Hi everyone,
I'd like to introduce to friend and fellow member of The Awethors Of Awesomness, Michael R Stern. At The time of writing I'm currently reading Michael's time travel novel, Time Portal, not only is it a great read, but it provides some fascinating history lessons. Michael has just released the sequel, Sand Storm, which is now on my TBR list. Say Hello to Michael.
I'd like to introduce to friend and fellow member of The Awethors Of Awesomness, Michael R Stern. At The time of writing I'm currently reading Michael's time travel novel, Time Portal, not only is it a great read, but it provides some fascinating history lessons. Michael has just released the sequel, Sand Storm, which is now on my TBR list. Say Hello to Michael.
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Writers Emporium
Interview
WE-When did you begin
writing?
Mike-I’ve written for
years. My wife always said I should write a book. Cosmic forces came
together about six years ago. My dad died. I intended to write some
anecdotes for my family about him. As I began to dig through his
papers, I found a treasury of original documents and photos. I began
to look at the events that occurred in his life as a backdrop, the
scenery if you will, for a generation. Growing up in the Great
Depression, an Army officer during World War II, and an active
community member through his life, I wrote about the impact that one
man can make on the world, and about the many men and women of his
age and generation who shared those experiences. Dad was born in 1911
and died at the age of 97. What a remarkable time to see the changes
in the world.
WE-What are you writing
now?
Mike-One day, while
showering, I had a thought that I would like to have met Robert E.
Lee and talked with him about the Civil War. Having written a book,
and given that Lee had been dead since 1870, the only way to meet him
would be to travel through time. That idea spawned a series that has
generated five books, two of which are now published. The last one is
reaching the end of the first draft.
WE-What has been the
hardest thing about writing for you?
Mike-No single thing.
The first has been learning to craft a story, build characters and
plot, “show, not tell,” basically learning to write fiction.
Every step has been a lightbulb moment. I think the most difficult
change is lifestyle. Writing is solitary. Sometimes I miss being
around more people, but my characters keep me company.
WE-Do you have any
advice for new authors?
Mike-Yeah, don’t.
Stop now. Give it up. Stick to your day job. That leaves more room
for me. Seriously, study the craft, read as wide and deep as you
can. Learn how other authors structure story and sentence. Then let
loose all those words waiting to climb out. Learn how to edit. Ask
lots of questions—you won’t know what to ask until you’ve made
all the mistakes of a new writer, which I still consider myself to
be. And ignore all the naysayers.
WE-Do you have a
favorite author?
Mike-No. I’ve read a
great many. The list is long. My idol is J.K. Rowling. I’d love to
write stories that have commercial success. But wouldn’t we all?
WE-You’ve written
both fiction and non-fiction. Do you have a preference?
Mike-That’s a hard
question. I consider myself to be a fan of history. I like historical
novels. John Jakes, Jeff Shaara, Michener. But I read history too.
Doris Kearns Goodwin, Rick Atkinson, Joseph Ellis to name just some.
I think history provides perspective for the future.
WE-What keeps you
going, motivates you to keep writing?
Mike-I would like to
end my career as a successful author. So learning to write well, to
create memorable stories, to explore strange new worlds, to boldly
go, wait a minute. Hold on. Someone else did that already. There’s
just not enough time to write all the things my brain comes up with.
And some should never be written down.
WE-What is the most
important aspect of writing?
Mike-Story. A writer
who tells a compelling story can get away with all kinds of mistakes
that critics will point out. But beautiful description, perfect
sentences and punctuation, interesting characters will mean nothing
if the story doesn’t work.
WE-Tell us about your
work space and how you write?
Mike-I work at my
kitchen table. I write by hand. I get interrupted regularly. I try to
write daily, but sometimes that doesn’t happen. Writer’s block is
real, but so is taking the dog for a walk. I share a Muse with a
writer friend, and she’s been hogging it for a while. She told me
our Muse was on a summer vacation. You may know her, Vicky Savage.
Her trilogy, Transcenders, was a lot of fun to read.
WE-The
publishing industry is undergoing major changes with the digital age.
Do you prefer traditional or indie publishing?
Mike-I’m 67 years
old. If I had begun writing earlier, I might have a different answer.
I’ve been told by traditionally-published authors that a book can
take up to four years to reach publication. If you can find an agent
who can sell your book, then go through all the creative gymnastics
of edit and cover design etc., then wait, well, good luck. I’ll
write as long as my bones allow, but I’ll take care of the rest
too. Maybe I’ll be one of those folks that are discovered after
they die. So my books are actually part of my estate planning.
WE-What’s next for
you?
Mike-When the series is
finished, I have a number of other projects I’d like to complete.
But before that, I intend to spend the time exploring the world of
book marketing in this changing environment. I believe that
marketing, which so many writers hate, can be fun. I’ve said that
marketing is nothing more than making new friends. What could be
more fun!
WE-We would like to
know more about you, so tell us.
I live in southern New
Jersey, about twenty minutes from Philadelphia. I’m married to
Linda C. Bennett Stern, who has just completed her first book. That’s
not a plug, yet. I have two adult children, and a Wheaten Terrier,
named Katie Scarlett. When I’m away from my computer, I like to dig
in the dirt (some
people call that
gardening), I read, I watch TV series, mostly to see how the writers
have crafted the stories. If you’d like to know more about me,
here’s a link. http://bit.ly/Alphabio
BOOKS BY MICHAEL R STERN.
