Although I've moved thousands of miles away, we have kept in touch. I read his blog posts on Route 19 Writers, and he's put me up for blog awards.
Dave is a great guy, a super dad, and all round confident, honest writer. He is one to watch.
Below are the questions I asked him:
1. Why did you
apply for the SCBWI grant?
Of course, I wanted
to win the grant, or at the very least receive an honorable mention, but win or
lose I believed the results would provide me the opportunity to see where I
stacked among my peers.
(Lose; back to the drawing board. Win; bask in a bit
of glory.)
On top of that, and perhaps most importantly, the process of filling
out the grant let me focus on my writing by putting together what I hoped was a
professional package worthy of catching an editor or agent's attention.
2. What advice
would you give a writer trying to win a grant?
Then,
review carefully each question and answer to make sure you have not omitted
any, or provided unnecessary information. It's amazing how many words can be
cut from a particular piece. Submit your package and hope for the best, but
don't dwell on what you did or didn't do, or should or shouldn't have done,
while you are waiting to hear the results.
3. Describe your
writing in 5 words:
Fast-paced.
Energetic. Thoughtful. Entertaining. Insightful.
4. Why write?
Where else are the
stories and ideas floating inside my head going to go?
5. What time do you
get up and what do you eat for breakfast?
I always wake early,
or at least have waking early as my goal. My breakfast usually consists of
fresh fruit, cereal and a piece of whole wheat toast.
6. You speak about
your disability, and are currently working hard on trying to walk again. Do
your characters reflect this struggle in your life?
I believe all of my
life experiences have effected my writing and therefore my characters. I would
have to say though that my disability and the extensive therapy I have
undertaken since being injured probably play a more critical role in character
development than anything else I have done, if only a subconscious level.
Daily
physical therapy is so much a part of me that I sometimes find it hard to
separate the two. In fact, I have trouble making it through a day without doing
some type of therapy to help improve, or maintain what I've worked so hard to
achieve.
7. What are your
writing goals for the next 5 years?
My immediate goals
are to polish my manuscript to the point where I feel it is ready to be sent to
various agents, to find an agent who is willing to represent and work together
with me, and of course, to sign my first contract.
If that happens in the
short-term, I would love to see another of my novels picked up for publication.
(I know that would take quite a bit of hard work, which I am willing to do, and
perhaps a bit of luck as well, but it doesn't hurt to dream, does it?)
8. Who are you
reading right now?
Kevin Brooks and
David almond. They're fantastic... can't put the book down fantastic. They are
so unbelievably talented. I can't get enough of their stories and I can't wait
for them to write something new so I have fresh reading material. I've put
another link for a post I wrote some time ago about Kevin Brooks, David almond
and other favorite writers.
9. Any words of advice for newbie writers?
Read. Read. Read.
Write. Write. Write. Rewrite. Rewrite. Rewrite. Grow some thick skin so you
handle the criticism and rejections that will ultimately come your way. Always
maintain a positive attitude.
10. You belong to SCBWI. How has this organization helped
you in writing?
It is through SCBWI
that I found my first writer's critique group and discovered the multitude of
writer's conferences available to me. I took advantage of the resource library
they compiled, now in PDF format, before I submitted my material. And of
course, without SCBWI there would not have been a grant for me to apply... Or
to win.
11. Do you still belong to a critique group? If so, why?
Absolutely. They are a
crucial part of my support structure. They are my ears and eyes and my sounding
board for everything writing.
12. Who is your biggest cheerleader?
My wife is my biggest
cheerleader in everything and anything I do. My children are close behind, as
is my father and my extended family, which includes all my writer friends.
13. Is there anything that is a MUST have on your writing desk?
There is nothing that is a must have on my writing desk,
however, I would find it very difficult to write without the software program
installed on my computer called Dragon NaturallySpeaking. It's a voice
activation software which allows me to write without actually touching the
keys. You can check out a blog I wrote on this subject at the following link.
14. Will you be seeking an agent or will you go directly to
publishing houses?
As I've mentioned
before, I will be seeking representation. It is so difficult to garner access
to publishing houses without representation. Plus, if I am fortunate enough to
land an agent I believe I will be more able to focus on writing. I believe an agent
will know the market and know exactly which houses to send my manuscript.
15. The query letter: Love it? Hate it? What’s your take on
it?
The query letter is
definitely not my favorite to write, but I've come to believe it is as equally
important as my manuscript. When we submit our work, we have such a small
window of opportunity to catch someones attention that it has to be perfect,
polished, concise. With that said, I've been working on mine to try to make it
as perfect as possible. I hope that once I send out my material I will quickly
get responses... Positive responses.
16. What one word best describes you?
Persistent.
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