Drew: I always write in order. I don't skip around.
If I skip around too much, sometimes it's a pain for me to try to stitch things
back together afterwards. Other than that, I put my shirt on backwards and eat
exactly 3 pieces of Twizzlers before opening a manuscript. Yeah, I'm a weird
guy.
Paul: What types of books
do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors? Why?
Drew: My favorite all time author is Dean Koontz,
because he writes books that I occasionally have to put in the freezer. Also
because he tries to intertwine a love, and hope in his stories, something I
also try to do. I also recently discovered Lee Child, whom I'm enjoying
immensely. I generally read thrillers, science fiction, and fantasy, not
necessarily in that order.
Paul: If someone had the
power to step into your creative mind what would they see?
Drew: Most likely a jumbled mess with very little
structure, little bits and pieces of ideas floating around. Me with a butterfly
net trying to catch them.
Paul: What is a typical day
for you?
Drew: I get up, let the dogs out, make coffee.
Coffee is the single most important part of my day. Two cups and I can sit and
write for hours. Any less than that, my attention flags. Some writers wait
until after they've written to do the usual checks on email, Facebook, etc. Not
me. I do them all first to get them out of my system. Maybe this belongs under
the ritual question.
Paul: In all the years
you’ve been publishing your work, what is the biggest mistake you made that you
could share so others can avoid making it?
Drew: Well, in all the -ahem- months that I've been
publishing, I'd say my biggest mistake has been not building my brand before I
got started. Get on twitter, start following people, talking sharing. Start a
blog. Do these things BEFORE you get published. That way when your book comes
out, you're ready to go. This is something I had not heard of before I started
publishing. If you've already published, then get on it! It's never too late to
start.
Paul: How do you find the
time to write?
Drew: That's easy. I'm currently unemployed.
Paul: What is one thing
you hope I do not tell the readers?
Drew: Don't tell them about the time I went out drinking the night
before and woke up at home with my pants around my ankles, covered in puke, and
have no idea how I got there. I never tell anyone that story.
Paul: If you are self-published, what led to you
going your own way?
Drew: Like most writers, I always wanted to be
published the traditional way. When I got laid off from my job I decided to
start writing full-time while I did the whole job search thing. During that
time, I discovered Joe Konrath's blog and started reading it from start to
finish. At some point I realized I could eventually make more money if I
self-pubbed, so I went with it. It's been an amazing experience.
Paul: Do you plot your
stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?
Drew: I generally do a little bit of both. I like
to try thinking the story all the way through, or at least have a general idea
of what the ending will be, but I don't always know. When I do outline, I don't
adhere to it religiously. If it takes a turn I didn't expect, I go with it and
see where it leads. Sometimes it leads to deleting some writing, but sometimes
it takes the story in a whole new direction that was even better than I
thought.
Paul: Do you do a lot of
editing or do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?
Drew: I have found that my writing is more fully
formed. I have an awesome editor in the form of my wife. I turn each chapter
over to her as I write it, and she picks it apart and gives it back. As we've
gone on, there's less picking, so I must be getting better. Never underestimate
the power of the wifey.
Paul: Do you have to do
much research for your stories?
Drew: That depends. I did extensive research on
guns, mainly because I have a concealed permit and carry every day. The
question of silencers and suppressors always comes up, so I dedicated a blog
post to guns in general. What research I do just depends on what the book calls
for. I usually just write until I reach a point where I need to know something.
Then I do research.
Drew: My most recent novel is called Confessor.
It's about a guy who has cataracts over his eyes that normally would have
blinded him. He also has this unique ability to see souls, and that gets him
into all sorts of trouble.
Paul: What inspired you to
write this book?
Drew: I've always had a love hate relationship with
religion and faith in general. Over the years I've come to view things a bit
differently than most religions teach, and I wanted to explore those in a book.
Also, I just wanted to write a story about a guy who has a pretty awesome
power, but isn't a superhero. I grew up reading comic books, and the stories
that always stuck with me are the ones where the hero is reluctant, so that
played a big part in writing this one.
Paul: Do you also write any
poetry, non-fiction or short stories?
Drew: I do write an occasional short story, I have
one for sale called Traces, which is a precursor to Confessor. I have a couple
other written that need editing, and then they too will be published. I don't
really write poetry, but I'm also a musician, so I've written tons of songs,
both the music and the lyrics. I guess those are sort of poetry.
Paul: Do you have any
pieces of work that will never see the light of day?
Drew: My first novel. It would need a lot of work.
I wrote it when I was nineteen, and it took me almost 2 years to complete. In
my mind though, it was more a learning experience than anything. When I
finished it, I knew I could actually write and finish something. But it's just
too terrible to put out there.
Paul: How much marketing do
you do for your published works or for your ‘brand’?
Drew: I'm still quite new to the marketing aspects,
so I'm learning as I go. Recently I've learned a lot from you, especially where
twitter is concerned. I'm still in the process of setting up a process, if that
makes any sense.
Paul: What’s your favorite / least favorite aspect
of your writing life? Has anything surprised you?
Drew: My least favorite thing is probably the
marketing. I've always been a writer, I'm most comfortable when I'm hammering
out stories. I'm least comfortable with networking, but I'm getting better at
it. My biggest surprise came when I learned my wife could edit. I took it for
granted that she would be interested in my work. When I finally let her read
one, she ripped it apart, questioned every last thing. It was exasperating, and
exhilarating.
Paul: What do you do when
you’re not writing? Do you have any hobbies or party tricks?
Drew:
For a minute there, I thought you said turn tricks. Which I don't,
I swear. You'll never see me on the corner of 14th and Main. I've got a ton of
hobbies. I play piano, guitar, sing, shoot guns, reload, kill plants (my idea
of gardening) and next year I'm going to try raising chickens for eggs and
meat. Should be interesting. As far as party tricks go, I do one that involves
a sock, a bar stool, a bottle of ketchup, and a bra. You should see it. It's
great.
Paul: That was wonderful. I wish you every success for the future.
Drew's Blog: Drew Merten
Drew on Twitter: @mertendrew
Drew on Facebook: Drew Merten
Drew's latest book: Confessor (Amazon)
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