Author Q&A with Christopher Manske

Over his long investing career, Christopher Manske has helped many financial insiders including Wall Street analysts, retiring investment advisors, and federal judges. A United States Military Academy graduate, Manske has been praised, published, or quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, and more. As a successful money manager and frequent media guest, his thoughts can be seen online at Yahoo! Finance, MSN.com, CEO World, and Strategic Finance. Manske was a keynote speaker for the AARP and has worked with leaders at companies such as Microsoft, Exxon, IBM and many more.

1. Where’s your favourite place to write?

I love to write in my home office with a big painting of a Tuscan hillside above my monitor.

2. Have you always wanted to write?

I’ve been writing my entire life and love every part of telling a story.

3. What do you do when you have writer’s block?

I break down the next step in the writing process until it’s so simple, I cannot help but move forward.

4. Tell us about a scene that you loved but had to edit out of your book.

I reference President John F. Kennedy in The Prepared Investor, and I had to edit out a historical footnote that is considered by many to be “the most gossiped about moment” of his entire presidency. It was a spring night in New York City and Marilyn Monroe stood alone in a spotlight on a dark stage in a tight, sparkling dress in front of an audience of about 15,000 at Madison Square Garden. Marilyn’s breathy, intimate rendition of Happy Birthday was sung as if the two of them were utterly alone. This performance has been celebrated, analyzed and lovingly parodied countless times since that night. Photographer Bill Ray’s photo of this iconic moment helped fan the smoldering rumors surrounding both the actress and JFK. Unfortunately, the anecdote didn’t connect at all to the messaging of my book and I had to edit the whole scene out.

5. Do write under a pen name?

I do not. People know me as Christopher Manske, and I’m making it easy for them.

6. What advice would you give to someone wanting to write their first book?

Attend as many writer’s conferences as you can. I recommend at least one of the larger ones in the United States such as The Writer’s Digest Writers Conference in NYC, The New York Writer’s Workshop put on by Tom Tomlinson, The Writer’s Conference of the Pacific Northwest in Seattle, and the Valentine’s Day Writer’s Conference in San Francisco.

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You can find Chris on Twitter.

Author Q&A with Christopher Manske