The last interview I gave was several years ago when a 4th grader peppered me with questions ago about my background and why I wanted to become an educator.
The questions below, from social media influencer Jithendra Jithu, were similar in scope, but related to writing and Ace on the Hill.
They probably weren't quite as daunting either ;)
WHEN DID YOU FIRST REALIZE YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER?
JCW: I was creative from an early age, putting on skits for my family and then creating (and sketching, rather poorly) super hero characters through my formative years. However, it wasn’t until my senior year in High School when a teacher gave our class an assignment to add an additional chapter to one of our favorite books. I had just finished CATCHER IN THE RYE by J.D. Salinger so I decided to write a “new ending” for that American classic and submitted it. I received an “A” grade as well as some complimentary notes. Wish I had saved that paper!
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO WRITE A BOOK?
JCW: You may not believe this, but it took me over 15 years to complete my book, ACE ON THE HILL! Of course, there were interruptions (of the good and not so good variety). Aside from raising a family, I was also working in education during those years.
WHAT IS YOUR WORK SCHEDULE LIKE WHEN YOU’RE WRITING?
JCW: Like most people who set goals, writers need to be disciplined. It is so easy to become distracted, especially by telephones and televisions, where we are bombarded with information by the minute. We want to keep up with the world, but sometimes it’s more important to keep up with your story. I find I do my best writing early in the morning or late at night, when it is quietest. Of course, I will jot down notes during the day if something pops into my mind that may benefit my story.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR INTERESTING WRITING QUIRK?
JCW: I don’t know if I would call this a quirk or a ritual, but I like to listen to music that matches the story and takes me to the same place my characters are. Since ACE ON THE HILL is set in the 1970s and early 1980s, I’d usually play 70s rock or pop stations on Pandora or Amazon Music while I was at my laptop writing.
HOW DO (WRITERS’) BOOKS GET PUBLISHED?
JCW: Writers can self-publish, which requires patience and a bit of research. However, I’ve found I had greater control over my work this way—at least in terms of edits, pricing, design, etc.) This is what I did with my book. I went through Kindle Direct Publishing. The other route, is of course, going through large publishing companies, which are very selective—or using smaller, boutique publishers.
WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INFORMATION OR IDEAS FOR YOUR BOOKS?
JCW: I get ideas from books from my personal experiences—people, events, locations, etc. Then I try to build from them or around them, often asking…”what if this happened?” (Of course, I also do research on topics that are out of my realm of experience).
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