About Richard Skorupski:
Richard Skorupski grew up in an outer suburban town in South Central New Jersey, in an area almost equally distant from New York and Philadelphia. He left home for a career the Navy and stayed away for twenty-one years before retiring in 1993.
He returned from the Navy to buy the house where he grew up. Ten years later he moved to South Dakota and retired again.
Using money from on-line sales and his Navy pension, he lives on a hobby farm with his wife Cheryl and enjoys the peace and quiet that comes with rural living.
Richard loved the rural lifestyle and can’t help writing stories about it.
What inspires you to write?
Living in Rural America has a unique flavor. There is a culture here that is nearer to the mores and attitudes of the fifties than the new millennia. It is a culture I cherish and wish to expose. Over the years I have been blogging and writing articles for local publications. On my novels, I write about where I live now from the perspective of an outsider.
Allow me to introduce to you the town of Helen, South Dakota. It I a purely fictional place, A creation of my mind, if you will. I use the people of Helen to show what middle America is and why people are attracted to this less chaotic lifestyle.
I hope you enjoy reading about the Webers, the Ogdens, the Stanbauers and the rest of the cast of my town in Flyover County,
Tell us about your writing process.
I write as I see it in my mind. I do not outline. It’s more fun to watch the movie and put what I see on paper (on screen).
I have tried to outline in the past and have become stuck in trying to follow faithfully the guide I set. Naval Aviation has taught me to follow instructions to the letter and not deviate. I do this now by habit. This may be a good practice when working around heavy machinery of any kind, but it is not helpful when writing a book. No deviations make for dry reading.
So.. I write ’em as I see ’em, and let the story go where it wants to go.
A famous talk show host uses the phrase “Talent on loan from God.” Some people think that’s arrogant. I think it’s giving thanks where thanks is due. There are days when I sit down to write, and I don’t have a clue. I let my fingers do the walking and follow the inspiration I get. From God? Who knows, I think so and so I’ll give Him credit.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I do have a personal relationship with my characters. I listen to my “mind’s eye” and write what I see. The characters are real to me, and I do my best to make them real for my readers.
What advice would you give other writers?
Don’t give up. I started three books before finishing one. Put your hands on the keyboard, think about the story and type.
Let it go where it wants. Don’t steer the story, let your characters drive. They story is there, lust let it tell itself.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I have always had a desire to write a book. Frankly, I think there is at least one good book in each of us. This is not my first time at bat. I have buried in my past three unfinished novels that just would not work out right. I gave up on the idea for years.
Over the past ten years or so there has been a Print on Demand and E-book explosion. With it, the opportunities for independent authors abound. I knew it was the time to get serious and get writing again.
I chose to stay as an “indie” because I like control. I also decided to publish as an indie because, frankly, Bantam Books and Doubleday are not banging on my door.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think the major publishing houses are soon to bygones, like the TV repairman and the video rental store. They are not willing to reach out and take a chance on a new author. Their stodgy, set in their ways, attitude will be their death knell.
E-books and talking books are the new standard. They have already surpassed the print market. They will soon dominate and leave the print folks behind.
I sell print books, but I sell a greater volume of e-books. Handheld readers and phones will rule the day for the next generation of readers (or listeners).
What do you use?: Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: Country Living, Family Values, Rural America
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Richard Skorupski Home Page Link
Link To Richard Skorupski Page On Amazon
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All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
