Author Interview ~ Frank James

L. Frank James is a pastor at Valley Springs Presbyterian Church in Roseville, California, and holds an MFA degree in Theatre and Drama from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). James is an accomplished playwright and has performed, directed, and toured with such groups as Theatre Du Terte, Paris; Last Minute Production (of which he is a co-founder); Actors Alley Theatre; Long Beach Civic Light Opera; and Richmond Sheppard Theatre, Hollywood.




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

An Opened Grave: Sherlock Holmes Investigates His Ultimate Case

In this novel, the world’s greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes solves the world’s greatest mystery, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.



Tell us about your journey to publication. How long had you been writing before you got the call you had a contract, how you heard and what went through your head.

This is my first book. (I have written and produced several theatrical pieces.) I started writing this book about four years ago...writing, putting it down, picking it up....writing some more...leaving it for a couple of months....picking it up again. I shopped the idea around for a couple of years through an agent and some friends, to no avail. Most everyone seemed to really like the idea but the rejection notices can be paraphrased as follows: ‘Well, it’s a great idea and it sounds interesting but we don’t know what to do with it.’

I have an absolutely wonderful working relationship with my publisher, a publishing veteran who coaches me at every turn. When I walked into his office (with my insecure baggage) he was immediately encouraging. An author needs to get the time and attention needed in walking through the entire process. From every aspect of manuscript development, editing, design, marketing/promotion, career opportunities, execution and follow through. I didn’t always like the advice I got but the honesty and the expertise is what I needed!! I tend to be a flakey artist. Don’t forsake wise counsel and experienced publishing people. If you don’t know the ropes find someone who does.

What mistakes have you made while seeking publication?

Presuming that everyone within earshot is as instantly excited about my project as I am. Why wouldn’t they be?

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

Be patient and persistent! Be prayerful! (The three ‘Ps’) Write & Re-write.

Write what’s on your heart as driven by the Holy Spirit. Prayerfully surround yourself with good people.

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

Write what fits the mold, what people are used to. (What’s the line in that John Mayer song?.... ‘They love to tell you, stay inside the lines....something’s better on the other side...’

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

The rigidness of traditional publishing houses and venues. Only certain projects fit the Marketing/Promotion mold and only those will be accepted.

What are a few of your favorite books? (Not written by you.)

(In no particular order) Cry the Beloved Country, Robinson Crusoe, The Stranger, The Fountainhead, The Sirens of Titan, Mutiny on the Bounty, The Great Divorce, A Christmas Carol...(I’ll here add favorite fiction authors: C.S. Lewis, Arthur Conan Doyle, L. Frank Baum, Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler, PG Wodehouse, John Steinbeck, John Grisham, Kurt Vonnegut.)

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

This book – An Opened Grave – it’s great. It’s really better than I initially imagined it would be.

Some times I’ll pull back from a phrase or sentence and after reading what I just wrote, I’ll say to myself, “Wow this is good, I wish I could write something like that!” Wait a minute, I just did.

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

I read an article one time on Hemingway and it told of him waking every morning to write 5,000 words before lunch. Can you believe that? I will write, when I can, in the morning (Not 5,000 words I assure you) depending on the day’s schedule and the need for production. I can be very fast when needed but also very fastidious. I tend to be the tortoise not the hare, though. When I get tired, I usually get very uncreative and the writing gets dull. When I’m dull or bored my writing is dull and boring.

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

P.G. Wodehouse...He was a prolific writer. He could take the same characters, the same situations and write about them again and again and make it fresh every time. He was an amazing craftsman.

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

Turn the stories I write into visuals, i.e., movies.

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

Being creative and re-writing the re-writes, respectively.

How much marketing do you do? Any advice in this area?

Whatever is asked of me. Marketing is critical. I believe I have an absolute top-notch publicity team. (PDG & Wynn-Wynn Media) I really like Jeane Wynn. She has been extremely helpful and enthusiastic about the project. I’m sure there are lots of good publicity people out there and so far I’m convinced that Jeane is one of them. Even if you write a good book what good does it do, if no one knows about it?

I am completely convinced that expert help in the area of marketing and publicity is vital to success. I have been involved in many worthwhile projects where the ‘art’ is excellent but not fully appreciated because of the lack of marketing. I began and shut down a dinner theater within an eight-month period. If I had to go through that experience again, I would double or triple the amount of attention and money I would pay to the area of marketing/promotion. It is a must.

Parting words?

Write under the aegis of the Lord Jesus Christ and no one else.