Gilbert Interviews STRUGGS author, Brad Hecht

                                                            

When you attend any writer’s workshop or conference, you meet lots of interesting people including other writers, publishers, agents and presenters. It was during one of the Philadelphia Writers’ Conferences that I just love attending each year that I first met the very talented and personality plus writer, Brad Hecht and we’ve been friends ever since. Brad has his first book out, called Struggs and he was kind enough to be a guest on my blog.

Marie Gilbert: Thank you so much for taking this time to tell us about your book, Brad. Before we talk about the book, tell us a bit about you.

                                                              

Brad Hecht: Well that’s a tough question, I was born somewhere between the mid 1960’s and the late 1980’s the month and day I remember, December 13^th, the year, well now you have me on that one.

I am married and I have three amazing children. I still can’t believe that someone would let me be a father. It’s funny in the United States we need a license to go fishing but children, heck anybody can have one of those.

I have been a sportsman and a reader my whole life. Hockey, mountain biking and Jet Skiing being my passion, while reading and writing being my love.

As far as reading I never remember a time where I did not end the day with a good or sometimes a horrible book in my hands. The first book I ever read was Sidney Sheldon’s Bloodline. I was eight years old. Although that was not the type of book an eight year old should be reading, Sidney Sheldon and Harold Robbins were the only books we had in our home. I also learned at a young age that third person omniscient were the types of books that I liked best. I found that first person books were too limited.                                                                   

I have been taking writing class for as long as I can remember even back to grade school. I remember an incident where my second grade teacher (Mrs. Baker) made me write a scary Halloween story. I of course, wrote the whole story in third person. The teacher made me rewrite the story to first person. I did what I was told and received and A+ for the story. On my way home from school, I took my time and ripped the whole thing up. Unfortunately, Mrs. Baker had called mom to tell her to read my A+ story.

My mom walked me all the way back to school and made me retrieve all the ripped pages. When we got home the second time, I was forced to tape all the pages together so my mom could read the story. When my mom was finished reading the story, she agreed with me that the story was better in third person. My uncle a few years later read my story and asked if I did a book report on John Saul’s Suffer the Children. My mom immediately bought that book for me and I was amazed that our stories were so similar.

                                                                              

Marie Gilbert: Brad, tell us what your book is about.

Brad Hecht: STRUGGS is written for adults as well as young adults. It’s a fast paced, character-driven action/adventure story. STRUGGS Takes place in the year 1775. The book is a coming-of-age story for five quirky orphans ranging in age from 13 to 15 years old. By chance, these orphans meet two Irish privateers who risk everything to help them. Can these orphans and privateers work together to beat the British and save the Patriot cause? This is how it is written on my book cover:

               John is a 13-year-old boy who stumbles into the opportunity to fight for the Patriot cause. He is clumsy and has a knack for messing things up. Is someone like John capable of helping Henry Knox bring the cannons from Fort Ticonderoga to the Boston Heights? Melba is a 15-year-old girl with dazzling fencing ability, can she use her skill against British-trained soldiers? Red & Knuckles are impressed sailors stuck working as lowly ship-hands for the British navy. Can they escape to become privateers for General George Washington’s secret navy? O’Neil is a former British naval officer, former pirate and one of the best ghost storytellers on the waves. Would he help a nation with no navy? These are only a few of the courageous characters in STRUGGS.

                                                               

                                                                                                                              

Marie Gilbert: What was the inspiration for STRUGGS?

Brad Hecht: The inspiration for this book was my own death. I wrote this book while I was dying with cancer. I wanted to prove to my kids that ‘no matter where you are in life you can always achieve.’ I wanted to write a book about life’s lessons without writing life lesson number 1, life lesson number 2. So I weaved lessons into each character and every few pages, they aren’t difficult to spot but you do have to ask, why did the author write that? If you just read the book you will enjoy a good story. If you read ‘into’ the book you will see the messages I wanted my kids to learn.

               Well anyway, luck or fate was on my side because I lived. Best of all, I will be able to call myself a former cancer patient on May 12^th of this year.

Marie Gilbert: I’m so happy for you, Brad. Since we met at the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference, I wanted to know if you felt that writers’ conferences are helpful when writing a book. What did you gain from attending the conference?

Brad Hecht: YES, attending a writer’s conference is wickedly important. Most writers will say hanging around with other writers is important, but it’s really the knowledge you gain that is most beneficial. For instance, what should the protagonist’s age be on a Children’s book, YA book or a Teen book? What should their page count be? What are the ‘Common Core State Standards’ for New Jersey? These are three questions I bet most writers don’t know the answers to.

Marie Gilbert: How do you go about marketing your book and has this been successful?

Brad Hecht: The first thing I tried was Facebook that was a failure I think I sold three books via Facebook. Twitter and Pinterest were a waste of time also, finally I went to the BookExpo in NYC that was helpful. Then I called libraries and schools and sold a bunch more that way. Finally I started interviewing and blogging. My first month on Amazon I sold around 80 books and downloads which made me number one in my category. It’s been selling nonstop since November of 2013.
                                                                 

Marie Gilbert: That is so exciting. So tell me, are you working on another book?

Brad Hecht: Yes, I am working on my next two books, one is a coming of age set in 1777 at the Battle of Saratoga. The other is in present times and is a thriller/terrorist and action/adventure story.

Marie Gilbert: Thank you so much for being a guest on my blog, Brad. I’m looking forward to reading STRUGGS.

If my readers would like to learn more about Brad Hecht, you can find him on Facebook. His book can be purchased from Amazon

.

Interview with the Amazing Patti O'Brien, Editor

                                                                                

Besides being a fellow member of the South Jersey Writers Group and a friend, Patti is also my editor. Patti has a few other feathers in her cap including: journalist for The Courier-Post, South Jersey's largest newspaper; columnist for The Newsweekly in Moorestown, N.J.; technical writer for the Navy; taught creative writing to hundreds of high school students as a Honors English teacher, and as an instructor at the Summer Institute for the Gifted (SIG).

In her role as journalist, Patti interviewed professional athletes Michelle Kwon and Tara Lipinski right after they won Gold, along with actors, such as, Vanessa Redgrave, Donald O'Connor and Dawn Wells. But the night she spent at the Philadelphia Art Gallery at the request of Joseph Barbera (The Flintstones) was very special. She not only got her interview, but also saw his original cels from the cartoons.
                                                                                

If that wasn't enough, Patti worked in Public Relations and Marketing, and for a short time was Kelly Ripa's boss.


So with great admiration, let me introduce you to Patti O'Brien. Patti tell us a little bit about yourself

Well, I am a mother, a teacher, a writer, an editor and a friend. Oh, and a pretty good chorus girl when I put my mind to it!! I used to do Community Theater and made many great friends onstage. Now, I sing karaoke and my new passion is Flash Mob dancing! I just participated in my first one at a wedding in Philly—and I’m hooked.

When did you discover your love of writing and who was your inspiration?

I don’t actually love writing, I’ve just always been able to do it easily. I won my first award—a big trophy with my name engraved on it—when I was in first grade; the contest was mandatory for all the first, second AND third graders, so it was pretty exciting to win over the bigger kids.  I got to attend the PTA meeting—at night!—and had to walk up through the whole room (the cafeteria) to get the trophy. When I turned around, my mother’s entire table, which included several nuns, was crying because I was so small they couldn’t even see me walking up. Of course, I started to cry, too, even though I had no idea why!

At the 2012 Philadelphia Writers’ Conference, I was a top winner with three awards, and that was just as exciting! It’s nice to be acknowledged for your work.

I didn’t grow up thinking about being a writer, but as soon as I read JD Salinger, I knew that I would never be as good as he was, but I could try. Today, Pat Conroy is my go-to writer: like Salinger, he knows how to write an exquisite sentence and just drop it into a paragraph like it’s nothing special. No italics, no bolds, no pull-out quotes for emphasis. I don’t know any other writers who do it as well.

If I could pick what I was good at, it would be singing. I’d rather be Barbra than Hemingway. True story.

 When did you begin editing and what do you offer your clients?

I have been editing as long as I’ve been writing. I believe I’ve gotten A’s on every essay test I’ve ever taken because I write clearly, succinctly and correctly. It’s just the way my mind works: I see mistakes and I know how to fix them. It’s a blessing and a curse, of course, because not everyone wants to know about his mistakes! I try hard to hold my tongue when I can, but it’s tough.

Now, I edit other people’s work and I have to tell you, it’s an honor when someone trusts me with her manuscript or web content. I can help anyone write anything, but my passion and joy is to help writers achieve their dreams…it’s an awesome job. I follow my clients and support them in making their pieces clean and polished; it’s a long, sometimes arduous task, but I love working with the writers. I also do freelance work; I know I can help any writer make his work better, I always do. It’s a point of pride for me: go ahead, make a mistake. I’ll find it, I promise. And along the way, I will suggest how to make your dialogue ring true, your prose flow, your characters interesting and real. As Stephen King wrote in On Writing: “When you write a book, you spend day after day scanning and identifying the trees. When you’re done, you have to step back and look at the forest.”  

I look at the forest and chop away the dead trees. I’m a lumberjack.

What are some of the common traps that new writers fall into and how does giving their manuscript to an editor help a writer succeed in getting their book published?

There are many, many rules for writing. Too many. And I think writers spend an awful lot of time trying to make their stories fit those rules. Look, rules are fine to be used as guidelines, but we’ve all read the classics that, if they were to be pitched today, wouldn’t make it past the agent’s desk. There are all kinds of ways to write a book; in fact, I suggest finding a new way! Do it brilliantly and you’ll get noticed. But as everyone knows, you can’t really edit your own work; you just don’t have the objectivity needed. Get an editor and she will show you what you may already know, but don’t have the heart to admit. She will show you where the problems are and make you go back and fix them, even when you don’t want to. Think of it this way: if your editor doesn’t think it’s good, neither will an agent or publisher. Your editor is your first professional reader and she has nothing but your interests at heart. Although critique groups can be helpful, getting a dozen opinions from other fledgling writers is not always the best way to go. Pay a professional, you’ll get what you need.

What is the difference between proof reading and the developmental editing that you offer?

Good question! A good editor cannot help but edit as they proof, but a proofreader is really just looking for mistakes: typos, incorrect punctuation, misspelled words. An editor looks at the whole story: plot, dialogue, flow, truth…as well as mistakes. I recently changed a large company’s motto on its brochure because I thought it could be better. A good editor sees everything and tells you about it so you can decide what to do. A proofreader fixes errors. When I have my way, I edit, then hand it back to the author who fixes it and hands it back to me for a final proof. Editors don’t always get to see what’s done after they work on it, but I like to have that last look.

What advice can you give a new writer?

Listen to your heart. Write what you know. Get an editor. Enjoy the ride.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you so much Patti for visiting my blog. Everyone can find Patti O'Brien on these sites:

http://www.editingiseverything.com  (for info and testimonials)

                                                                

http://www.pattiobrien.wordpress.com  (This is for A Broad Abroad)
 

                                                                      

that pic is my first night in Dublin with my first ever Guinness! The other pic is my "brand" photo, lol.

www.toopoopedtopop.wordpress.com  (about Salicylate Sensitivity)

 

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/patricia-o-brien/37/4b8/235/  

  (good place to go for my experience and recommendations)

 

http://pinterest.com/pattiob/

  
(I have 72 boards and lots of great pins!)

 

An Interview with Uriah Young

                                                                       

 

Last week, I attended the Philadelphia Writers Conference along with several members of the South Jersey Writers Group. I wrote a blog about the experience.  One of the workshops that I had signed on for was Novel Character and the instructor was the Author Solomon Jones. He had asked the class to describe a character from our own manuscripts that we were working on. When Uriah Young described the character from the novel he’s hoping to publish; all chatter and noise ceased. We were all ears; the description that good. I asked Uriah if I could interview him and he graciously agreed. So, with great pleasure, let me introduce you to a very talented young man, Uriah Young.

                                                                     

Tell us a little bit about yourself, Uriah.

 

My personality goes like this: I try to listen more than I talk, produce more than I consume, and give more than I take. Though I take my profession (teaching) and my craft (writing) seriously, I take myself lightly. Biographies are the books I love to read, along with mystery novels. I love the thrill of competition (chess, hoops, Taboo) but can throw myself into Lionel Richie mode in an instant: easy like Sunday morning'.

When did you realize that you wanted to be a writer?

In 2008, I was mourning the death of my mother and tried everything (legal) I could to escape the grief I felt. The only thing that could take me away was a book I borrowed from the library called Freefire, by CJ Box. His plot was so entertaining and his characters were so compelling, I was able to escape my dark days and nights through the portal of his imagination. Freefire's plot distracted my emotions and helped me get through a very difficult period. It was this book that made me want to write something that could make a difference in someone's life. 

 

What inspires you to write?

I am inspired by the emotional connection I hope to share with readers around the world. In my book, March Gone Wrong, I want people across the globe to absorb the message of humanity and solidarity I have to share. 

 

Tell us a little bit about your book, characters and a little of the plot.

My book takes readers through the dramatic events of the historic Memphis Labor Strike of 1968. From the perspective of two very different protagonists, the plot is driven by a heated dispute between the garbage workers' union and Memphis city officials.

A Negro garbage man and a Jewish college student have to navigate through a hostile time period of racially charged riots and political conflict. If James Wheeley, the garbage man, joins or avoids the labor strike, his family's situation seems ruined either way. So what does he do? If Marty Rosenthal, the college student, can't pass his sociology class, his law school dream is shot. How does he recover? As fate would have it, the two are in a position to help each other, but how are they linked? What's at stake is more than just their personal goals and the labor dispute; when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. comes to town, the complexity of the strike changes, as tragedy and despair gradually converge on Memphis. 

What inspired you to write this story?

Two things inspired me to write this story. The first was an experience I had when I was 20. In college, the student activities department at Hampton University invited Dr. King's daughter, Yolanda King, to speak on campus. There, she spoke about her life and career, but she also shared what it was like growing up with such a great civil rights leader as her father. After she spoke on stage, we were allowed to ask her a question, and I made my way to microphone. Standing in front of her, I was a little nervous but ended up asking her a question that made her dig deep for a response. The answer she provided left an indelible mark on me to this day. (If you want to know what I asked her, visit  http.//www.marchgonewrong.com to watch a documentary I filmed)

What else inspired me? I really wanted to tell the story about an unfamiliar group of people whose story is powerful. I had some knowledge about the garbage men in Memphis who Dr. King came to offer support to, but I really did not know their story. So, I researched what transpired in 1968, and I was inspired to create a plot and characters that could give life to the story of the Memphis sanitation workers. Their bravery and sacrifice just astounded me. Also, Dr. King's dedication to the strike embedded in me what his legacy was all about. The combination of the virtues that were demonstrated that year made me want to produce a riveting story.

 

What Author’s works, living or dead do you like to read?

I am a big fan of Richard North Patterson, C.J. Box, and Stephen King.

What advice would you give to a young person who is interested in writing?

I would recommend that they read Stephen King On Writing and How To Grow a Novel (by Sol Stein). Also, I would tell them to read as many books as they can to discover different writing styles and techniques.

 

Do you belong to a writer’s group?

Yes, I am an active member of Pennwriters.

What other stories are you working on?

Right now, I am so focused on March Gone Wrong that I cannot devote time to another novel. I don't have enough water to spread to other seeds; I am watering this seed so what grows from it can be healthy and durable. To stay sharp, I am writing short stories and submitting them to magazines.

                                                                           

 

 

I want to thank Uriah Young for sharing his thoughts with everyone and you can find him on

www.marchgonewrong.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some hints for new writers like myself

 I had mentioned in my last post, how much I enjoyed attending the Philadelphia Writer's conference. The instructors were amazing and gave some great advice. One of the instructors, K. Simmons, gave the workshop on Novel plotting. Here are some suggestions that helped me and hopefully will help you.
1. Give the reader a character, they will enjoy, even if they don't like that character.
2. Take the character on a journey.
3. Give the character something they want.

K. Simmons gave us a guide to help with our novels. She called it "Sailing the 7 C's of Story Plot"
1.Combustion-creating a premise of interesting characters, and high stakes at the beginning will create a natural flowering of your story.
2.Coordination--getting the action, voice, and premise to go together.
3.Conflict--creating conflicts between characters to fuel the plot.
4.Characters--make your characters believable. Character has to grab the reader's attention from the beginning.
5.Conclusion--wrapping up the plot in a satisfying way.
6.Complettion--Too many plot points? Know when the plot is done.
7.Commitment--Where is the story coming from and are you being true to the story.

Does your story have tension? check conflict and combustion.
Premise:
1. Where are we?
2. Who is the lead character?
3. Who tells the story best?
4. What do they want?
5. What needs to be said first?
6. Why should we care?
7..Where are we going?

I'll have more on my next blog.