|
 |
newsletter archives
September 2006 - Interview with Max Elliot Anderson:
We had received e-mail from this author in regards to last month’s newsletter. His story was so interesting, that we thought we would share it with all of you. Max has a great deal of experience writing manuscripts and publishing books and has shared a great deal about his own experiences in this interview (along with some great advice).
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My primary profession is video production. Up until 9/11, I produced a number of promotional video programs and commercials for my clients. Much of that went away after 9/11 as marketing budgets dried up. I grew up in a family of seven children. My father owned a film production company and I hung out around the studio from a very young age. In fact, I was actually “killed,” while riding my bike, by a hit-and-run driver. But…since the film was being shot in black and white, all of my movie blood came out of a chocolate syrup bottle. I shot Liam Neeson’s first feature film, Pilgrim’s Progress.
I was always interested in visual communication. My father also was the author of over 70 books, yet I grew up hating to read. The fallout from 9/11 gave me the opportunity to explore why I didn’t like to read, and I found some amazing patterns in the hundreds of books I researched.
Based on those findings, I set out to write the kinds of books I would have liked as a child. In the space of about three years, I completed 34 manuscripts of action-adventures and mysteries for readers 8 and up, especially boys. Seven of those have been published. These include Newspaper Caper, Terror at Wolf Lake, North Woods Poachers, Secret of Abbott’s Cave, Big Rig Rustlers, Mountain Cabin Mystery, and Legend of the White Wolf. Each story has completely different characters.
What made you change from being a reluctant reader to a writer?
The interesting thing is that I never thought of myself as a writer. However, I’d been writing video proposals, scripts, and commercials for nearly 30 years. I just didn’t think of it as writing. To me it was just one of the steps I had to do in order to sell video production projects to my clients.
Reading is still not my favorite activity. When I tell people that, their jaws drop open. But I was convinced that I could write stories that kids would love. My books are filled with dialog, humor, cliffhanger chapter endings, and heart pounding action. Even though I first intended them for reluctant reader boys, these books are also widely enjoyed by avid boy readers, girls, and even adults. Kids tell me that reading one of my books is like being in an exciting or scary movie. I like that.
What advice do you have for individuals dealing with unenthusiastic readers to change reading habits?
Make your writing as exciting as possible. Write dialog that’s believable. One way to do this is to read your dialog out loud and see how it sounds. Often you’ll say to yourself, “Hey, nobody would ever talk like this in real life.” Then you change it. If you’re writing for children, let them read your manuscripts. When I started, I sent manuscripts to families all over the country. The feedback was incredible, and helped me to know I was on the right track.
If you’re a parent, try reading a book out loud, in order to get your children interested in the story. Many parents have told me they did this with my books, and the kids couldn’t wait to find out what happened in the next chapter. That’s when they began reading the book on their own.
Hooking kids on reading can’t happen early enough. Parents should monitor their child’s TV and computer time. Then balance those elements to make sure the reading gets done. Some children will never enjoy reading; that’s a fact. But we have to try, both at home and in our schools.
Do you write your books with this target market in mind?
Definitely! When I began, I actually visualized that one, reluctant reader boy, and I wrote only to him. I discovered later that I was actually writing to myself. I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from parents, telling me that it was one of my books that was the first one their child had ever read all the way through. Here’s a sampling of this:
- “I can't believe it.... as the concerned mother of two struggling readers...who is also the daughter of a children's librarian ... I think I have purchased EVERY book recommended for reluctant readers HOWEVER, they have ALL fallen short UNTIL today. We were able to purchase Newspaper Caper...and we're hooked!!!"
- "This year, we started with your Legend of the White Wolf. The students are already finished with it. Our school only planned on using three of your books for the whole year. Now we’ll have to buy more titles.” - Teacher
- "At last we've found something that will interest him in reading."
- "Oh, these are THAT guy's books...thanks, Mom!...I want to read them!"
- “The final lights out came at 9:30pm and he complied and shut the lights out and "went to bed". It was later that we found out that he grabbed his flashlight and under his covers finished reading the book that night. What can a parent say to that behavior? After searching for interesting books for him to read we finally found books that he couldn't put down.”
Find nearly 50 pages of reviews http://www.maxbookreviews.blogspot.com
As you have written so many manuscripts, was there a time when you encountered writers block? And if so, how do you overcome the problem to motivate yourself?
I never have. In fact, it’s all I can do to make myself stop when I’ve come to the end of a writing session. In the case of Legend of the White Wolf, I didn’t stop, and finished the first draft in three days.
I’ve taken a break from writing, having finished the last one in March of this year. Since then I’ve been concentrating on marketing, publicity, and searching for a larger publisher who can take my work to the next level in the market. The problem is, I can’t wait to start writing again. I have at least 12 action-adventure stories ready to start, a fantasy trilogy, and a couple of picture books.
I realize that writer’s block is very real for some writers, and I sympathize with them. From what I’ve heard, it can be quite painful. What I do, when I’m ready to start a new book, is to sit down with a mini-recorder, and tell myself the story. I transcribe those notes and put them in a folder. I never look at them until the manuscript is finished. Every time, I’ve been amazed that none of the important information has been left out.
Using this technique, you immediately know if your story has a beginning, middle, and an end. You also know the plot. When I write, I keep props around that remind me of the setting. I play mood appropriate music for the scene that’s being written. I don’t work to an outline. Rather, I like to let the story unfold as I write. Then at the end of each session, I take a post-it note and write at the top, “next.” Under that I write a couple of lines to prompt me as to what I would have written, had I continued with the session. It’s been very helpful.
What advice would you give to other fellow writers? And readers?
I think readers have a tough time sifting through all the possibilities out there. The Internet has lots of sites and information to help. Reviews on places like Amazon or Barnes and Noble are helpful. Then, once you find an author you like, you can look for more of his or her work. I notice that people tend to buy all seven of my titles, once they discover the first one.
For any writer who doesn’t know it already, this is a tough business, and it’s getting tougher every day. Readers are declining. Sure, the blockbusters would make you think that all is well, but it isn’t. Within this environment, over 200,000 new titles came out last year alone. This is repeated year after year.
We’re losing the independent bookstore. In the same way that the corner grocery stores, or the independent gas stations have been replaced by giants; the same is true of independent bookstores. The business is driven by the best sellers, leaving little or no shelf room for the rest. This has also caused the author to become the primary promoter of his or her work. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that there are a lot of smaller publishers out there. The Internet is growing rapidly as a viable source for buying books on sites like Amazon.com and others.
The most important thing is this. Nothing can hold back a great story. So sit down and write great stories.
Any additional comments?
Anyone who reads this interview, and discovers that an adult, reluctant reader is now writing adventures and mysteries that are connecting with young readers, can see that there must be hope for others. I am the very last person who ever expected this to happen. I never thought of myself as a writer, and even fought off the notion for quite some time. If a person like me can find a place in a market like we now face, then there’s reason for others to hope.
Bookhitch would like to extend our thanks to Max Elliot Anderson. If you would like to know more about Max, or take a look at some of his books then visit http://www.maxbooks.9k.com.
**********
Did you like this article? Let others know! Add it to:
Digg.com |
Reddit.com |
del.icio.us |
StumbleUpon.com
**********
Back to the Archives
|
|
HOME
ABOUT US
FAQ
ADD BOOKS
ADVERTISE
NEWSLETTER
YOUR VIEWS
LOGIN
CONTACT US
|
|
|
