About Shawn P McCarthy:
I’ve been a writer for nearly 40 years and enjoyed every minute of that. I've sold two nonfiction books, including one to John Wiley and Sons, and I’ve published a well-received six-book historical fiction series called The Puzzle Box Chronicles. My articles have appeared in The Washington Post, Associated Press, United Press International, and publications produced by The Smithsonian Institution, the National Geographic Society and Time-Life books. I have a bachelor's degree in journalism/mass communication from Saint Bonaventure University and a master’s degree in education from the George Washington University.
What inspires you to write?
The main inspiration comes when I notice an event, a conversation, or a relationship that seems to connect to a much deeper level of human experiences and emotions. Also, as a historical fiction author, that genre is a key part of my inspiration comes from. I love writers who can tell stories in a way that can help readers understand more about the people and places of a specific era, while tying the stories to universal truths that are timeless and relevant.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
I read a lot of historical fiction, so my favorites are writers like Ken Follett, Kate Quinn, Edward Rutherfurd and Taylor Jenkins Reid. But I also like authors who were writing some great stories at a particular point in history, like Mark Twain, F. Scott Fitzgerald, or Upton Sinclair. Their books simply capture the essence of their eras in remarkable ways.
Tell us about your writing process.
I've learned to be an "outliner" type of writer because it allows me to develop a much tighter vision of the story I am trying to tell. I think most writers tend to fall in love with their own prose, including the rhythm and cadence of the words. But that also encourages a writer to go off on tangents which don’t necessarily help move the narritve along. I tend to be most productive in the late afternoon and early evening, so that’s when I try to set time aside. I've tried a few methods for keeping my outlines organized, but my most effective method is using a simple spreadsheet. I can move chapters around as needed, and create columns for things like scene descriptions, character notes, timelines, people who are present in the scene, and more. I don't really use full character sketches, but I do create a list of characters with one or two sentences of description each. As the characters evolve, I may go back and add some additional details.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I don't think "talking to my characters" is quite the way I'd describe it. But I do borrow some characteristics from people that I know, at least at the start. But since the motivations and journeys of each character can be different, they migrate away from any real life inspiration fairly quickly. Of course, once the characters are in a specific situation, I think about how I might react and how other people I know might react, and that influences not only the dialog, but the trajectory of the story.
What advice would you give other writers?
Engaging with writing regularly, seeking feedback, and embracing the process of revision are essential for improvement. A writer must be an observer of and a critic of the society in which he/she lives.
No great book has ever been written in one or two passes. You need to write, rewrite, and rewrite again. Then put the draft away for a couple of weeks and come back to it with fresh eyes. Send it to an editor, then rewrite once more based on the editor’s feedback.
Authors also need to understand that writing is a business. Publishers and agents have managed to find their own business niches, and even if an author has written an awesome book, that doesn’t mean it will be attractive to everyone in the publishing industry. How do you find the right connection? Perseverance. Outreach. Networking.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I was not happy with the advance or revenue share offered by some publishers. So I created my own imprint (Dark Spark Press) and worked to establish my own network of distributors, marketers, publicists and more. I also developed some relationships with coastal bookstores, since a lot of my books take place near coastal cities.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
The biggest threat to publishing right now is AI generated books. Amazon currently has over four thousand new titles submitted every day, and a lot of them are low-quality garbage. Most of those books will fail, but they create a level of noise that can obscure new writers and new titles.
What genres do you write?: I write historical fiction, literary fiction and (apparently) women's fiction. For the later, that means I've been told that women seem to have an interest in my books, though I do not specifically aim my books at them. I also have been told that my books make great beach reads. (As someone who loves to read on the beach, I’m proud of that.)
What formats are your books in?: eBook, Print, Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Shawn P McCarthy Home Page Link
Link To Shawn P McCarthy Page On Amazon
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
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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.
