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Zine-Thyme
by Judy Bridges
Welcome to Zine~Thyme. A column dedicated to interviewing
Ezine owners and Authors.
Much of the information I acquire will be in question and
answer format. Unchanged answers will be in “ ”. Some
information I will condense.
This month I would like to introduce you to, Chris
Gavaler, author of Pretend I'm Not Here
Chris is a newly published author that spins a tale of
mystery and romance in this novel.
Set in modern times, his thirty something main character
is bored with her life as a dating show chaperone. She
only goes to St. Thomas with the winning contestants.
I would call that boring!
Chris pulls us through the ins and outs of murder, crooked
island cops, a Playboy reporter, the Mafia, and Ashley. A
dash of humor is thrown in for good measure.
His characters are well defined and he keeps a sane amount
of tension throughout the novel.
His site, listed above has several chapters available for
free reading. Check it out, you may get hooked.
Chris also has helpful links for the beginning writer and
will answer email he receives.
I found Chris to be consistent, persistent, and dedicated
to the art of writing, and even more important, his
family.
Way to go Chris!
On to the questions;
Is Chris Gavaler a pseudonym? If so, why do you choose to
use a pen name?
“It’s my real name--who would invent something as
unpronounceable as "Gavaler"? (It rhymes with squalor.)
I’ve also been called "Chris" all my life, but most of my
readers think it’s short for "Christine" instead of
"Christopher." The narrator of Pretend I’m Not Here is
female, so it’s a natural assumption.”
Do you currently hold a day job?
“I’m a stay-at-home dad in the afternoons. Until recently
I was also a high school English teacher, but I found that
three half-time jobs was one too many.”
From your website we can see you have had some interesting
jobs, do you feel they play into your novel writing?
“So far I haven’t drafted any novels featuring a "vitamin
box proofreader," but you never know.”
You mention "bad poetry" writing in high school. Were you
ever told you couldn't write?
“Oh no, just the opposite–I got lots and lots of praise. I
think that’s true of most writers. It’s only in retrospect
that you can look back at your early writing and see how
bad it is. Which is a good thing. If you knew then, you
would’ve given up instead of growing. A slightly inflated
sense of self-worth is a useful thing.”
Do you feel writers need a formal education? Why or why
not.
“Writing is a learned skill. I’m sure there’s some innate
ability, too, but the bulk is acquired. I don’t think it
matters how you go about learning. I took a half dozen
creative writing classes in college, but I didn’t begin
writing novels for another ten years–that’s when my real
education began. Writers learn by writing. You can do that
in a classroom, or with a critique group, or on your own.”
Who decided the genre for your book since it has both
romance and mystery intertwined. What about the title; Was
it hard to come up with?
“My working title was "Confessions of a Chaperone" (the
main character is a chaperone for a TV dating show). My
wife suggested that I pare it down to "The Chaperone."
Then my agent changed the name to "Thirty-one Questions to
Heaven and Hell" (each of the 31 chapters is a question
that a contestant is asked on the fictional game show). My
editor didn’t like that, but she did like my original
title. But then the sales department, emphasizing the
suspense half of romantic suspense, renamed it "At Water’s
Edge," which I didn’t like much (no hint of humor). My
agent came back with "No Need to Panic," which everyone
liked, but she withdrew it after she saw an identical
headline assessing the threat of terrorist attacks on
major bridges (bad association). Finally, I brainstormed
"Pretend I’m Not Here" (what a chaperone would say to the
couple she’s escorting), and frankly, I’m lucky the
process took so long because it’s the best of all the
titles.”
“As far as genre, I wrote it blindly, with little sense of
marketing categories. Mystery readers who’ve read it, tell
me it’s a great mystery. Romantic suspense readers have
responded equally well. It fits into more than one genre,
so it was up to my editor to make the best call–which she
did.”
I understand you don't have a lot of time to actually
write; is there anything you do to make it easier for
you when you do get to write?
“I'm not a writer who wears certain clothes or waits
for the proper alignment of the stars. I don't woo my
muse. Give me a laptop and I'll start writing. It
doesn't even have to be quiet. I think any parent can
relate to this: having kids makes you much more
efficient with your time. All I need is to see where
I left off, and I pick up the thread there.”
Do your characters take on their own life and tell you
what they want to do?
“On good days. It's fun when a character surprises
you that way. They tend to dictate their manner of
speech, meaning their "voices" come naturally to me.
When I'm writing a scene, the nuances of characters'
behaviors become real. I can see each reacting in a
certain way, with a gesture or expression.”
Do you outline your stories before you start writing
them or just jump in and write whatever comes to mind?
“Yes to both. Outlines are useful so you know what
you're discarding. Sometimes I sketch meticulous
scene by scene notes; sometimes I just wing it. With
Pretend I'm Not Here, I worked more loosely than I
ever had. I figured out my characters, dropped them
into a setting, and turned up the heat. I didn't even
know "whodunnit" at first.”
Do you edit as you go or wait until you have finished
your novel to edit?
“Editing and writing are the same thing to me. I
can't imagine how novels were written before word
processors. I'd still be writing sonnets on
notepaper. Novels require constant revision, the
writing flowing forwards and backwards.”
Do you write daily?
Every weekday, six A.M. to noon. I try to shower and
eat in there, too.
Did you always feel you would be a ""published"" writer
someday?
“Nope. I wrote my first novel on a lark (I thought it was
going to be a short story, but it kept going). It wasn’t
until I was done that it occurred to me that I could try
to get it published.”
Is it worth the effort to write your heart out to see your
name in print?
“If the only reason you’re writing is because you hope to
be published someday, you’re looking at a lot of
frustration and disappointment. Because there is so much
rejection in this business (I have a stack of 300
rejection letters in my filing cabinet), you have to have
other ways of feeling happy and successful. Write because
you love to write. Paradoxically, this will help you get
published because you’ll be able to persevere longer.”
In many artistic endeavors one has to pay their dues, so
to speak; What do you feel a writers dues are?
“It took me seven years and seven manuscripts to get my
first agent. I could call that "paying my dues," but I
don’t. Some writers break in quickly (often through
contacts); some, like me, plug away for years. "Dues"
imply an orderly, work ethic universe–pay them and you’re
"in." But there’s a frustrating amount of luck involved,
too. Some writers pay over and over again; some jump
straight to the top. Nobody can purchase luck. But you can
choose to persevere.”
Do you feel the Internet has helped writers? In what way?
Has it helped you?
“The net is a fun, incredibly convenient writing and
research tool, but it can also be an infinite source of
procrastination. I know writers who had to discontinue
their web and e-mail service in order to keep writing. I’m
not that bad, but I do have to limit time spent on list
serves and browsers. The benefit is the huge community the
net provides. In the last month I’ve received
correspondence from South Africa, Australia and South
America. And, just as fun, I’ve met people online who live
only a couple miles from me.”
How hard was it to get an agent? If difficult, do you
have suggestions to make it easier now that you have been
through it.
“Agents get about 50 queries a day. Most automatically
reject 98%. I recently heard the statistic that 1 out of
6,000 writers get published. It’s hard. I began the
process knowing essentially nothing about the book
business. Now I’m writing articles to help out people who
are in the same place I was just a few years ago. The
"Advice for Writers" section of my website includes links
to about a dozen articles at other writing-oriented sites
and e-zines.”
I see also that you have a book signing schedule, is it
hard to keep a schedule like this and maintain your
personal life?
“It’s been an intense summer. I had never been away from
my son Cameron before (he turns two in September), and
neither of us liked it much. My wife tells me he kept
pointing out to the street and saying "Dad car?" My
daughter Madeleine (age 5) was able to come with me for
one weekend, which worked out surprisingly well. But I
think the whole family is looking forward to a saner
routine in fall.”
How important do you feel book signings are to sales?
“If you sell ten copies at a signing, it’s considered
"good." Of my first ten signings, I reached fifty twice.
My print run is 75,000. I would have to have sold fifty
copies at twenty events to reach even a 1,000. But it’s
also about getting your name and face out there, building
up word–of-mouth one step at a time. Fortunately, signings
can be fun. I love meeting and talking with readers.”
How long will you do signings for this book and who pays
for all the expenses?
“I scheduled 15 signings over 6 weeks, mostly weekends.
Though I’m with HarperCollins, one of the six major
conglomerate publishers in the U.S., I’m also a brand new
author, so my book tour expenses are my own. I will do a
few more signings scattered throughout the year, usually
at writing conferences where I present.”
How hard was it to get an agent and a book publisher? If
difficult, do you have suggestions to make it easier now
that you have been through it.
“Agents get about 50 queries a day. Most automatically
reject 98%. I recently heard the statistic that 1 out of
6,000 writers get published. It’s hard. I began the
process knowing essentially nothing about the book
business. Now I’m writing articles to help out people who
are in the same place I was just a few years ago. The
"Advice for Writers" section of my website (“Pretend I’m
Not Here”) includes links to about a dozen articles at
other writing-oriented sites and e-zines.”
And the last question; Why do you write?
“I'm an addict. I'm not myself if I'm not immersed in a
writing project. It keeps my life in order, gives me an
on-going focus. I feel a little crazy when
between manuscripts. Advance checks and reader mail are
fantastic things, too, but they're not what motivates me.
I think I'm a compulsive writer the way some people are
compulsive readers. It's just a huge source of pleasure
for me.”
Chris has been a good sport tolerating all my questions
and emails getting this done. Thanks Chris!
Alrighty folks, Go forth and enjoy! Pretend I'm Not Here
Disclamer: Any resemblance to any fictitious character is purely
coincidental and all interviewees are genuinely human and not a figment
or fragment of this writers imagination.
All information is current at the time of submission to “The Stump”
Interview approved by…..Chris Gavaler
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