I have done what I can to answer the most commonly asked questions of me. Since I write both fiction and non-fiction, some of these questions require multiple answers. The easiest way to accomplish that was to answer as myself and as Remington J. Crockett, whose answers you will see in orange. All of RJC's answers will apply to my fiction writing as my pseudonym is used exclusively for that genre.
Where the heck have you been?
LOL. I have heard this question quite often in the months since my new books have come out and my new blogs have begun to post. It is an easy answer - I took a hiatus to be a dad! When I became a budgetary victim of the newspaper business I took some time off to decide where to go with my writing career. While that decision was getting made, I was able to spend many enjoyable hours being home with my wife and kids. Then the pandemic hit and everyone was home. Let me tell you, I will be forever grateful for the year we all had to spend at home. It was awesome! Most parents can only dream of getting to spend time with their kids like we got to. We forged relationships in a way no other generations have been able to.
Once the pandemic sorted itself out however, and my wife was back to work and my kids were back to school, I found myself with a lot more time on my hands. I began putting new books together. It has been a couple of years of hard work, but you will now see both fiction and non-fiction work from me, the first book being published in late 2024 with three more to follow in 2025.
It was nice to have some time off, but it will be equally nice sharing my work with ya'll again!
For how long have you been writing?
All my life. Some of the short humor stories published in my outdoor collections were written as far back as the 6th grade. They've been polished and honed in the thousand years since, but writing in general has been a life long pursuit.
In fact, my joy of writing and storytelling quite literally saved my sanity while I was stuck in the hospital at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for a year. I was medevac'd out of Iraq nearly two decades ago because of a traumatic brain injury. It took almost a full year to learn to walk, talk and function again. When one is stuck in a bed all day for weeks on end, there are very few ways to pass the time.
One of the positives to having all that time on my hands was being able to branch out into non-fiction writing. Up to that point in my life, writing had always been a hobby for me. I stuck to writing fiction because research time was not something I had a lot of. I am quite grateful for the career path it made available to me when the Army was no longer an option.
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How long does it take you to write a book? A short story?
My time frames very wildly. I have written short humor stories in twenty minutes and columns which should take twenty minutes are poured over for three days.
The fact of the matter is there is no set time frame for the creation of quality writing. There is no guarantee a book written over the course of four years will be any better than one written in a month and a half. As a writer and author I strive for quality in my work above all else, regardless of how long it takes to complete. Managing time becomes very important when up against a deadline for a newspaper column or manuscript, but like everything else in life, just don't leave things to the last moment. Although one should never underestimate last minute panic as a source of inspiration.
I never pass up an opportunity to write. When an idea presents itself, I make sure to get it written down. I never go anywhere without a notebook or a pad of paper. It may be old school, but I like to handwrite my ideas before typing them up.
Have any events in your stories actually happened?
Of course! Publishers tend to get cranky if your non-fiction stories didn't actually happen!
All of the material for my non-fiction titles, like Pete's Juice, Not Just A Hunt, and others, as well as the material for my newspaper columns, comes directly from my own life and experiences. In the case of newspaper columns, trusted and verified sources have also been used from time to time.
Of course not! I would like to think when folks read the absurdity between the covers of my short humor collections they will recognize the humor and satire for what it is. I also recognize people cannot be counted on for such things these days, so for you folks here is an example.
Think to the storyline of Corn-Fed Venison. I was in fact bellied up to a bar when a good friend of mine suggested roping a doe, penning it up, and getting ourselves some corn fed venison. That is where reality ends in that story. It is where reality ends in nearly all of my short humor writing. In the others, reality never even begins!
How do you come up with your ideas?
Nearly all of my ideas come from my adventurous, well-travelled life. From the time I became mobile on my bicycle until I settled down and got married years later, I never passed up an adventure. Those adventures are the jumping off point for much of my writing.
I travelled throughout North America, wound up in the Middle East while in the army and explored every place I could in-between.
My wife and family and I have barely slowed down since then. Mix, twist, and mold my real life travels with a twisted and moldy over active imagination and what you have is a recipe for delightful-to-read stories!
Same goes, with one addition. Whenever I find myself in an interesting location or am patiently waiting somewhere for something to happen, I think to myself, what is the most absurd thing that could happen right now to liven up this experience? More often than not it becomes a humor story and finds its' way into one of my collections!
Would you consider using real people as characters in your fiction writing?
No. I can barely tolerate using real people in my non-fiction writing.
Are your charecters based on real people?
Not only are my characters based on real people, they are real people. In all of my non fiction work the people written about are just as real as you and I, and the experiences we've had. Names may have been changed to protect those who didn't want to be mentioned, but the people are very real.
The short answer to this question is not really. I have two very good friends I grew up with in the woods and on the waters of Central Wisconsin. Some of our adventures together are represented in my work, but the characters in those stories are very unlike the actual people in my life with whom I shared the adventures.
Often times the characteristics of my real life friends are combined and intertwined with one another to create the characters in my books. Cousin Butch is a perfect example.
I do in fact have a cousin Butch. Other than that, he bares no resemblance to the Butch in my stories. My actual cousin is ten year's older than I am. We didn't spend time together while I was growing up. By the time I was old enough to do anything interesting, he had already graduated high school and was in the army. Ours is a relationship established much later in life. We now spend a lot of time together every fall, especially during the gun/deer season in Wisconsin, but as kids we were simply too far apart in age. We have always wondered what kind of nonsense we would have gotten up to though, and those are the stories which delight readers.
Are there any writer's who have inspired you?
This is an extremely long list. The truth is, I can find inspiration in any writing if I look hard enough. Some of the most profound writing happens when we least expect it. There is no telling which words will have an impact on somebody. The simplest phrase in a post on Facebook can be just as impactful as an entire book written by a classical author.
If I were forced to chose an author though, I couldn't. I can, however, choose two. I would have to go with Nathaniel Hawthorne and Harper Lee.
These two authors provided to me the two most inspirational pieces I have ever read. I imagine you are all familiar with "To Kill A Mockingbird" and Lee's famous character, Atticus Finch. If you are not, shame on you - stop reading this and go find yourself a copy of her book, or at the very least stream the movie. Gregory Peck portrays Atticus brilliantly.
It is not hard to imagine a desire to be a man of principal like Atticus Finch. I am hardly alone, nor special in having found meaning in that book. I just hope my own writing and own life comes close to matching that model.
As for Nathaniel Hawthorne, his short story, "My Kinsman, Major Molinouex" has been the single most impactful piece of literature in my life. It is a wonderfully written story, with in-depth characters and a message that still stands today. I won't spoil the ending for you, but if you haven't read it, well, see above - and now click here.
What do you say to some one who doesn't like your work?
This is a question I get quite often, and usually from other authors. It puzzles me that people think everyone should like their work. I certainly don't enjoy everything I read, it would seem silly to expect others to be different.
So, when some one doesn't like what I have written, I simply thank them for having read it. As a general rule you can't please everybody. In fact, an author who tries to do so will end up losing their own voice. An author's voice is what makes their work unique and special and should always be protected, which is why I never allow myself to be bothered by the folks who don't enjoy my work.
I make sure my writing is done well, my stories logical and well thought out, well put together, but when it comes to the source material, it isn't for everybody and that's fine.
Most writers write for themselves first and foremost, myself included, and we all have our critics - it comes with the territory. As is the case with every other aspect of my life, I pay no mind to the negativity which occasionally crosses my path!
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