About Rich Fogel:
Emmy Award-winning writer/producer Rich Fogel has worked in television animation for over 30 years. He has written for many popular shows, including The Smurfs, The Flintstones, Muppet Babies, Pinky & the Brain, The New Superman/Batman Adventures, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Transformers: Animated. Over the years, Rich’s writing has won many honors, including two Emmy Awards, a Prism Award and a Genesis Award. In 2005, he was also nominated for a Writers Guild Award for his work on Justice League.
What inspires you to write?
I’ve always been interested in mythology — the stories that we tell each other that illuminate our views of the world around us. I enjoy examining the foibles and contradictions that are ingrained in all of us — our lofty ambitions and grubby pettiness, our infinite generosity and selfish cruelty, our astonishing intelligence and gob-smacking stupidity. In other words, all the things that make us so very human.
Tell us about your writing process.
I’m a kinetic writer; I tend to do a lot of pacing and moving around while I think. I will play and replay a scene in my head until it feels right, and then I’ll leap to the keyboard and try to capture it before it vanishes into the vapor. I’m also a strong believer in outlining, provided that it doesn’t restrict the characters from breathing and living. Also, I need to know my ending before I can start. If I know where I’m trying to go, then I can enjoy exploring lots of interesting detours and side paths along the way. I think of it as a journey with a clear destination.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
You know that your characters are truly alive when they start to say or do things that surprise you. Many times, a line will come out of left field, and I’ll wonder, “Where the heck did that come from?” When I’m working on a show like Batman or Superman or Justice League, I’ll have lots of action figures all over my desk for inspiration…or at least, that’s what I tell myself. Maybe I just like playing with toys!
What advice would you give other writers?
Write because you have something important to say. Don’t try to copy what everyone else is doing. As a writer, your personal experience is unique. If you write from the heart, you will find your own voice and, hopefully, connect with your audience.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
After years of writing for networks and big companies, where I had to address tons of notes and “suggestions” to fit into a specified format, I wanted to create something that was more purely mine. I was also looking for a new challenge, and the result was “A Diamond in the Rough”. Writing a screenplay is very objective — you only work with what can be seen and heard. Writing a novel is much more subjective — you go inside your characters’ minds to understand how they feel about what is happening around them.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
This is an exciting time in publishing, because new technologies now allow anyone to publish a book — even you or me! All of the barriers and excuses are things of the past! But as Stan Lee famously said, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” It is your responsibility to publish something of intelligence, substance and value.
What genres do you write?: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fantasy
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Link To Rich Fogel Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on other site
