FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why did you write The DVD Murders?
2. Can I buy any of the films you appeared in?
3. Why were you court-marshaled in the navy?
4. Who are your favorite authors?
5. Why do you write?
6. How do you come up with your characters?
7. Why did you choose to self publish your books?
8. Would you advise aspiring authors to self publish?
9. Why aren't there print versions of some of your Kindle books?
10. Why do you write in different genres?
11. I'm an aspiring author. Will you criticize my manuscript?
12. Are there any movies based on your books?
13. What is your writing routine?
14. Do you use an outline?
Answers
1. Why did you write The DVD Murders?
My wife Susan is a big mystery fan. In fact, she belongs to a mystery book club that reads a book a month and meets to talk about it. After writing several novels without publishing success, I decided to take a crack at a mystery. It occurred to me that there were no mystery novels with a gay protagonist, so that’s what I did. Boy was I wrong. Check out the Gay Detective Novel by Judith A. Markowitz. She not only lists tons of mystery books with gay heroes but many series as well. Unfortunately, few of them ever made it into mainstream. I’m hoping the Frank Callahan crime-fiction series will.
2. Can I buy any of the films you appeared in?
Probably not. Like most hopefuls in Hollywood, I was a fringe actor. That is, I did a lot of acting in stage plays and short and full-length independent films but was never able to crack the big time. The film, Friends and Enemies, for example, was released in France with English titles but not here. Others, such as Lost at Sea and Things, were released here but didn’t do very well and quickly disappeared. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it for the most part and did become a better actor. In fact, the last two stage plays I did I almost felt as if I knew what I was doing.
3. Why were you court-marshaled in the navy?
Well it’s a long and somewhat silly story. I was lifting weights. One day, they disappeared. I was told by a petty officer that they were put in storage because nobody was using them. I said I was using them. The petty officer and his friends laughed and said that was just too damn bad and a lot of other things I won’t go into. I was so angry after I left when I was told to put my hat on by a master at arms (in the navy, you are not allowed to be outside uncovered) I told him to go f… himself and wound up getting court marshaled for direct disobedience of orders and received twenty one days hard labor. Like I said, it was silly but it didn’t seem to be at the time.
4. Who are your favorite authors?
I like a lot of authors but I guess my favorites are Charles Dickens, Henry Miller, William Saroyan Kirk Vonnegut, and Anne Tyler. One of the things they all have in common is a sly sense of humor and a propensity for pointing out the foibles of the human condition. Many mystery writers also write with humor, such as Sue Grafton and Joseph Wambaugh. There is nothing better than a good laugh.
5. Why do you write?
Well, I guess, for a lot of reasons: to express myself, because I love words, to take a mountain of information and chop, rearrange and fuss with it until it is transformed into some kind of order that makes sense, and the attention and accolades that massage my ego. Most of all, however, I think I like to entertain. I like to make people laugh, open their eyes to things and make them think, nod their heads in agreement, and sometimes even shock. I believe that’s also why I became an actor, love to tell jokes, gossip, and relate stories. I simply would like people to come away thinking the time they spent reading my books was worth it.
6. How do you come up with your characters?
They come from many sources. From people I know or knew or a composite of them. Some characters I’ve seen on TV, in the news, or in films. I may take a basic character and give him or her characteristics that they don’t have and never will have. And, of course, I may take aspects of my own personality and expand or modify them or simply invent someone. As it says in the science-fiction novel, Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle, on which the film was based, man is the biggest ape of all. Everything he does, from brain surgery to digging a ditch, he learns by copying or aping other people. For me, that’s what makes us so vulnerable and marvelous at the same time.
7. Why did you chose to self publish your books?
To be honest, I didn’t, at least not at first. I tried like the dickens to get a couple of books published and to find an agent. I did manage to land an agent, several of them. But none of them were high powered enough to do me any good. After several years of frustration, I decided to go the Print on Demand (POD) route with The DVD Murders. When I wrote the sequel, The Bashful Vampire Murder & Comic Book Murders, I did find a traditional publisher and actually signed a contract. My dream had come true. However, when I reread the contract, I realized I had given up my electronics rights. Since authors such as JA Komath predict that Ebooks is where the future and money is, I had second thoughts. I ask the publisher to void the contract, which he was kind enough to do.
8. Would you advise aspiring authors to self publish?
Check out JA Komath’s blog. He has written extensively on the subject. Just a couple of thoughts. When you self publish, you have control over your books. You delete the middle man, the publisher and his cut, so you make more money. If you put your books on Amazon Kindle, you can revise the content anytime you want. If you do self publish, make sure you provide for yourself the advantages of what a traditional publisher offers. That is, get yourself a good editor and a talented cover designer.
9. Why aren’t there print versions of some of your Kindle books?
Ah, but there are. All of my short works, such as Supermale’s Gone and Left Us, are available in my paperback, Catawampus Tales.
10. Why do you write in different genres?
Because writing books for me is more than a business. I write for pleasure. Critics say if you want to build a career, you should stick to one genre because that’s what your readers expect and they will be disappointed if you don’t. They are probably right. Having been an actor, to me it’s a little bit like type casting. Look what happened to poor Tony Perkins and Vincent Price. I write what interests me, and if people pay to read what I’ve written, well, that’s frosting on the cake.
11. I’m an aspiring author. Will you criticize my manuscript?
I won’t BS you. Not only do I not have the time, I don’t have the inclination. There are critique services available who will read all or part of your book or story for a fee. Some have very reasonable rates, and they often suggest ideas or angles that are valuable. Also, a good editor will take you to task and help you improve your manuscript.
12. Are there any movies based on your books?
No, not yet. I would love to have any of my stories made into films not only for the money but also to see who they would cast and how they would flesh out the narrative. I have my own ideas about casting. If interested, you can participate in a poll on The DVD Murders page on this site as to who should play Detective Frank Callahan.
13. What is your writing routine?
I usually write a couple of hours in the morning, everyday. Sometimes I return in the afternoon and go over what I wrote that morning. It all depends on what is going on. However, as all authors know, writing is a twenty-four hour job and I may jot down notes at any time of the day. When I am actively working on a book, some of my best ideas come in the middle of the night or early morning, and I have to get up, grab paper and a pencil, and put them down. Unfortunately, I am not always in the process of writing but spending time promoting what I have written. Writing is the fun part.
14. Do you use an outline?
No, let me tell you a story about that. Several years ago, I had an idea to write a western that would feature female cowboys. This was before it had been done in the movies. I sat down and wrote a detailed outline, chapter by chapter and what would happen in each one. By the time I got around to writing the book, I was so bored with it, I had to gave it up. I prefer to just start out with an idea. I am always surprised how one idea leads to another which leads to another, etc. Sometimes I have so many ideas coming at once, it’s hard to get them all down. It’s the rewrites that make a story.