Q. How long did it take you to write this novel (A Season in Lights)? Was it longer or shorter than it took to write your others?
A. All three novels came together in very different ways. I wrote the first draft of this novel in 2015, but set it aside for a while. Then I thought it was done and ready to publish a couple years ago, until COVID forced me to re-think it. What is now Act III of the novel, I wrote over about three weeks in a burst of inspiration in March of last year, just as events in New York City were developing. A first draft sometimes needs to sit for a couple years and often changes quite a bit before the finished book goes out into the world.
Q. What’s your favorite thing about being a novelist?
A. As a novelist, I have the freedom to explore ideas about the world and people in ways I might not otherwise have the courage to do. I like to challenge both my own perspectives and those of my readers. I believe that in many ways, you can say more in fiction than in non-fiction. I always feel that my mind is opened up a little more after writing a novel, and I hope readers can say the same thing after reading one of my stories.
Q. All three of your novels have female protagonists. Why did you make that choice? Do you find it challenging, as a man, to write female characters?
A. Oddly, I actually find it easier to write female characters than male characters. Hard to say why that is, but I’ve decided to embrace it. Ultimately, when writing a novel, you are always going to need to write characters vastly different from yourself. I think a sense of empathy is necessary for anyone to be a good writer. Empathy allows you to get into the head of characters very unlike you, whether it’s because of gender, race, sexual orientation, or even someone from a different time period.
Q. Who are some other authors you enjoy reading?
A. I seek out authors whose characters are unforgettable, and whose stories can make you laugh and cry at the same time. A few of my favorites are John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway (although his female characters are a bit one-dimensional), Jeanette Winterson and Richard Powers.
Q. What have you learned from your debut novel to this, your third novel to be published?
A. I’ve learned to take the time to enjoy the process, and not to worry so much about parts of it that are outside my control. It’s fun and exciting to publish a book, and I’m able to appreciate that more on this third one.
Q. What advice would you give to aspiring novelists?
A. Be a storyteller. Don’t worry about anything else at first. Don’t try to be too perfect. Just tell your story. Once it’s down you can polish it, edit it, work on all the other stuff. But I hear so many people say they have a story to tell, but they’re either afraid or shy to just sit down and do it.