I love to read. Unfortunately for me, I simply don’t seem to have enough time for it these days though! When I read a book I like, I am always intrigued by the author and what drove him or her to write. That’s why I’m excited to share this interview with you. I hope you enjoy!
When/Why did you start writing?
For the last thirty odd years of their lives, my parents lived in the small South Texas town of Schulenburg. On one of my regular visits from my home in Houston, I took the occasion to sit and watch a movie with them. I can?t tell you the title of the movie, or even what it was about, but I can tell you that the ending was particularly unsatisfying for me. As the credits rolled, I couldn?t stop myself from blurting out, ?I could have written a better ending than that.? I remember my mother looking across the room at me with one of her ?I thought I raised you better than that? looks then asking me, ?Well, why don?t you??
That wasn?t exactly what I expected her to say, and as I sat there trying to think of something clever to reply, the only thing that came to mind was, ?Well, maybe I will.? Within a few weeks I began scribbling notes for what would be my first book, ?The Second Verdict?.
Life has a way of drawing you into its current, and before I knew it ten years had passed and the book, although completed, was not what I considered finished. That is to say it still wasn?t what I wanted it to be. Several more years would pass before it reached that point. And although my mother’s words ignited a passion in me that lives every bit as strong today as it did the day I began writing, my one regret is not completing and publishing that book before she and my dad had both passed on. Somehow I?m sure they both know, and hopefully they see a little bit of themselves in me from their vantage point.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I took some flying lessons while I was writing ?After the Fact?, the story about an airline pilot whose struggle with mediocrity took him to lengths he never thought himself capable of. Before any lessons can begin, every prospective student is taken on an orientation flight to make sure they really want to spend a hundred and forty five dollars an hour learning to fly. I have to admit, the minute I pulled back on the yoke and the wheels left the ground, I was hooked.
Although there’s not a lot of free time in my life right now, the occasional deep sea fishing trip with my son, and the odd day spent by the pool with my wife is more than enough to keep me happy.
Have you ever been inspired by another author? If so, who?
I?ve always admired Stephen King, not only for his creativity and imagination, but for the dedication he has to his craft. Whenever I start feeling sorry for myself, I re-read the biography portion of his book, ?On Writing?, and I?m immediately reminded how good I really have it.
Where/When do you feel most comfortable writing?
I have one room in my home that is dedicated to writing. A modest oak desk that my dad bought when we lived in Ireland sits against a wall decorated with an old photograph of his Air Force graduating class, and my mother’s high school diploma (class of ?41). This is the only place I write. It just seems to work here. Afternoons are always the best time for me to turn my thoughts into words. I live in Texas after all. If the temperature isn?t in the triple digits in the afternoon, it must be December.
Is it hard to let the characters go once you complete a novel?
It is. Throughout the course of the story, they become a part of your day to day life. As a writer, you create them, and then when the book is finished, you let them go. It’s kind of like sending your kids off to college except there’s no tuition. I can see the attraction of writing a series of books around one central character.
One of the things that surprised me most about writing fiction is that the characters tend to take on a life of their own, and don?t always end up being exactly who you intended them to be. For me, this has always been a good thing. You get to know your characters intimately during the course of the story, and to some small portion, they become a part of you as well. I am currently writing a sequel to my first book, ?The Second Verdict? and enjoying being re-united with some of the characters.
Sometimes the villains are just too good (or perhaps too bad) to come and go in one book. For them, the end may provide a means for them to slip away unnoticed until the next story. Not an absolute, but a possibility.
Where does your inspiration for a story come from?
I get my best ideas while I?m driving. I know it sounds strange, but give me the vibration of the road and a little jazz playing softly in the background, the story will always play out in my head, along with many of the answers that may have escaped me while I sat in front of the computer. Inspiration is where you find it. I always keep my eyes open once I?ve painted myself into a corner. Being a mystery writer, I find myself there quite often. I remember struggling for weeks trying to come up with a creative and original way to sneak a hand gun onto a commercial airliner while writing, ?After the Fact?. On a lay-over in Cleveland, while I was waiting for my connecting flight, the answer walked right past me. It appears in the book just as it did that night.
Connect: You can connect with Mark Shaver through his website and MS Mysteries on Facebook.
