It’s finally here. It took some time but I have finally completed my interview with Tom Pawlik. He really is a great guy and it was a pleasure getting his insight on creativity and publishing. It has got me very excited and motivated for today, the first day of Nanowrimo!! Without further ado, here is the interview.
I became a huge fan of yours about a year ago when I picked up Vanish.
1. That was your first published book right?
TP: Correct.
2. For those who haven’t read Vanish can you give a brief synopsis?
TP: Three strangers encounter a mysterious storm and awake the next day to find that everyone else on earth has apparently disappeared. Eventually their paths cross as they try to determine what is going on. Things go from bad to worse as they discover other beings watching and pursuing them from the shadows.
3. Take us through the process that you went through to get it published.
TP: The real key for me was my involvement with the Christian Writers Guild. They run a contest every year with Tyndale House Publishers called “Operation First Novel” specifically designed to help aspiring Christian novelists on their way to publication. “Vanish” won the contest in 2006 and my first contract with Tyndale proceeded from that.
4. Are there any earlier works prior to Vanish that you attempted to publish?
TP: My first attempt at a novel is a book titled “The Way Back” which has not yet been published. It came in 2nd place in the 2004 Operation 1st Novel Contest. Tyndale has expressed some interest in it but want to wait until I get a little more established first as an author.
a. If so, what was different about those experiences to Vanish?
TP: Coming in 2nd place in 2004 got the interest of my agent, Les Stobbe who began shopping that novel around to other publishers. Unfortunately, no one wanted to publish it.
b. Did those earlier works differ in style or genre?
TP: Yes, “The Way Back” is more of a coming-of-age novel… though it does incorporate a large alligator and is pretty suspenseful as well—just not in the same vein as Vanish.
For me, a Mystery asks What happened? How did we get here? On the other side Suspense asks what’s next, what’s going to happen? I think that is what I enjoyed the most about Vanish is that you don’t know what’s going to happen but that’s because you spend most of the book not sure what has already happened.
5. How do you further a story like that where you don’t spoil it too early but you give them enough to stay interested?
TP: It’s not easy. It requires some detailed outlining before hand so you know where you’re going and how much to reveal. You also want to try to lead the reader down alternate paths of thinking, which also means figuring this all out ahead of time. Let your characters get to a point where they think they have a working theory and then add something that totally throws them off base. Obviously it’s easier said than done but if you get it right the result can be highly effective.
6. In your writing, what comes first characters, or basic plot?
TP: Plot. I think in the thriller genre you can’t spend much time lounging around in your characters’ heads because you have to keep moving the story forward. Having said that, if your characters are too flat you’ll have a hard time getting your reader to invest any emotional capital in the story. So, for me it’s 70% story 30% character. Other genres are exactly the opposite. But I have no interest in those genres.
7. For you what are the most effective writing elements besides dialogue that you use to paint the entire picture, and set the right atmosphere?
TP: Writers sometimes rely too heavily on visual descriptions. Those are important but remember that readers have 5 senses. So don’t forget to describe the sounds, textures, smells and if possible the taste in a setting and not just sight. For example a particular smell could illicit powerful memories in your character because the olfactory sense is tied into the memory center in the brain. So describing a smell is a good way to lead into a memory or flashback that could help flesh out a scene more vividly for your readers.
Your second book was “Valley of the Shadow”, a sequel to “Vanish”. It seemed to me even though it involved the same characters the style and atmosphere seemed very different. I think perhaps that with “Valley of the Shadow”, the reader at least knows the “what happened?” part of the story. It becomes even more about the individuals than the whole “What is going on?” of the first book.
8. Am I right?
TP: I would agree. The characters had already been developed to a degree so they became more central to the plot.
9. What do you see as essential in character development? How do you make a character believable and relatable?
TP: Well that’s the million dollar question. I think I’m still working this out myself as a writer. To me character development is about making the character ‘feel’ real to the reader. I personally don’t like to muck around with a lot of internal dialog and thinking. I’d much rather develop them through their actions and external dialog. After all, this is the way we get to know people in real life. I like to think about character development like developing an old-fashioned photograph (in the old days our cameras used this thing called “film” that actually needed to be developed.J). If the film didn’t stay in the chemical bath long enough it would be dark and hard to see the image. So that means, how clearly can readers see your characters in their minds’ eye? If you don’t provide enough information about them, they may seem fuzzy or lost in shadows. I also think you can also ‘overexpose’ a character by getting in their heads too much. In which case they may not feel like real people either.
So in my mind a character is comprised (in order of ascending importance) by
a.) physical appearance
b.) idiosyncrasies and flaws
c.) personal history
d.) dialogue and actions, and
e.) desires, goals or dreams.
Flesh these things out well and I’d say you have a pretty good character.
10. Do you do a lot of note taking and research before you begin writing?
TP: Not an exorbitant amount. I typically research as I need the info while writing.
a. If so how do you keep that organized? In folders or software?
TP: I’m not nearly that organized. I sometimes download articles or files from the internet.
11. Do you use a particular software in your writing? Have you ever seen/used Scrivener?
TP: Nope. Just Microsoft Word.
12. What is your ideal writing environment?
TP: In a hammock in the shade on the beach. Barring that, in my easy chair at home, late at night after everyone else is in bed.
Let’s go back to the business side of writing.
So as a published author I imagine that you have a group of people you are contact with throughout the writing process.
13. Who are these people and what exactly do they do?
TP: A literary agent will take your manuscript or proposal and submit it to the publisher—typically to one of the acquisitions editors. The agent will be the one to negotiate and give you feedback on a contract. If you get a contract based on the proposal (synopsis and sample chapters) the publisher asks for a timeline on when you think the book will be completed. During the writing process, I worked with my acquisitions editor on occasion to give her updates on my progress.
14.Can you define the roles of publisher, agent, and editor for me?
TP: Your agent represents your interests and tries to get you the best deal possible with the publisher. He should also know what pitfalls to avoid and can give you tips on the proposal etc. Les, my agent, is a great mentor who is happy to get as involved as I want or need him to be. He’s a great source for advice.
Stephanie Broene is my acquisitions editor at Tyndale. Les submits the proposals to her and she shepherds them through their internal publication process. I’ve been working with Stephanie on all of my books so far. She’s my main contact at Tyndale and provides general feedback on the story etc. We will at times schedule a call to discuss the progress and specific plot ideas.
15. You are currently in the revision phase of your upcoming book “Beckon” what does revision detail?
TP: ‘Beckon’ has run into a little snag. Tyndale felt the characters needed a bit more polishing before they could accept the book and move it into the editing phase. So we had a conference call to discuss their concerns and what changes I will need to make. As a result, I have more writing to do and they pushed the release date off to September. This was rather discouraging for me but it’s all part of the business.
a. Is there someone who edits your content for you?
TP: If and when the manuscript is finally accepted, Stephanie will bring in the line editor (not sure of the exact title) who will go through the book more thoroughly. I’ll be working with Sarah Mason again on ‘Beckon’. She edited ‘Valley’ and also helped on ‘Vanish’ so she’s familiar with my genre and style and has been great to work with. I’ll have a conference call with both Stephanie and Sarah to go over their feedback and then Sarah will start work on the editing phase.
Once Sarah finishes the changes and I do any additional rewriting I need to do, it moves to the final, copy editing phase where they get a fresh set of eyes to re-check for spelling, grammar etc. I typically don’t have contact with those folks. This is the last phase prior to getting published.
16. What are the most effective ways for marketing your book once it’s on sale?
TP: Blog tours and interviews like this one are probably most helpful. Book signings typically don’t get as much exposure for newer authors like me.
17. How much of that marketing falls on the publisher, how much falls on you?
TP: Tyndale sends me a marketing plan for the release which includes reviews, interviews, blog tours, industry publications and magazine ads. They manage most of that but encourage me to be as active as possible in my own promoting efforts. I have a website and Facebook page where I try to connect with readers. Last year I ran a contest to beef up my email list. I feel like there’s a lot more I can do but I’m still working full-time and have a wife and 5 kids to support so it’s hard to fit it all in.
18. Are book tours something a publisher puts together/ pays for or is that the author? TP: Not sure if novelists do many of these anymore. I think blog tours are the wave of the future.
19. How should a new aspiring author determine who to submit a manuscript to and what format should it be submitted in? I’ve heard everything from start with submitting just an outline, to send a full printed double spaced unbound manuscript with an outline.
TP: It is difficult these days. Many publishers only accept submissions through literary agents. And even with an agent it is difficult. My agent shopped two books around for 2 years before I got my first contract. And when I did get the contract, it was through the Christian Writers Guild contest. When I submit a proposal, it includes an overall synopsis, a chapter synopsis and three sample chapters. It also includes some marketing data: what types of books or stories compare, who is your audience, what can you do to help promote it etc.
20. Any additional advice for aspiring authors?
TP: It’s a very competitive market out there. Unpublished authors must be prepared to invest considerably in their dream. This means not only money but time and effort. I highly recommend the Christian Writers Guild for aspiring Christian writers. Regardless of your goals – novelist, nonfiction, magazine articles etc. They have excellent correspondence courses and critiquing resources to help you gauge where you are on the ‘publishability spectrum’.
Plus, the Operation 1st Novel Contest is a great way to get your work noticed. Four out of the last five winners have gone on to get additional contracts with Tyndale. Also most of the winners (including me) had submitted entries more than once. So while you may not win the first time around, rethink, rework, and re-submit. You may win in a subsequent year. CWG is a first class Christian ministry and I can’t recommend them highly enough. Membership only costs around $150 per year and is well worth it.
I also recommend attending a writers’ conference in your area. CWG puts on one of the best each February in Colorado. Check their website for details. It might be a little expensive but it gives you a chance to take some workshops and connect directly with publishers and authors.
Finally, be willing to accept criticism, take advice with an open mind. Stay objective about your talent and ability level. Some people are naturally gifted writers, but writing is also a skill that can be learned. And be prepared for the long haul. Getting published takes time. I started seriously pursuing my writing dream in 1994. I finished “The Way Back” in 1997 and didn’t get my first contract until 2007. And from what I’ve heard this is a pretty typical timeline.
21. Can you give us a synopsis of the new book?
I really appreciate you do this for me. It is really exciting for me.
Some of these questions are great research for the book I plan to start next month.
The story involves an author who submits someone else’s work as his own. His father is the owner of the publishing company. His internal conflict is that their relationship is very strained and the author struggles to earn his father’s love and respect and He defines himself by his career and public opinion. Just as he feels he has accomplished this goal of reconciliation, the truth of his plagiarism, threatens his career and that relationship when the real author comes back to claim his work.
I was really looking to define the roles most involved in getting an author’s book onto the shelves. It will certainly help me shape some of the characters in the book into more believable people. Thanks.
TP: This sounds like a compelling plot with great potential conflict. My best wishes as you write this. Keep me posted on your progress!
It was awesome getting to speak to an author whose books are on my shelf at home. It is great to get insight from someone who is experiencing the type of success that I hope to have one day as an author. I am looking forward to his upcoming release “Beckon” which will be out later this year.
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