Nancy- a big welcome to David
Morrell, who will be the Keynote speaker at Raleigh’s WRITE NOW 2015 Conference on
May 2nd. He stopped by to share a little bit about himself, and his writing. Please
tell my readers a little bit about your books.
David- This
is my 43rd year as a published author. I started with First Blood in 1972, the novel in which
the character of Rambo was introduced. Since then, I explored various ways of
writing action and suspense, especially in The
Brotherhood of the Rose (1984), which was one of the first novels to
combine the British and American espionage-novel traditions (authentic
spy-craft blended with action). It was adapted into the only television
miniseries to be broadcast after a Super Bowl. Another personal favorite is Creepers (2005), which mixed the
thriller and horror genres so that it was difficult to decide what kind of novel
it was, and recently a Victorian mystery/thriller Murder as a Fine Art (2013) in which my fascination with the
weirdness of the Victorian world made me want to make readers believe they are
truly on those fogbound streets. The main character is an actual historical
person, Thomas De Quincey, who invented the word “subconscious” and anticipated
Freud’s psychoanalytic theories by 70 years.
Nancy- Wow! So many genres! And First Blood was your very first novel?
David- Yes, First Blood was my first novel.
Through my Penn State writing instructor, Philip Klass, I was introduced to an
agent who agreed to represent the manuscript. He sold it within six weeks.
That’s very unusual. Most beginning authors struggle to make that first sale.
Hemingway put a lot of value in luck, and with First Blood, I was indeed lucky. But it took me three years to
write the book, and the manuscript didn’t leave my hands until I had done
everything I could to make it professional. So discipline and determination are
also part of the mix.
Nancy- Why
have you become a published author?
David- In
my writing book, The Successful Novelist:
A Lifetime of Lessons and Writing and Publishing, my first chapter is
devoted to reasons for people to want to be writers. The worst reasons are fame
and wealth. Not that anybody should turn down a big advance from a publisher.
But usually the motives of fame and wealth simple mean that someone wants to
win the literary lottery, and most of the time, that means imitating another
author who is famous and wealthy (for the record, very few writers earn huge
dollars). When I teach writing, I emphasize two mantras. 1. Be a first rate
version of yourself and not a second-rate version of another writer. 2. Don’t chase
the market. You’ll always see its backside. The reason to want to be a writer
is that there’s a pressure inside us, a story, a secret, that demands to be
told, and we’ll do everything that’s necessary to get it onto the page.
Nancy- Exactly why I will listen to your wisdom at the WRITE NOW 2015 Conference. What
is your writing routine like?
David- There’s
no correct routine. Some people write early in the morning before they go to
work or before the kids get up. Some people wait until it’s late at
night. The main thing is to be steady about it—to do it every day. A page a day
is 365 pages a year—in other words, a novel.
I work on a computer, but some people prefer to write a manuscript by
hand. Whatever feels good. I’m blessed to be able to write full time, so I
start around 8 in the morning and work until late afternoon, with an hour of
exercise in the middle. (All that sitting can be brutal on my body unless I
exercise.) I think it’s important to understand “introvert” and “extrovert” as
the Myers-Briggs psychological profile defines those terms. An introvert gets
renewal and refreshment from being alone. I can spend 10 hours a day
alone—every day if necessary. I find it refreshing. If I need to do a lot of
socializing, I’m exhausted, and I don’t like talking on the phone. In contrast,
a Myers-Briggs extrovert loves being with people and can’t bear isolation. I
know many great storytellers who never had a writing career because their
personality was such that they couldn’t sit alone in a room.
Nancy- I love working in an empty house. Not much writing gets done when hubby is home! Are
you a member of any writing organizations and, if so, have they helped?
David- I co-founded (with Gayle Lynds) the
International Thriller Writers organization, which helped tons of writers get a
start. I belong to the Mystery Writers of America, the Horror Writers
Association, and the Western Writers of America. The professional friendships I
formed there have been immensely helpful. One of my recommendations to
beginning writers is to attend conferences for the type of writing that they
do. Make contacts. Learn the business side of things.
Nancy- Conferences are fun, too! Will
you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first
contract?
David- Write
the book you feel you were meant to write rather than an imitation of a book
that’s on the bestseller list. You might not sell the book, but at least you
fulfilled yourself, and that’s what writing’s supposed to be about. The WRITING
page of my website, www.davidmorrell.net has several free essays about writing.
“David Morrell is the
finest thriller writer living today, bar none.” Steve Berry
How can readers buy
your book?
Murder as a Fine Art - HERE
Inspector of the Dead - HERE
MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Morrell is the author of First Blood, the award-winning novel in
which Rambo was created. His numerous New
York Times bestsellers include the classic spy novel, The Brotherhood of the Rose, the basis for the only television
mini-series to be broadcast after a Super Bowl. An Edgar and Anthony finalist,
a Nero and Macavity winner, Morrell is a recipient of three Bram Stoker awards
and the prestigious Thriller Master award from the International Thriller
Writers organization. His latest novel is the acclaimed Victorian
mystery/thriller, Inspector of the Dead.
You
can find more information about
David Morrell here:
@_David
Morrell Twitter
Join us May 2nd in Raleigh, NC
at the
WRITE
NOW 2015 Conference
David Morrell’s Keynote Address:
‘Be Yourself: Finding
Your Own Voice and Subject Matter’
He will also teach these workshops:
‘The
Trap for the Unwary: The First Person Viewpoint’
‘Easy Ways to Improve
Your Description & Dialogue’
For more info click HERE
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