When John Spencer rode his Indian pony down the main street of town, he didn't expect much of a welcome, but it didn't matter that much, for he wasn't planning on staying that long. Within an hour of his arrival, he had a price on his head, the army had a warrant for his arrest, and there were bounty hunters on his trail. And if that wasn't enough, there were those who were willing to pay any price to make him stay, and others who were determined to make him leave regardless of the cost.
As an avid reader, I never learn enough about my favorite authors. There is a surprising amount of us in everything we write. Here are some questions that I have been asked in a number of interviews, and each of them will tell you something about me.
Who is Joe Prentis?
I think people spend all of their life trying to discover who they are. It starts out with family members trying to teach us to print our name, and then progresses to the stage where we hold up our hand in a classroom at roll call. Employers want to see our resume, which is supposed to tell them something about us. There are courthouse records, medical records, and tons of stuff spread across the globe in an effort to place each of us within an understandable category. I like to think that we are more than a name, and more than a label. I am an American, the husband of a wonderful wife, with a successful and adorable daughter. I worked for the FBI, I was a Protestant Minister, and worked for many years for Tenneco Cooperation. I am currently retired, living in a small village, and I am writing full time. I hope that somewhere among all of the pigeonholes there is one that will fit me. I am still searching and I think that is what life is all about.
How long have you been writing?
I love that question and I never get tired of answering it. One of my sisters taught me to read before I started to school. The story was Sammy Jay and it had a very unsatisfactory ending. As soon as I learned to write, I started scribbling in the margins of the book, searching for a more pleasing conclusion. I read a lot, but couldn't seem to leave the plots alone. I was constantly trying to find meaning in the most mundane events. When I was in the 4th grade I wrote an adaptation of a novel, and with the aid of the teacher we produced the play at school. Later in the same year, I wrote a poem. Our school librarian was a friend of Carl Sandburg and she presented the poem to him for his evaluation. Mr. Sandburg said that it needed more work. I was young enough that I thought there was a complement hidden somewhere in his observation. From plot to print, every writer is haunted by what they should have said. As long as we view writing as a process that 'needs more work,' progress is a possibility.
My first sale was to Reader's Digest in 1980, and was a very heady experience. I have written around 70 stories and articles that have appeared in print, plus eight novels. I guess the short answer would be that I have been writing all of my life.
You are currently working on a series about the Middle East. Where did you get the idea for this suspense series?
Would you believe me if I told you I actually don't know? I grew up around people who had an insatiable appetite for knowledge. I have always read a lot, and I continue to have an interest in almost everything under the sun. The idea for a book sometimes leaps into my mind in a way that is uncanny. I am sure a lot of it comes from the many things I read, plus the things I find of interest. I read books and magazines on archeology and history. I suppose the idea began to grow many years ago as I thought about the conflict between the three great faiths. Stir in a little political unrest, plus distrust, anger, and growing problems with the world's economy, and you have a book that will almost write itself. After I started gathering information, I soon discovered that I would not be able to include all of the interesting things in one book. This is where the idea of a series was born. I am now at work on the third book of the series and having the time of my life.
What was it like to see the first book in the series finally come into print?
I am not sure there are enough words in the English language to describe a moment like that. It takes many months to put a book together, not to mention the research, the actual writing and rewriting. I think it is a combination of all of the milestones in my life embodied in one climatic experience. Think about when your son or daughter walked away from you on that first day at school; how small they looked and the mixture of anxiety and pride. Thank God I had the time and the inclination to start writing on the second book in the series. Writing can be a painful experience, but it can have a healing effect as well.
What is your ideal writing setting?
I have an office with bookshelves extending from floor to ceiling. I keep the blinds closed, the radio off, and I don't answer the phone. If I need to take a break to look something up, the reference books are handy. If I sit too long, I occasionally step on my treadmill and walk for a while until the story pulls me away again. I like it quiet, I like to be focused.
What is your greatest joy when penning a new story?
I enjoy the process of creating new characters. There are two types of books; character driven and plot driven. At some point in the process of collecting information, my characters start to come to life. By the time I start plotting the story, the characters are already fully formed. Many very good writers do the opposite. They have a plot and then create the characters to populate their new world. I don't think this would work for me. Once I have a vague idea of what I want to write, the characters automatically come to life. They are real to me, and the challenge--and a whole lot of the fun--involves making them so real the reader they will think they are reading about a living person. It is my ambition to create characters as real as Scarlet O'Hara or Captain Ahab. As I go through the rough draft, my characters will sometimes evolve in surprising ways. By the time I have finished a book, I have this eerie feeling that if I turned my head fast enough, I might find them standing behind me looking over my shoulder.
How do you handle frustrations?
I don't have any frustrations in the actual writing of a book. The frustrations start when I finish the manuscript. This is where you have to wrestle with the endless details of the marketing process, and this involves a number of people. All of them are specialists who have ideas of their own. Sometimes their ideas are better than mine and I have learned how to compromise. Someone once said that only a fool will refuse to change anything, and only a hack will agree to go along with every suggestion.
Who is your greatest champion?
This being a discussion of the writing process, I assume you are asking about people who are influential in the field of literature. I admire anyone who can write a good book, but there are writers who have paved the way in creating new kinds of literature, or who find a fresh way to tell a story. There are several writers who have done this in a variety of ways. One of the writers I admire the most is Barbara Delinsky. She writes novels about ordinary things, but few writers can capture and sustain the drama she produces. One of her books might involve no more than a divorce, but by the time you finish, you will have experienced the event in a way that is palpable. Delinsky never resorts to melodrama, but her characters suffer and you will suffer along with them. James A. Michener was one of the best writers at creating memorable characters and placing them in lifelike situations. Historians have actually included some event from more than one of Michener's novels into their books. You have people like Linda Fairstein, Robert Harris and Stephen King. Each of them continues to push the finish line further out in new and exciting ways.
Writers read a lot. Would you mind telling us what are you are currently reading?
I don't watch television very much, so I have some time to read. I usually keep a couple of books going at the same time. Right now I am reading The Blue Zone by Andrew Gross, who has written several novels in partnership with James Patterson. I am also reading the The Grapes of Wrath for probably the 20th time.
What's next for you?
I am currently working on some short stories involving some of the characters from my novels. This is a way to fit some of my characters into a situation that doesn't involve a longer work. I am also hard at work on my next novel, which is the third book in my series about the Middle East. I have several books in various stages of completion. I have just completed a suspense novel called the Antaeus Factor. I can do a lot of constructive work on a novel, but at some point the plot takes fire and I find my characters shaking me awake at daybreak urging me to get on with the story. Did I tell you that I am having the time of my life?
What about hobbies, or do you have time for them?
In a younger life, I was an avid bicycle rider and runner. I still do both, but at a more leisure pace. I also love to tinker with electronic devices, and I do a little woodworking.
I am a failed artist, and I satisfy that itch with computer graphics. Writing makes it necessary for me to schedule my time between my hobbies and my writing.
Where can we find you on the Web?
The link to my blog is listed below. I post at irregular intervals after I observe something of interest that I think other people might want to read about. I love to hear from readers and I welcome anyone to contact me by email.
Joe Prentis
http://www.prentisatpickwick.blogspot.com
