One on One Wednesday: Brett Williams

One on One Wednesday between Keira Kroft and Brett Williams

 

Keira: You have a story coming out though Gallows Press entitled From Murky Depths. What is that about?

 From Murky Depths about a troubled man looking to be a Good Samaritan after massive flooding hits Southeast Missouri. David Miller trolls his boat to help people in a tiny neighboring town. There he finds houses and businesses constructed on stilts, the town unscathed, pasty-skinned denizens unfriendly. However, David befriends a local couple on the outskirts of the town, and unwittingly becomes part of an epic struggle between good and evil—a struggle that will leave him questioning his faith…if he survives.

Keira: Is writing your only talent?

Heck no. I’m a pretty good cook, too. I’m pretty mean with a George Foreman Grill.

Keira: Where in the Hell did you find time to write?

Sometimes it’s tough. You’ve got to make time. And when you can’t make time, don’t beat yourself up too bad, if it’s not that often. In fact, I’m looking forward to my upcoming schedule change at my day job. I’ll be returning to a four day, ten hour shift again. That should help.

Keira: Why are you a writer?

The more I read, the more I want to write. For me, the two go hand-in-hand. I guess I just want to put a little Brett flare on the types of stories I like reading, as well as writing the more of the kind that are hard to come by. Plus I get stories stuck in my head. Writing is the only way to get them out.

Keira: If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor?

Richard Laymon, without a doubt. That man could spin a tale. He plays with his readers, screws with them. Reading a Richard Laymon tale you know that guy was having a blast. I have fun writing my stories, and I want my readers to have just as much fun. So I suppose he has taught me a thing or two. =)

Keira: How many hours a day do you dedicate to writing?

It varies widely. The minimum I can write is an hour—and that’s pretty tough. I typically start by rereading (editing) what I wrote the day before. I believe that helps with pacing.

Keira: Do you use a particular writing method?

You want me to tell all my tricks, don’t you? Ha ha… Just kidding. Not sure if it is a bad habit or not, but I do tend to count words. I think that helps me with pacing, too. I’m dead-set against writing a character sheet. I keep reading that writers, especially new writers, should write a character sheet. Bullshit. You got a character sheet written up, the first thing you’re going to be tempted to do is info dump. Yep, you’ll take a big ole crap right in the middle of your story. You don’t need to know much more than the basics about your character until the time comes. Your character stumbles across an M16, then you decide if your character retired from the military or lost a relative in the war. Maybe her older brother taught her to shoot while on leave. Who knows? A good writer shouldn’t, in my opinion, until the time comes. Characters develop much more organically that way.

Keira: What time of day, do you write best?

When inspiration hits! Although morning is better. I believe writer’s block is just a form of stress. If you run errands, meet with your kid’s teacher, etc. before you write, you are much more likely to get things on your mind besides what you are trying to write. At least that is how it seems to work for me.

Keira: Please share a particular detail about one of characters, please.

Typically I write a sex into my stories. In From Murky Depths I didn’t really do that. In fact, the protagonist, David Miller, is on the outs with his wife. Had the flood not hit, it’s very likely they would have separated. That’s one of the reasons he goes to help the people of Clayton, to delay following his wife to St. Louis.

Keira: What advice would you give to an unpublished writer?

Keep reading, keep writing, keep improving. Cast a somewhat wide net with your submissions until you find a market that works for you. Meanwhile, network with readers. One avid fan with good connections can make a world of difference.

Let’s get personal…

Keira: What is your favorite food?

A great cheeseburger.

Keira: What is your favorite Smell?

Freshly washed hair.

Keira: If you could change one your physical feature? Would you? What would it be?

Longer legs.

Keira: What is your favorite favorite animal?

Dogs. I’m a real dog lover. That’s one of the main reasons I wrote Family Business, a novel that aspires (and does a fairly well job, if I may say so myself) to put the atrocities of puppy mills in human terms. Coming soon from Gallows Press.

Keira: Do you have pets?

Yes. A miniature schnauzer named Fritz. He turns 13 this month.

Keira: What do you consider a household staple?

Tabasco sauce.

Keira: What are you reading?

I just finished Red: My uncensored life in rock by Sammy Hagar. Amazing book. This dude shows that you’ve got to have business sense to build a career, not just talent.

Keira: Can you share your blurb with us?

Brett Williams is a writer who hooks the reader from the first sentence and holds that interest until the last.  With Williams, you are guaranteed to be entertained.

—Mark Allan Gunnells, author of Sequel

You can find Brett Williams at:

Brett Williams Fiction
Brett Williams on facebook

You can find From Murky Depths at:

Amazon.com

Keira Kroft

www.keirakroft.blogspot.com