About Scott Nagele:
Scott Nagele grew up in the Mohawk Valley of New York State. He now lives in Michigan with his wife and three sons. Scott’s writing has been published in Berkeley Fiction Review and other literary journals. His novels are: Temp: Life in the Stagnant Lane, A Housefly in Autumn, and Wasted Moons. He is also author of the short story collection, A Smile Through a Tear. When he is not writing, he goes off to earn a living. Scott also blogs about his experiences as a writer and a father.
What inspires you to write?
I have stories to tell. I’ve always loved a good story. At a young age I discovered you don’t have to always be the listener to stories. Sometimes you can tell your own. Since then, I’ve always wanted to tell a better story. It’s a sort of addiction. I say “sort of” because it’s harder work than it seems like an addiction should be.
Tell us about your writing process.
My writing process is haphazard. I have one full time job, two blogs, and three young kids. I write when I can, spreading my creative time between blogging, novel writing, and all the extra stuff that comes with publishing and marketing your own books. I don’t outline and I make few notes. I write from the storyline in my head, then revise, a lot. If I can add an interesting scene while ending the manuscript with fewer words than I began, that’s a great revision.
I never get as much done as I would like to in any given day, but as long as we managed to get all the required diapers changed and all the little mouths fed, it will all be okay. I’ll find time tomorrow to catch up on everything else.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I would say I listen to their emotions. I listen to the way they must feel in their current circumstances. Then I use what they tell me to write the words that describe their actions and their dialogue. Mostly I watch them, so I can relate to the reader the subtle, little things they do when they think no one is looking.
Do I talk to them? No. They’ve got better things to do than listen to me talk. It’s bad enough I put them in situations they have no desire to be in.
What advice would you give other writers?
Don’t have a full time job, two blogs, three young kids, and write novels if you’ve got any hobbies you’d like to hang on to. Hobbies are for people with leisure time. If you’ve got all the aforementioned things, it’s always time to go to work in one form or another. Seriously, writing to publish is a big commitment. Anyone who wants to do it well needs to recognize this.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I used to submit to agents and editors like everybody else, back in the days when everybody did that. Then it occurred to me that I was spending life waiting to hear back from somebody. I first dipped my toes into self-publishing when it was largely considered more vanity than publishing. Over time, the image of self-published authors has improved. I’ve tried to aid that improvement by working hard to turn out respectable, well-produced books. I believe readers will quickly recognize that mine are not mere cranked out cogs of some get-rich-quick scheme. And if they are, it hasn’t worked.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think the big publishers will stick around, but the independents will finally get the piece of the pie they deserve. When self-publishing first became a viable option, many people saw it as a chance to make easy money. I think most of them have figured out they were wrong by now, leaving more space for the authors who treat writing as a craft. For this reason, I believe self-publishing will gradually lose what stigma of vanity still clings to it. Self-publishing will be supported by enough authors of quality that it will demand growing respect. The sky’s the limit!
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: Historical, Humor, Short Stories, General Fiction, Young Adult
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Scott Nagele Home Page Link
Link To Scott Nagele Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Facebook
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.
