How long have you
been writing? How many novels have you written?
I've been writing
all my life but didn't write my first full-length novel until I was 36. Since then I've written over 25 novels, some
are still unpublished, a few are half-finished.
What piqued your
interest to start writing?
I'm not sure, it
just seems like I had some sort of creative energy or voice inside that needs
to come out, to be expressed. I write
every day (working day). It's become a
deeply ingrained habit. If I don't do
it, I feel that something is missing in my life. Or that I might just go crazy!
Who are your
favorite authors? Did they have an influence on the genre you chose? If not,
how did you choose?
A lot of
different authors have inspired me and I've learned a lot from studying their
writing in great detail. A few are Rod
Serling, Thomas Hardy, Stephen King, David Mamet, and Sidney Sheldon. You'll notice that I've named a few authors
who are primarily screenwriters. With
these I've studied their dialogue and also their storytelling skills. Watching movies is a good way to study story
structure because you see the whole story much faster than with a book (90 or
120 minutes). I believe new writers
should dedicate far more time understanding story structure and how to tell a
good story rather than focusing so much on words and description. Yes, words are important, and finding just
the right way to say something is crucial, but don't forget to tell a great
story, too!
Do you find
writing a challenge? Why or Why not?
Of course I find
writing a challenge, the biggest challenge in my life! Why?
Because fiction writing is one of those things you never perfect, you are
always improving, learning, getting better.
I try to make every new book I write "better" in some way than
all the previous ones. I don't look much
at what my competitors are doing--I try to compete only with myself.
Are any of your
novels based on events in your life, or someone you know?
Yes I would say
that most of my novels are based on things that have happened to me in real
life, some more than others. For example
The Wrong Side of the Tracks, a coming of age story, is very much based on my
real life. Other books have bits and
pieces of my real life in them, often greatly exaggerated and changed to be
more dramatic and fit the particular story I want to tell.
Do your book
events, such as book signings/readings ever become overwhelming?
Not really, as I
purposefully control myself so as not to become a one-dimensional workaholic.
Anyway, I'm an ebook-only author now and mostly just do online events. I try to limit those to a minimum so that I
can keep writing, which is what my readers want most--more books. I do spend a lot of time communicating
directly with readers, usually on Facebook and Twitter. In general, I treat my writing as a 40 hour
per week job. I write or do marketing 8
hours per day M-F, do a little work on Saturday morning (this interview, for
example), and then have the rest of my time free to rest and relax and enjoy
life. I do think a lot about my stories
at night and on weekends, even dream about them, but I limit my actual work time
to a normal workweek, as I've said. To
write well requires not only intense work but rest and rejuvenation to fill the
creative reservoir again.
Who is your
publishing company? Who creates your cover art?
I am my own
publishing company and I create all my own cover art and everything else
associated with my books. I view a book
as one creative unit, which includes not only the text of the story but also
the book title, cover art, story description, marketing blurbs, Letter to My
Readers--everything. It makes one,
singular impression on the reader. This
is the main reason I don't traditionally publish books--you can't control any
of that, the publisher does. And no
publisher cares about your book even 1/100th about your book as you do. It's your "baby." Nobody except you is going to wrack their
brains to make your entire book package as perfect as possible. This is the
reason I self-publish.
The other reason
I self-publish is that I can write whatever I want, whenever I want, however I
want. I have no pressure from a
profit-driven bureaucracy telling me that I have to write sequels that I don't
want to write, or that I have to use a pen name if I want to write a book in a
different genre, those kinds of pressures.
Self-publishing gives you total freedom and total control. The negative is that you don't have the stamp
of "approval" from the establishment, but that's okay with me, I've
always been a rebel!
What are your
current and upcoming projects?
At the moment I'm
writing a sequel, of sorts, to Lust, Money & Murder. The reason I say "of sorts" is that
it's an unusual sequel, with the first part of the book focusing on the
villain's life and recovery from his disaster in the last book, rather than
just having the hero from the first book "do it again," the way most
sequels are written. Couldn't do this if
I were traditionally published.
I'm also involved
in the process of producing all my books in audio format. So far three are done and about five more are
in the pipeline. Fortunately I've been
able to find top notch professional narrators so it does not require that much
of my time, just giving them a little guidance.
From all your
novels written, which is your favorite? Why?
That's like
asking me which is my favorite child.
Can't answer it, I love them all for different reasons.
What do you do
when you’re not
writing? Do you have a hobby?
I have a few
hobbies, playing guitar, for example, but the biggest one is nature and
fitness. I do some kind of outdoor
exercise every day, for 2 hours or so in the early afternoon, to break up my
writing schedule. That's one of the
reasons I'm living in Cyprus now, the year-round good weather. I either ride my bike, run, or take a long
hike, and usually at the end I go for a swim in the sea. Writing is a very sedentary activity and I
think it's important to keep your body in good shape--helps clear the mental cobwebs. I have a lot of my best creative ideas while
I'm outside exercising and not really thinking about my work, they just pop
into my head.
Would you like to
say a few words to your fan base?
Yes--THANK YOU SO
MUCH for reading my books and supporting my writing, for all your wonderful
feedback, reviews, and everything else you do for me. You are the primary reason I write every
day. Without you, there would be little
point in any of it.
Where may your
fans contact you?
I would like to say Thank You! Mike Wells for taking the time for this great interview!
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