Interview with Wayne Zurl [waynezurl]

What did you first read? How did you begin to write? Who were the first to read what you wrote?

For the longest time, I read mostly historical fiction. Then someone gave me a copy of James Lee Burke’s BLACK CHERRY BLUES and that hooked me on crime fiction. I was retired then and didn’t mind reading a police mystery. When I was employed as a cop, I stayed away from police stories and cop shows on TV.
In retirement, I did volunteer work at a local state park and wrote articles about their living history program. That led to writing other magazine articles dealing with Colonial American history. I ended up having more than two dozen articles published. It was exciting when I got paid for what I wrote. And when people who participated in the historical reenactments mentioned reading and liking what I wrote, I felt even better.
In 2006 I decided to write fiction and that leads me to question two.

What is your favorite genre? Can you provide a link to a site where we can read some of your work or learn something about it?

Based on the old maxim of write about what you know, I deal exclusively with police mysteries. I worked as a New York cop for twenty years. For thirteen of those years, I supervised investigators. So, writing about an ex-detective lieutenant from New York taking a job as a Tennessee police chief allows me to deal with both the professional angle and the current venue with first hand experience.
My first full-length novel in the Sam Jenkins mystery series was published in January 2011, but I’ve had eight shorter novelettes produced as audio books and simultaneously published as eBooks since 2009.
I’ve posted the first 10,000 words of A NEW PROSPECT on www.authonomy.com, Harper-Collins’ author’s site. But because the site wouldn’t accept the edited, justified, and formatted PDF book-block I received from the publisher, it’s shown in a simple Word Document format. Here’s a link: http://www.authonomy.com/books/32632/a-new-prospect/read-b (...)
Excerpts from my audio books may be seen at www.mindwindsaudio.com. My personal website, www.waynezurlbooks.net gives plenty of information about me, the books, and even photographs of the area where the stories take place and a few unpublished short pieces, too.

What is your creative process like? What happens before sitting down to write?

I’m often amazed at the things that trigger a creative inspiration in me. Sometimes, out of the blue, I remember something I worked on in New York and I think I can successfully transplant the basic idea into Tennessee, embellish it, and make a good story.
Like my protagonist, I have trouble sleeping when my mind gets on a roll. Often I’ll wake up at 3a.m. with an idea for a story and for hours, things roll through my mind. In the morning, I try to get all those thoughts on paper and use them at the appropriate spot.
I rely a lot on memory and less on imagination to create a story. My stories are not autobiographical, but between my experience and some interesting current events, I create fiction.
I admit to being fairly undisciplined when I write. So far, I just sit down and go. No outlines to start. Sometimes, in the middle of a novel-length story, I’ll get an idea for a novelette and I interrupt what I’m doing to rough that out. It seems to work for me.

What type of reading inspires you to write?

I’ll list my favorite authors in response to question seven and elaborate on why I like a particular style or trait that would be inspirational, but I can answer this question more generally.
I may get into a book and read a brilliant description of an area or person and think, I should do something similar for one of my settings or characters. I’ve made the Great Smoky Mountains backdrop to my stories and because of the beauty of the area, could easily get over descriptive. The same is true for the colorful characters who wander through my books. Other writers often, in essence, through their stories, teach how to say things with a minimum number of words.
Raymond Chandler used Los Angeles as a major character in his Philip Marlowe series. I like the idea of using Prospect, Tennessee and the Smokies in a similar role.
I once heard Sue Grafton say she feels like a literary chameleon, with her writing often taking on the qualities of the last author she read and enjoyed. I’m sure that happens with a lot of writers—myself included. It’s a way of learning.

What do you think are the basic ingredients of a story?

Years ago I read that with minor variations there are only eleven basic plots in literature. But you have to start with a good plot idea, toss in a few unexpected twists and try your best to dream up a surprise ending. If you can’t come up with a finale totally out if left field, then at least present the reader with a way to resolve the situation they never saw coming. On the way to that important ending, you must create interesting and memorable characters.
A police commissioner I once worked for said, “We’re in the people business.” I wanted my police stories to be more about memorable people than convoluted or complex plots. I think the reader should be able to identify with the protagonist, one of the main good guys, and maybe even the victim. The protagonist must be likable. And for fun, I need a cast of quirky supporting characters. Everyone meets them; life is full of oddballs. I like to give them life in my stories. Amid the occasional horror of police work, there always was a lot of excitement, fun, and humor—sometimes black humor, but something to generate laughs. Real police work was somewhere between Barney Miller and Law & Order on a reality scale. On TV, I think NYPD Blue came about as close to reality as possible. Just forget about clearing a major case in sixty minutes.

What voice do you find most to your liking: first person or third person?

So far all the things I’ve had published are in first person past tense. They’re told by Sam Jenkins in sort of a memoir or reminiscence style. I’d like my reader to think they’re sitting in a restaurant overhearing a veteran cop telling a war story to his friends.
With first person it’s easy to maintain a constant point of view (POV). I’m terrible getting the POV shifts straight in 3rd person. Maybe I should practice more.

What well known writers do you admire most?

Earlier I mentioned James Lee Burke. I think he’s excellent—poetic with his descriptions. Because of his stories, I felt like I knew every humid inch of south Louisiana before ever setting foot there.
The late Robert B. Parker was the master of word economy. He conveyed a story with less verbiage than anyone I knew. This is especially true in his recent series of Virgil Cole/Everett Hitch westerns. I wish I had him to write my query letters.
I’ve also mentioned Raymond Chandler. I loved his hard-boiled Philip Marlowe stories. Chandler came up with a host of exceptional metaphors in every story or book. I’d like my mind to work like that.
Then there’s the other guy from Long Island who writes fiction, Nelson DeMille. He’s able to consistently provide his character, Detective John Corey with almost non-stop cynical smart-ass remarks. Great quality in a cop.
Only one more: Bernard Cornwell. I love all his historical novels. His ability to write a battle scene is second to none. After reading one of his skirmishes, I need a drink.

What is required for a character to be believable? How do you create yours?

Believability is very important to me. I’m not writing fantasy so, I assume my readers expect me to load my stories with believable police characters, authentic details and realistic scenes.
Characters, dialogue, and action should never be over the top, but rather just short of that peak to be credible. I try to base all my police officers on people I knew. Sometimes they’re composites of two or three people. This helps me keep them all within the professional boundaries of what I know to be true.
Bad guys are fun and provide more latitude. I’ve arrested or just dealt with so many people whose behavior really did go over the top. So, I’m confident anything I drum up for my villains is acceptable.
Good dialogue goes a long way toward the believability of a character. It’s essential for each character to have a unique voice. I need to picture a character and come to terms on how they should speak before I can write them. A street cop can’t sound like a girl scout. Chief Sam Jenkins is sixty years old and spent most of his adult life in New York. It’s only logical that he speaks differently than PO Junior Huskey who’s twenty-nine and a native of east Tennessee.
I began writing with the idea fiction would provide me with more freedom than real life. Many times I’d look back at police work and say, “If only I said…” or “If I did . . . things would have turned out better.” An eraser allowed me to have my main character get everything right. Then an editor told me, “Hey, quit making your character perfect. Perfect characters are boring. They’re not real.”
I learned that heroes should be flawed. No one’s perfect. They should have traits that make a reader grit their teeth and wonder why such a cool, smart guy would make a foolish mistake. The answer is simple: They’re human and may be under stress or just looking the wrong way. Human is believable.
How many times haven’t we seen Philip Marlowe or Jim Rockford enter a building without backup to watch what the criminals are doing? They knew better. We didn’t want them to put themselves in danger. They inevitably get caught and knocked on the head. The author created tension and readers like tension. They squeeze their eyes shut and love to see their buddies screw up, only to break free and emerge triumphantly. The A Team did it every week for years. It’s easy to identify with someone who isn’t perfect.
So, I gave my protagonist a few flaws. Read his stories and you’ll be able to pick them out.

Are you equally good at telling stories orally?

I’ve spent a lot of time doing public speaking. I did guest lectures at a police academy for at least eight years. Whether you’re teaching law, police procedures, or talking about your book, you must present an interesting program and keep your audience awake.
Rather than just sitting at a table signing books, I’d rather have an assembled group and speak for a half hour before getting down to business. I tell a joke or two, give them a little information about me and then a few minutes about the book itself.

Deep down inside, who do you write for?

Deep down inside? Honestly: For me. I try to write with the same philosophy I had when I did police work. If I’m satisfied with the end product, I believe I’ve given it my best effort. That doesn’t mean someone else can’t offer suggestions to make it better, but I don’t stop until I feel good about the story and the elements.
I enjoy chronicling a good police story. I think a cop can best tell a police procedural from a cop’s POV, although Robert B. Parker did nicely with his Jesse Stone novels and James Lee Burke does a fine job with Dave Robicheaux. I’d like people to compare my Sam Jenkins stories to those writers’ work.

Is writing a form of personal therapy? Are internal conflicts a creative force?

I’ve always needed some form of creative outlet if I’m not working or traveling. I can’t sit in front of a TV during the day and I can’t relax without something to do. I’d go insane on a desert island. I won’t just lay in the sun and “veg.”
I read a lot, but would rather write and get to see what I accomplish. It’s much easier to stack up manuscripts than finding a place to store model airplanes or oil paintings.
I’ve spent my entire working life as either a soldier or police officer. I’m over conflict, internal or otherwise. I prefer tranquility. If I get an inspiration for a story, I can sit in an easy chair (sometimes with a drink next to me) and write for hours. Screw angst.

Does reader feed-back help you?

Feedback is essential. Either from a reader who buys something I wrote or from the people who belong to the writer’s group where I workshop my stories. When I worked as a section commander, I loved participatory management. Ask people for their ideas and opinions. Then you can implement them or say, “Thanks for your input, but I’ll do it my way.” No one has all the answers, but a good supervisor—or writer—should know where to get them.

Do you participate in competitions? Have you received any awards?

I have entered a couple contests, but never won anything. Two of the best short stories I’ve written were destined for contests I never entered. One fit the bill perfectly, but when I wanted to upload it to the contest website, I found out they required me to join the group for $50.00. I passed. The other was supposed to be a droubble—a story of exactly 200 words. I loved the theme, but I can’t write a Christmas card salutation in only 200 words. The story ended up with 2,600 words and wasn’t eligible. But I loved it and a few people whose opinions I value liked it, too. It was a sci-fi, western, time travel, parallel universe thing. I used the same characters from the Sam Jenkins stories but in different roles. I remember Donald Bellisario doing a few similar things with his TV series Magnum PI and JAG. I’ve always liked the idea.

Do you share rough drafts of your writings with someone whose opinion you trust?

When I finish a piece and print the manuscript, I ask my wife and sister to look for problems, typos, errors, and continuity. Once I correct those, I begin posting chapters to an on-line writer’s workshop. I have a faithful following of good writers. We help each other. They’re a great resource for suggestions and usually find any “nits” that have gotten by me.
Two (or more) heads are not only better than one, in writing (and other things), they’re essential.

Do you believe you have already found "your voice" or is that something one is always searching for?

I’ve been lucky about my writing voice. Even before I knew what I was doing, people in the business complimented me on my voice. They may have bombed me for something else, but they liked the voice. I let Sam Jenkins do the narrative as I would speak. It comes out naturally.

What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.?

I’m in an honest mood. I like your questions, so I’ll admit as far as scheduling goes, I’m an undisciplined lout. I used to be better, but now that my first real book has been published, I must spend a lot of time on marketing. Writing is fun and so far comes naturally. Marketing is too much like work. I’m just a step above clueless about computers and the social media world. But I’m learning and I persevere. My next book, A LEPRECHAUN’S LAMENT, is complete and workshopped so now I just have to finalize it.
I remember Robert B. Parker saying he writes a chapter a day and does no rewrites. That sounded like writer’s Shangri La. If I had an inspiration and didn’t keep going until the thoughts were cleared from my head and on paper, I may never remember what I wanted to say.
I don’t have another job, so only daily chores and family obligations interrupt what I’m writing.

What do you surround yourself with in your work area in order to help your concentrate?

I usually write in our living room, unless we’re traveling and something pops into my head. We live in a cabin-like house in the woods. I’m surrounded by a wall of built-in bookcases, a mountain stone fireplace, a bunch of antiques, and huge brass stag’s head on the wall. It’s easy to relax and concentrate there.

Do you write on a computer? Do you print frequently? Do you correct on paper? What is your process?

I rough out my stories on legal pads and then type them into the computer. I proof read the Word document at least once, but usually miss a lot by reading off the screen. I really don’t like computers. I catch most of my mistakes and make changes after I print out the manuscript. My wife and sister like to read from paper, too. The on-line workshop is, of course, all computer work. After I print out the suggestions I receive, I correct the Word document and print the MS again and get ready for the final edits.

What sites do you frequent on-line to share experiences or information?

I have accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin. Those three get the majority of my cyber-world attention. I also use bookblogs.ning.com, authonomy.com, manicreaders.com, authorsden.com, filedbyauthor.com, youtube.com, booktour.com, stumbleupon.com, authorcentral.amazon.com, smashwords.com, and gather.com.

What has been your experience with publishers?

I don’t have any negative experiences with publishers. After trying the agent query route and getting more than my share of rejections—most without anyone reading one page of my work, I decided to submit to publishers willing to work directly with an author. I received a number of rejections; some with only a brief written “no thank you,” but a couple with explanations why it wasn’t right for them. Then I received a contract and it felt almost too good to be true. No big advance, but a better than average royalty and support for the post-publication tour.
This looks like a fine place to take my cheap shot at literary agents. Every agent claims to be drastically strapped for time. Some are discourteous and never respond to queries, even when stamped envelopes are provided for their reply. I’ve always wondered if someone is so pressed for time, why do they waste some of that precious commodity writing long and senseless daily blog entrees. Most get few, if any, comments from readers. Perhaps someone at Famous Agent’s School should offer a course in prioritizing one’s time.

What are you working on now?

Book number two in the Sam Jenkins series, A LEPRECHAUN’S LAMENT is about 98% finished. In a few days, I’ll be prepared to send out letters or submissions. It’s loosely based on a case I supervised in the 1980s. To paraphrase Jack Webb, only the names are changed to protect the guilty. And I added a beautiful girl or two.
I’m also roughing out another novel that starts with county deputies finding a murdered New York gangster in Tennessee. Jenkins responds to the morgue and learns from a detective that they found a slip of paper in the decedent’s pocket with Sam’s name and phone number. Then characters from his past begin showing up.

What do you recommend I do with all those things I wrote years ago but have never been able to bring myself to show anyone?

It’s a good time to take the stories you like best and spruce them up to the point where you’re proud of them. Everyone knows more now than they did when they first began writing. Recycle everything. Someone once told me, “We don’t have to be good writers, we have to be great rewriters.”

Ask me a question, make a comment, or request my opinion on something:

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