Water, Bullet in the Chamber, and Fake.  Tell us about those. Does a person have to read the books in order?

You write as a woman. Why?  Is it hard?

Now that you have honed your writing from a female perspective, what have you learned about the mistakes men make in forging meaningful relationships with women?

Your fourth novel, Bullet in the Chamber, deals with your 22-year-old son’s heroin overdose death.  Why would you want to tackle such a personal and painful topic?

What would you say to the person listening right now who feels he or she has an interesting story to tell, but who feels confused about how to get started?

As a manuscript editor, what is the most common mistake writers make?

What are you working on now?

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