I’d like to welcome J. R. Lindermuth as my guest. J.R. is a retired newspaper editor/writer who lives and writes in central Pennsylvania. He is librarian of his county historical society where he assists visitors with historical research and genealogy. J.R. is the author of eight novels and has published in a variety of magazines. His novels include Watch The Hour, Corruption’s Child and The Accidental Spy.
How nice to meet another author with a journalism background. Tell us, what were you doing 25 years ago?
J.R.: In 1984, I was a single parent, struggling with a mountain of debt and a way-too-big mortgage. I earned our daily bread as wire/business editor of a small-town daily newspaper and spent my evenings churning out articles and short stories while attempting to come up with a novel which would sell.
Raising children is tough enough when there are two parents. Need I say it becomes much more challenging when you’re alone and have the burden of a demanding, stressful occupation and more financial obligations than you can handle? I found my solace in reading, writing and drawing. I must have done something right. My son and daughter grew up to be responsible, hard-working adults and good parents.
During this trying period, I sold a lot of articles to a variety of small magazines, but my efforts at fiction went nowhere. I experimented with novels in different genre – mysteries, horror, historical, mainstream. It was a learning process, but one in which I was often tempted to give up.
At one particularly low period, I had my biggest breakthrough magazine sale. Ovation, the classical music magazine, purchased my article on Sibelius in America. That success sent me back to the typewriter. Gradually I learned perseverance is the key to achieving any worthwhile goal.
Little did I realize then a character created for a short story would become the protagonist for a series of mystery novels. Sticks Hetrick and his team have figured in three published novels, a fourth is under contract and I’m currently at work on the fifth.
Find out more about J.R.’s books on his web site and blog. Check out his books on Amazon.
Thanks for joining us, J.R. Congratulations on sticking with your writing during the trying period and accomplishing your goals. So many of us writers can relate to that long difficult stretch, having been there ourselves.
As a former journalist, I know that journalists need to write tight and choose their words carefully. Copyeditors in particular reflect on every single word.
How hard for you was it to switch gears between editing newspaper stories by day and giving yourself free rein to write a longer creative work such as a fiction novel or short story in your off-time? Were you tempted to edit yourself while the story was still trying to get down on paper?
Thanks for giving me this opportunity to visit with you, Stacy.
Having been an editor, the temptation to edit and revise is always there. But you can get bogged down if you stop the flow of a story. Better to wait and get into that later. And it’s important to have someone else read and edit your work. No matter how good you are you’ll never catch all your own errors.
By the way, my novels are now up to eight. Whiskey Creek Press just published Being Someone Else, fourth in the Sticks Hetrick mystery series.
Twenty Five Years Ago??!!! I can’t remember what I did yesterday! Great Post John.
I think former journalists make the best writers because we are the best listeners. Even when writing fiction there is so much to hear from our surroundings while we are writing. Journalists tend to listen to our characters the same way we would listen to an interview, instead of telling them what to do we let them tell us what to write. John is a great writer. What I didn’t know was that he had eight books. I’ll have to go and check that out right now.
Hi John,
I agree with Annette. 25 years ago. I have trouble remembering what I had for breakfast. Eight books with WCP, wow that is great going.
Best of luck with all your writing ventures.
Margaret
It’s so hard to write with the wolf at the door, and here John Linderman did it while raising two kids. The editor quote is quite interesting,too, for I think one need adapt to the author’s style a bit before red-flagging every sentence. There’s a lot to learn, as well as read from John. Being an editor before a fiction writer seems so beneficial,therefore John came to the fiction table with a lot of self honed tools. Like we used to say during the war, “I take my hat off to ya,fella, if not my helmet.” Best of earned success with all your creative, well earned skills.
Hi JOhn, It’s great that you stuck with your writing and always believed in yourself.
Your writing is always exciting and tight, no wasted words or gaudy descriptions, I guess that comes from your having worked as a journalist. Possibly the best training any writer can have.
Long may you blossom.
Twenty five years ago, I had just begun my adventure with military intelligence, and raising the first of my three sons. Now, I own and operate a dog grooming salon, and have three novels to my credit. How fast the years have flown. And like your kids, my sons are wonderful, and my novels are still growing.
Congratulations on the new book, John. I agree that former journalists make great authors. It certainly makes it much easier to do research, as we’re used to asking questions and looking for the small details that make a setting come alive. Journalists are also used to not getting carried away with their research – sprinkling in just enough in layman’s terms without bogging down the story in technical details. I think a journalistic mindset is also helpful with creating characters, as we can “interview” our characters beforehand and figure out how to convey all the key information and personality traits that readers should know.
The one challenge was that during my reporting years, I got used to writing lean. I’ve been writing fiction since I was a child, and have shared some of my childhood short story excerpts in my Blast from the Past blog category on the right. Descriptions and dialogue used to spill out onto the page quite easily, then when I became a journalist in my early twenties, I got used to writing lean and looking at column inches. I found that my books were coming out too short, so I needed to go back and flesh them out. I needed a little more description and character development here and there.
But having a journalist’s eye is beneficial to me in the final editing process, as most manuscripts can benefit from removing excess baggage and words. It’s kind of fun to go back and cross things out – it’s a lot more fun to cut than to add!
Another new author for me to add to my list! Sticks Hetrick is such a cool name for a character!
Thanks, Stacy. It’s always a balancing act–deciding what works and what doesn’t. The public only sees the final result. They often don’t realize how much we sweated over those words.
Good Morning, Jack: Great to visit with you today on this open blog. What was I doing 25 years ago? The same thing you were, but, in a different career choice and too far away from our hometown. Just like you, I wouldn’t give up the lean years, building my career while caring for my children. I think we’ve all had a great run and we’re still running. True, I no longer have to tramp about in the fields or stay chained to a desk working in the environmental field. But now I have time to read, read, read. And your books are the best. I still think Schlussel’s Woman needs to be on the curriculum of all english/grammar students, whether in high school or first year college. What an incredible book. And St. Hubert’s Stag was so touching revealing your soul down to the basics of love of family especially the tentative connection between a son and his Dad. I’m truly blessed to call you one of my dear cousins and applaud, applaud your love, tenacity, empathy and how you’ve put it all together in a very successful venture. Now, I’ve got to get into those Sticks Hetricks books. Love, Roberta
25 years ago, I was doing the same as you, John – a single parent struggling to bring up two teenage daughters at the same time as a demanding career (mine being as a teacher). Unlike you, however, I did very little writing at that time – a few short stories in romance magazines, and for about 5 years, articles each month in the Girl Guiding magazine (for leaders). I eventually came back to fiction writing once I was retired. But, with just one book accepted so far by Whiskey Creek, it’ll take me a long time to catch up with your eight! Good luck with your latest release.
Paula
25 yrs ago I found myself without a job as the newspaper I worked on closed shop. The Fresno Co. Sheriff’s Dept. picked me up, first as a Records Clerk, then as a Warrants Clerk, and I wrapped up my career with an undercover narcotics team. Which gave me plenty of mysteries to write about!
I agree with all of you: journalism training is valuable when fiction writing. We write tight, clean and don’t believe in writers’ block!
J.L., you rock!
Great stories here. In 1985 I had just finished my first novel. A late starter cause I didn’t have the courage to try while raising two wonderful children with the help of my great husband. So I waited. Now have six novels and six nonfiction books out there and working on a couple more novels and a biography with a memoir looming. What a great 25 years it’s been. I worked for a rural weekly newspaper for nine years beginning in 1990 and still write a column for one. Journalism teaches writers a lot.
About this time in 1985, I was driving from Ogden Utah where I was a dean at Weber State College to Canyon, Texas where I had been hired as the academic vice-president. I was lured by the bigger title and the chance to return to my home state. I discovered titles are worthless and you can’t go home again, two things I was too dumb to figure out in advance. I should have quit and started writing, but I needed a steady income.
Being retired and writing is great, right J.R.?
Mike Orenduff
You can add me to the ranks of raising a child by myself 25 years ago. Mine was a rebellious teenager at that time, and those are years I’d probably be better off forgetting.
Although I don’t have a journalism background, I do have the Life’s Experience experience. (I meant to repeat that word.)
It’s very interesting reading what you each have to say, and I can see that I’m going to want to read John Lindermuth’s work. I’m curious, John. Do your books include historical research and genealogy?
Sorry, John. Turns out that last question was one a journalist wouldn’t have asked. I just dove over to Amazon and looked at some of your books. (sigh. Research, research, research before you ask questions.)
Seems a lot of us had the single parent experience. Tough at times, but experience is often the best teacher. Mike, retirement is great. But some days I don’t have any more time than when I was working. Robie and Sunny, thanks for those great plugs.
Gosh, I feel like a Princess because in 1985 I was touring Africa as a speaker for the United Nations Dacade for Women delegation. I am most grateful to the Canadaians(sp) for informing our group to wear our slickers when we went on camera safari so we weren’t “wizzed” on by the baby monkeys. I got to sleep in a Princess’ bed in Swaziland. Now how do I put all of those adventures in a mystery set in 1932 Chinatown with an African-American PI? Or in one set in Washington State with an African-American DEputy DA?
Wow, these are some fascinating 25 years stories! If any of you writers want to develop your anecdote into a full-fledged guest post, let me know. I have slots available in November and beyond.
John, it’s inspiring that you had the tenacity to pursue your writing goals while raising your children. I sometimes feel guilty about the time I spend on my writing career, but I hope it teaches my kids the importance of following your dreams and doing something that you consider meaningful and fulfilling.
Stacy, I for one would love to be a guest blogger. I’m also fascinated by the things my collegues have done with their lives and would love to hear more. Thank you John for sending us the link.
Stacy, I would also be interested in participating in this as a guest blogger. These stories are what make us all so interesting. Thank you for the opportunity.
Having been a writer for over thirty years it pained me to read that I should have been a journalist as I feel the love of words is something that grows with your personality. No matter the background all word content to any writing can suffer polishing. I also agree that is far easier to allow a copy editor to cut out words from your work even if you’ve sweated blood to write them.
I was a voracious reader as a child often reading by flash-light under my bed clothes long after my parents had put the lights out. I realise now that I had a hunger for the written word, a hunger which took a long time assuaging. Only when I passed thirty did I realise that writing was giving me as much fun as reading and this coincided with twenty five years ago when I determined to become an author. Six published books later and three eBooks and I am still learning the craft but having great fun in the process.
Until now I have never read any of John’s works but I intend to because the writings in this blog have convinced me I should.
At the risk of becoming too verbose I would love to volunteer for a guest blog sometime If I can remember what day and what year it is.
John, you gave the same advice that I always give. Don’t give up. One of my best friends got a rejection from Dorchester yesterday and was naturally sad about it, but I told her to polish her query letter and send the book out again.
I love the name of your character. So original.
Stacy, this is a fun blog. I’d love to do an interview for you.
I agree, Jack, that anyone can be a great fiction writer. In some ways a journalism background can help, but in some ways it hinders also as it’s two completely forms of writing with different rules. Also if your day job centers heavily around writing or editing, it can be easy to burnout from being on a computer all day. And day jobs can provide plenty of inspiration for books, if you look at authors like John Grisham and Michael Palmer, or Darcia Helle’s new book The Cutting Edge. (You were a hairdresser once, right, Darcia? The hairdressing scenes were so vivid.)
Would love to have all of you on the blog. These are the guidelines for the 25 Years columns: http://bit.ly/cEN8tH
I schedule them in the order I receive them, so feel free to send me something. I’m mostly scheduling for 2011, but I could probably fit in a couple more this year.
I’ll also have another guest blog opp. coming up for 2011 – literary characters will be able to fill out an interview to “audition” for my fictional reality show Sink or Swim. I’m working on the guidelines for that and will announce them later in the fall. Authors are welcome to be featured for both the 25 Years option and the Sink or Swim option, on different dates. If anyone wants to be kept in the loop for when I release the Sink or Swim guidelines, you can email me through my web site. John, I think Sticks Hetrick would be a terrific Sink or Swim guest if you’re interested!
Thanks, Stacy. I’ll definitely keep that in mind. This has been a fun visit and I’ve also enjoyed hearing about the experiences of others. Plenty of grist for good stories in those experiences.
I also agree a journalism background is not the only path to creative writing. Look at the backgrounds of your favorite writers–they’ve worked in every field imaginable.
And I stress again–never again up. As my hero Cervantes put it, ‘While there’s life there’s hope.’
Stacy, I absolutely agree that most any job you do can provide inspiration for fiction writing. Like my character Skye in The Cutting Edge, I was a hairstylist in a small town salon for about 15 years. I pretty much grew up in the business, since my mom owned the salon. Most of the scenes I wrote that took place within the fictional salon did actually happen. I don’t think I could have made that stuff up! I did, however, change the names and certain facts. I like to say that I needed to protect the innocent and hide the guilty.
Hi Stacy, thinking about this was a real eye opener. I’m half of the David Coles & Jack Everett team and 25 years ago, Jack had been made edundant & I ws just waiting for it to happen since my employers had just been taken over.
During the year that followed I wrote a draft historical fantasy, mainly to stay occupied, and this last month we have just pulled it out of the frezzer and started to breath new life back into it. (Some mixed metaphors there!) In between then and now, we have successfully published “The Last Free Men,” volume one of “The Abbot & the Acolyte” series – both historical: a Roman thriller & a Medieval Mystery, also several f&sf eBooks under the name Everett Coles.
Now we’re retired, we’ve just published a WWII thriller, “Last Mission” and imminently, “Jihad – Britain” which carries on where 9/11 and 7/7 left off. Not quite so imminently, a phsycological thriller is due out: “.Tourist”
Still a lot of life left in the team yet! All of these books are available at Amazon.com or through our own website: http://www.ArchimedesPresse.co.uk.
Wow, David, you and Jack sound like quite a team! That’s wonderful that you’re both still writing and publishing. I took a look at the web site – your books sound very impressive.
David, A Medieval Mystery sounds pretty interesting. In fact, all of the books you mentioned sound fascinating. Guess I just found another website I need to go visit.