Craig Harms has had a short story and an art book published, but this is his first novel. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Nebraska School of Journalism in Advertising, and his Master of Science degree from Western Illinois University in Instructional Design. His career choices have included advertising, research, writing, and stints in the broadcasting and entertainment industries including network and cable television, radio, theater, and stand-up comedy. He currently writes for a New York, NY art gallery. Craig lives along the banks of the Mississippi River in Illinois with his wife Sue and their FIDS (an acronym for furry and feathered kids). Time to crow: What new book or project do you have coming out?
I can’t crow about the recent release of my end-times thriller, Day Omega, but am instead humbled that it has been considered worthy of publication. The back cover blurb tells the story:
I can’t crow about the recent release of my end-times thriller, Day Omega, but am instead humbled that it has been considered worthy of publication. The back cover blurb tells the story:
Life in Chicago is bad for Sam Dimas, and it's about to change - for the worse. After an argument with his wife, Sam storms out of the house. There is a vivid flash that seems to rip the sky apart, and his wife has gone along with millions of other people around the world. Following what is to become known as Disappearance Day, a new seat of power is set up to control global outbreaks of chaos and disorder. As the one-world government takes the reins of power, citizens are implanted with a microchip to help them with their daily living. Sam Dimas is excited to be working for the company that manufactures the chips. The money is good, at a time when his neighbors are reduced to extreme poverty. But one of the leaders has a hidden agenda that slowly becomes clear.
In Israel there is safety for those who can reach its borders. In the rest of the world there is disease and terror. This is an exciting and thought provoking story, with unexpected twists and turns. Sam is called to take on the might of the world powers - and his only training for this has been an unhappy married life of heavy drinking and smoking.
Prepare for a thrilling ride - the end of the world is coming, the seven-year countdown to Christ's return has just started!
God’s spirit was the guiding force from the first hand-written word penned in a spiral notebook, to the day last week when I opened the shipping box and saw copies of a printed book.
How did you come up with this story? Was there a specific 'what if' moment?
The story was begun as a way to keep a frayed thread of sanity after the sudden, accidental death of my nine-year-old stepson Jamey. It was because of his insistence that I gave my heart to Jesus and for that I am eternally grateful.
Actually, unlike most potential authors, I did not start out to intentionally write a book, it just developed over time as the pages and story slowly grew in length and breath. As the characters took shape and the parallel plotlines began to develop it dawned on me that “there might be something going on here.”
Every novelist has a journey. How long was your road to publication? How did you find out and what went through your mind?
As I mentioned, Day Omega was begun as a therapeutic outlet in 1995, a year after Jamey went up to Paradise. Subsequently after that traumatic event, my wife, Sue, and I both became unemployed due to company outsourcing, which inevitably led to severe financial hardship; she got pregnant but suffered a miscarriage, and lost her father - these events among the stresses of daily living. We felt like Mr. And Mrs. Job from the Old Testament!
Creating the thoughts, motivations, and stories of fictional characters and situations seemed to be the only bit of control I had in my life. In the summer of 2007 the story was nearly finished and I showed the draft to a creative writing instructor at a local college. She encouraged me to finish it and to begin looking for a publisher.
I did and with the help of Sally Stuart’s invaluable book “Christian Writers’ Market Guide”, I sent the manuscript to Light House Publishing, my first—and only—submission. Three months went by when my cell phone rang. It was Sue excitedly telling me they wanted to sign a contract! I was pleasantly shocked and knew right at that moment that God had planned this all along. It was the ultimate reward for keeping the faith when everything was falling down around us.
Do you ever bang your head against the wall from the dreaded writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?
No, not so much. I feel my writing is divinely inspired, and if the words don’t come, it’s because they aren’t right for that moment or could be better. When I first traded pen and paper for computer document, I often forgot to save the recently written passages and lost many pages forever in cyberspace. Instead of becoming upset about it, I figured there was a reason—and usually the rewrite was much better than the original.
Novelists sometimes dig themselves into a hole over implausible plots, flat characters or a host of other problems. What was the most difficult part of writing for you when you first started on your novel journey?
In comparison with the environment that was prevailing in our lives at the time, writing Day Omega was one of the easiest things I have accomplished. I might have hit some roadblocks along the way, but they tend to become forgotten when one keys the final punctuation mark; and especially when a publisher says he loves the book and wants to sign a contract!
Where do you write: In a cave, a coffeehouse, or a cozy attic nook?
I have a seventy-minute one-way commute to work, and write while driving. Well not actually! This is my quiet zone, away from the home hubbub (Sue and I have three dogs—two Rotties and a miniature wannabe, two cats, and six singing, talking, lively, very entertaining parrots making it really difficult to concentrate there). I turn the radio off, relax my mind, and roll ideas around in my head as I watch the road. Usually when I get to my destination, the ideas are formed and it’s simply a matter of committing them to paper.
What does a typical day look like for you?
A lot of writing! Each morning I jot down the events of the day previous in a journal I have been keeping since 1992 before we were married. (That would be an interesting read in itself!) I work for a New York, NY art gallery and write newsletters, blogs, articles, web pages, exhibit promos, etc. for it. When I get home, I like to respond to
e-mails re: American Christian Fiction Writers and/or compose my thoughts for Christian.blog, another group I’ve joined, and/or peck away on a book. Have to keep the old writing mind well-greased, I guess.
Some authors report writing 5-10 thousand words a day. Do scenes flow freely from your veins or do you have to tweeze each word out?
Both apply, as all writers will probably attest. Sometimes, when the inspiration’s not there, I’ll sit and stare at the blank computer screen and MAYBE eke out a paragraph or two; other times I’ll be in that zone where two or three pages will flow out almost automatically. I’m always amazed when this happens, because I know I was at the keyboard at the time, but don’t really remember putting the words down.
For example, I wrestled with the book’s ending for about two months while driving, trying to tie everything up, while at the same time, making it as memorable for the reader as possible. Finally one day, it hit. I wrote the entire last chapter in just a couple of hours. Again, divine inspiration!
Briefly take us through your process of writing a novel—from conception to revision.
Seat of the pants, all the way. I may have an idea where I’m going, but sometimes the Lord takes me in another direction, completely away from my original idea. That is the most exciting part of writing a novel. I feel the revision and editing processes are the rewards a writer gets for getting something down on paper and are my favorite elements of creation. The overall concept and initial writing are the most difficult and tedious for me.
What are a few of your favorite books (not written by you) and why are they favorites?
As a young reader, I was inspired by the writings of James Thurber, Rod Serling (The Twilight Zone television show) Mark Twain, and Mad Magazine, and tried to emulate their styles, consciously or not. I’ve always been a fan of parody, satire, humor and irony. Never in my wildest dreams did I think my works would be of the Christian fiction genre.
What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?
From high school, through college to graduate school, I have been blessed by people who recognized my writing skills and who have encouraged me to develop my talent. Yet it has been only later in life that it has all come together. In my case, the maxim “life begins at 40” held true.
What do you wish you’d known early in your career that might have saved you some time and/or frustration in writing? In publishing?
Again, I have been very blessed. The entire process from conception to printing for this, my first novel, has been completely under God’s control, for that I am certain. He gave me someone to spur me on to complete the story when I needed it, the writer’s market guidebook when I needed it, a publisher when I needed it, and an editor when I needed it. My frustrations have come out of real life; writing has been a way out!
How much marketing do you do? What have you found that particularly works well for you?
This has been a truly wonderful, unexpected ride, and along the way I have learned so much about the entire process from writing to publicity. For marketing, Sue and I have purchased the domain name and set up the book’s web site. I am currently setting up bookstore signings, trying to get reviews and interviews set up on blogs and through the media, and doing much legwork to get the book promoted. The size of the royalty checks will tell if our efforts have been successful or not!
Speaking of which, all profits from Day Omega will be donated to worthy charities in Jamey’s name. I owe him for guiding me back to Jesus, and know he’s looking down, proud that I’m helping others less fortunate.
Do you have any parting words of advice?
Write from the heart and never, ever, give up!
God’s spirit was the guiding force from the first hand-written word penned in a spiral notebook, to the day last week when I opened the shipping box and saw copies of a printed book.
How did you come up with this story? Was there a specific 'what if' moment?
The story was begun as a way to keep a frayed thread of sanity after the sudden, accidental death of my nine-year-old stepson Jamey. It was because of his insistence that I gave my heart to Jesus and for that I am eternally grateful.
Actually, unlike most potential authors, I did not start out to intentionally write a book, it just developed over time as the pages and story slowly grew in length and breath. As the characters took shape and the parallel plotlines began to develop it dawned on me that “there might be something going on here.”
Every novelist has a journey. How long was your road to publication? How did you find out and what went through your mind?
As I mentioned, Day Omega was begun as a therapeutic outlet in 1995, a year after Jamey went up to Paradise. Subsequently after that traumatic event, my wife, Sue, and I both became unemployed due to company outsourcing, which inevitably led to severe financial hardship; she got pregnant but suffered a miscarriage, and lost her father - these events among the stresses of daily living. We felt like Mr. And Mrs. Job from the Old Testament!
Creating the thoughts, motivations, and stories of fictional characters and situations seemed to be the only bit of control I had in my life. In the summer of 2007 the story was nearly finished and I showed the draft to a creative writing instructor at a local college. She encouraged me to finish it and to begin looking for a publisher.
I did and with the help of Sally Stuart’s invaluable book “Christian Writers’ Market Guide”, I sent the manuscript to Light House Publishing, my first—and only—submission. Three months went by when my cell phone rang. It was Sue excitedly telling me they wanted to sign a contract! I was pleasantly shocked and knew right at that moment that God had planned this all along. It was the ultimate reward for keeping the faith when everything was falling down around us.
Do you ever bang your head against the wall from the dreaded writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?
No, not so much. I feel my writing is divinely inspired, and if the words don’t come, it’s because they aren’t right for that moment or could be better. When I first traded pen and paper for computer document, I often forgot to save the recently written passages and lost many pages forever in cyberspace. Instead of becoming upset about it, I figured there was a reason—and usually the rewrite was much better than the original.
Novelists sometimes dig themselves into a hole over implausible plots, flat characters or a host of other problems. What was the most difficult part of writing for you when you first started on your novel journey?
In comparison with the environment that was prevailing in our lives at the time, writing Day Omega was one of the easiest things I have accomplished. I might have hit some roadblocks along the way, but they tend to become forgotten when one keys the final punctuation mark; and especially when a publisher says he loves the book and wants to sign a contract!
Where do you write: In a cave, a coffeehouse, or a cozy attic nook?
I have a seventy-minute one-way commute to work, and write while driving. Well not actually! This is my quiet zone, away from the home hubbub (Sue and I have three dogs—two Rotties and a miniature wannabe, two cats, and six singing, talking, lively, very entertaining parrots making it really difficult to concentrate there). I turn the radio off, relax my mind, and roll ideas around in my head as I watch the road. Usually when I get to my destination, the ideas are formed and it’s simply a matter of committing them to paper.
What does a typical day look like for you?
A lot of writing! Each morning I jot down the events of the day previous in a journal I have been keeping since 1992 before we were married. (That would be an interesting read in itself!) I work for a New York, NY art gallery and write newsletters, blogs, articles, web pages, exhibit promos, etc. for it. When I get home, I like to respond to
e-mails re: American Christian Fiction Writers and/or compose my thoughts for Christian.blog, another group I’ve joined, and/or peck away on a book. Have to keep the old writing mind well-greased, I guess.
Some authors report writing 5-10 thousand words a day. Do scenes flow freely from your veins or do you have to tweeze each word out?
Both apply, as all writers will probably attest. Sometimes, when the inspiration’s not there, I’ll sit and stare at the blank computer screen and MAYBE eke out a paragraph or two; other times I’ll be in that zone where two or three pages will flow out almost automatically. I’m always amazed when this happens, because I know I was at the keyboard at the time, but don’t really remember putting the words down.
For example, I wrestled with the book’s ending for about two months while driving, trying to tie everything up, while at the same time, making it as memorable for the reader as possible. Finally one day, it hit. I wrote the entire last chapter in just a couple of hours. Again, divine inspiration!
Briefly take us through your process of writing a novel—from conception to revision.
Seat of the pants, all the way. I may have an idea where I’m going, but sometimes the Lord takes me in another direction, completely away from my original idea. That is the most exciting part of writing a novel. I feel the revision and editing processes are the rewards a writer gets for getting something down on paper and are my favorite elements of creation. The overall concept and initial writing are the most difficult and tedious for me.
What are a few of your favorite books (not written by you) and why are they favorites?
As a young reader, I was inspired by the writings of James Thurber, Rod Serling (The Twilight Zone television show) Mark Twain, and Mad Magazine, and tried to emulate their styles, consciously or not. I’ve always been a fan of parody, satire, humor and irony. Never in my wildest dreams did I think my works would be of the Christian fiction genre.
What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?
From high school, through college to graduate school, I have been blessed by people who recognized my writing skills and who have encouraged me to develop my talent. Yet it has been only later in life that it has all come together. In my case, the maxim “life begins at 40” held true.
What do you wish you’d known early in your career that might have saved you some time and/or frustration in writing? In publishing?
Again, I have been very blessed. The entire process from conception to printing for this, my first novel, has been completely under God’s control, for that I am certain. He gave me someone to spur me on to complete the story when I needed it, the writer’s market guidebook when I needed it, a publisher when I needed it, and an editor when I needed it. My frustrations have come out of real life; writing has been a way out!
How much marketing do you do? What have you found that particularly works well for you?
This has been a truly wonderful, unexpected ride, and along the way I have learned so much about the entire process from writing to publicity. For marketing, Sue and I have purchased the domain name and set up the book’s web site. I am currently setting up bookstore signings, trying to get reviews and interviews set up on blogs and through the media, and doing much legwork to get the book promoted. The size of the royalty checks will tell if our efforts have been successful or not!
Speaking of which, all profits from Day Omega will be donated to worthy charities in Jamey’s name. I owe him for guiding me back to Jesus, and know he’s looking down, proud that I’m helping others less fortunate.
Do you have any parting words of advice?
Write from the heart and never, ever, give up!
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