Author Interview: Eric Wilson

Plug time. What book or project is coming out or has come out that you’d like to tell us about?

I’ve already written the first two books, Dark to Mortal Eyes and Expiration Date, in a supernatural suspense series following the five senses. I’m working currently on a mystery series with an edgy protagonist named Aramis Black. He is wrestling with deeply rooted issues of bitterness and forgiveness, facing the principle from Romans 12:21 that you should not “let evil get the best of you, but get the best of evil by doing good.” Thus, my working title: The Best of Evil.

How long had you been writing seriously before you got “the call?

I had dreamed of being a novelist from the age of ten, I’d written a 300 page book in high school, had magazine articles published in college, then raised a family while working on a novel off and on for a number of years. I tried sending out the novel, with over fifteen rejections. Talk about depressing! My “call” was an email from an agent.

Tell us about “the call.”

My agent discovered me through my reviews on Amazon. He noticed in my profile that I was working on a novel and contacted me. Six months later, we had serious interest from WaterBrook Press. The book went to committee on a particular Tuesday, but when my agent called with the results, he said he had bad news. “I’m prepared for anything,” I lied. “They don’t want a book,” he said. After a long pause, he added, “They want two!”
I’ve never, in the same moment, wanted to hug and strangle someone like I did then.

What’s the best advice you’ve heard on writing/publication?

I was a perfectionist as a kid. I’d rewrite the same pages over and over. My mom finally told me to take the correcting ribbon out of my typewriter (yes, I’m old enough to remember those!) and “just write.” That freed me to finish my first book while still in high school. I still have the manuscript lying around somewhere.

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve ever heard?

“You’ll have to get a real job.” Hey, I know that, thank you very much. I still work at Fedex Kinko’s, despite two novels in print. But writing is my real job, in my mind. The other job just pays the bills. Any hopeful novelist must write as though it’s a real job or it’ll never get done. Think of yourself as self-employed. Turn off the phones, the TV, the Internet (gasp!), and get to work.

What’s something you wish you’d known earlier on that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?

I’m still learning as I go. It’s a business, bottom line. That’s the hardest thing for me to deal with since I’m not a businessman. Trying to tell good stories in a Godly fashion while dealing with the financial end of all this is a constant struggle for me.

Do you have a scripture or quote that has been speaking to you lately?

I’ve been reading through the Gospel of John recently. Every chapter blows me away with insights into Jesus’ life and love for people. I have been convicted afresh that “All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent me [Jesus], because there is little time left before the night falls and all work comes to an end.” John 9:4 NLT

Is there a particularly difficult set back that you’ve gone through in your writing career you are willing to share?

Before my first book was accepted, I had extreme interest from another publisher who later turned it down because it was “too secular for the Christian market, but too Christian for the secular market.” My goal is to reach those on the fringes of faith. I felt like I’d pursued God’s plan for my writing, yet nobody understood. I walked out in the rain to the edge of a lake and vented (ie. screamed at the top of my lungs). Of course, God hadn’t abandoned me, but from my self-centered narrow perspective, it sure felt like it at that moment.

What are a few of your favorite books?

I loved Dale Cramer’s Bad Ground and John Dalton’s Heaven Lake. Books that influenced me earlier on include: To Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies, The Bourne Identity, and The Shoes of the Fisherman. Anne Lamott’s Traveling Mercies has been a frequent inspiration.

What piece of writing have you done that you’re particularly proud of and why?

I’m most proud of what I’m working on, usually. I try not to look back and judge the things I’ve done, once their completed. My perfectionist side would pop up and beat me over the head. Recently, I had a poem accepted for a magazine. I don’t consider myself a poet at all, so that was nice. Ironically, the poem has to do with humility.

Do you have a pet peeve having to do with this biz?

Personally, I get tired of hearing “Oh, you need to get your book on Oprah,” (she doesn’t do modern novels anymore, thanks!) and “Maybe we can have coffee sometime, because I have an idea you can use for a book” (actually I have more ideas than my publishers want to pay for, okay?).
Professionally, I get worn out by the marketing aspects, the idea that I must fit in a box and be a “brand.” I understand the reasons for all this, but any talk about money and promotion drains me. I’d rather put my creativity into my characters.

Can you give us a view into a typical day of your writing life?

I write in the mornings before going to my other job (Fedex Kinko’s). I send my daughters (ages 11 and 13) off to school, grab some coffee and read my Bible, try to ignore the TV and Internet and bills, then plant my backside at the table with my laptop. I read over what I’ve done the previous day, and in the act of editing, get the creative juices flowing again for the next scenes. If any other thoughts pop up, I write them down in a working notebook for this particular novel. Usually, at the last second, I save everything I’ve done before throwing together a PBJ sandwich, chips, and an apple as I run out the door to make it to my other job on time.

If you could choose to have one strength of another writer, what would it be and from whom?

Boy, that’s a wild question which could lead down lots of paths. Most simply, after reading John Dalton’s Heaven Lake, I told my wife “if I had the talent, that’s the book I would’ve written.” It deals with faith and sin, loneliness and love, revealing God’s grace in a beautifully believable way. If I can even scratch the surface of such things, I’ll be happy.

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

I would love to have the sales and backlog to free me to write the things the Lord has put in my heart. I want most deeply to reach nonbelievers and struggling believers, and I suspect that I’ll do so in ways that will be fairly edgy. I need the courage to do so.

Was there ever a time in your writing career you thought of quitting?

Do you mean besides today, yesterday, and every day before? I’m not planning on quitting tomorrow, so I guess things are looking good.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

I love the fame and fortune, but loathe the obscurity and poverty.
Seriously, I love the creative process. Published or not, I would have the need to create. The chance to struggle with my characters, with Biblical concepts, and with life make the writing process a highs-and-lows experience that I wouldn’t trade.
The hardest part, for me, is that few people understand the process. Eyes glaze over when you try to explain. Affirmation from readers goes a long way, but a writer receives very little of this. A musician, for example, might perform before a small crowd and receive instant feedback and affirmation. A writer works alone and rarely sees the reaction of the reader. That’s why reader emails mean so much.

Parting words?

Jesus is the Author of Life. Whether or not we play our desired roles in his story is not as important as interacting with and knowing the Author himself. If I can keep this in perspective, I’m more likely to go where his story intends. It may include some cliffhangers, but the Author is good. He loves his characters even more than I love mine. Good thing--because I can be quite a character sometimes!