Author Interview ~ Richard Doster

Richard Doster is editor of byFaith magazine. Previously, he spent 25 years in the advertising business and was published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution before penning his first novel. He currently lives in Atlanta with his wife Sally.

Time to crow: What new book or project do you have coming out?

In March, David C. Cook Publishers will release my first novel, Safe at Home. The story’s about a sportswriter, a black baseball player, and the cast of characters that surrounds them when the minor league color line is broken in a small Southern town.

A friend recently asked me to tell him the three things he’d like most about the book. Here’s what came to mind:

The role of ordinary people

This, actually, is what I like most about the book. Safe at Home is about how the world is profoundly changed—not by the great, famous, and powerful—but by anonymous and ordinary people. It’s about a small town newspaperman, a writer nobody’s ever heard of—and a seventeen year-old ballplayer, a kid who’s never played in front of more than a hundred people.

It’s about waitresses, teachers, preachers, and a small town mayor. And ultimately, it’s about how God transforms the world through these common people, in the course of everyday life.

The honesty of their struggle

Safe at Home is the story of a small town’s first brush with racial integration. It is an unexpected and traumatic change. Nobody’s sure what to do or where to turn for help. The book is populated with decent people trying to do the right thing when the line between right and wrong has suddenly become blurred.

The baseball

I’ve told people this isn't a baseball book, and that's true. But, as the opening page says, "From that day to this one…ballplayers have been God's tool to soften—or harden—men’s hearts."

Baseball is the backdrop to the story, and a key ingredient to it. I wanted those scenes to be lifelike and to hold a serious fan’s attention. Pete Van Wieren, the long time Atlanta Braves broadcaster was kind enough to endorse the book. I was especially pleased that he said, “The baseball scenes ring with authenticity….” Since nobody describes baseball better than Pete Van Wieren, that’s high praise.

How did you come up with this story? Was there a specific 'what if' moment?

Thinking back, I suspect three things came together:

A few years ago major league baseball celebrated an anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s life. I don’t remember if it was his birth or death or signing with the Dodgers, but it piqued my interest. That was probably the first thing.

Then, every summer my wife Sally and I take a minor league baseball trip. We like to catch a few games in Greenville, Asheville, Greensboro, Savannah…towns like that. We love the Atlanta Braves, but there’s something especially charming about minor league baseball.

The third piece of the puzzle fell into place during one of these trips. About five or six years ago we were at an arts festival in Asheville, North Carolina. At one of the vender stations, a young African-American couple was selling items commemorating the Negro leagues—photographs, plaques, T-shirts…. The items displayed the logos for the Detroit Stars, the Homestead Grays, Indianapolis Clowns…and it all was signed with the vendor’s tag line: “For the brothers who played, but didn’t get paid.” If I remember correctly, a portion of the profits went to a group who provided for Negro league players and their families.

Those things came together and got me thinking about black players breaking the color line, and about what that might have been like in the more intimate venues of minor league baseball. And then, once I came across a few good source materials, this seemed like an intriguing story.

Every novelist has a journey. How long was your road to publication? How did you find out and what went through your mind?

From the day I starting typing this story to the day I signed a contract with Cook was, I’d guess, four years. And it was, at times, grueling: lots of stops and starts, ups and downs; getting built up just to be let down….

The turning point came when Lee Hough, a respected literary agent, got involved. The good news didn’t come overnight, but it did, eventually, come—late one afternoon by phone. Honestly, I think I was more relieved than overjoyed.

Do you ever bang your head against the wall from the dreaded writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?

Not really. There’ve been plenty of times, as I approached the end of a scene, that I’ve wondered ‘where’s this go from here?’ But the answer—so far—has always come. I keep a notebook handy to jot down ideas.

Novelists sometimes dig themselves into a hole over implausible plots, flat characters or a host of other problems. What's the most difficult part of writing for you (or was when you first started on your novel journey)?

How did (or do) you climb out (overcome it)?

You know, sometimes it just doesn’t flow like you want to. You’re tired, or distracted, or you’d just rather be watching “House”. On those occasions I think back to the movie Finding Forrester. In my memory of one particular scene Sean Connery (playing a reclusive writer) forces his student (Rob Brown playing an inner city writing prodigy) to sit down and type. It doesn’t matter whether or not he’s got an idea or an outline or the slightest notion of what comes next: He must type.

When it’s a struggle, when I can’t come up with the next line—I type.

Where do you write: In a cave, a coffeehouse, or a cozy attic nook?

I’ve got a great set-up. We have a finished basement that’s out of the way and quiet. There’s a pool table that’s a great place to stack books and scatter notes (nobody’s played pool on it in 10 years). Every morning, very early, I tromp downstairs with Sunshine, my trusty golden retriever, and I type.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I try to be downstairs ‘typing’ around 5:00, no later than 5:15. I work on my novel until it’s time for the day job (editor of byFaith magazine). I typically spend time each evening doing research for the novels.

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?

Well, I guess the answer is yes.

There are times when I’ve looked at the clock and realized I’ve typed nonstop for hours. And then, there are all the other times.

I remember when I wrote my first novel, when there was no deadline, I spent a week reworking one paragraph (later, the editor later wanted to cut it.

So, it goes both ways, but I promise you: I’ve never written 5-10 thousand words in a day.

Briefly take us through your process of writing a novel—from conception to revision.

I’ve written one and three-quarters novels so far (the sequel to Safe at Home is scheduled for release in March 2009). In both cases, I started with a vague notion of the beginning, middle, and end. But it’s been through writing and revising that ideas have worked their way to the surface, that characters’ motives and personalities have emerged, and that the unexpected twists have revealed themselves.

In Safe at Home, for example, the character of Rose Marie, the protagonist’s wife, is altogether different than I first envisioned her. I initially saw her as moderate, compassionate and kind, and patient—a sweet Southern woman. But when you’ve got to bring her experiences to bear on the story, when you’re forced to more thoroughly consider her upbringing and the social context of a particular scene, it becomes pretty clear—she’s not any of these things.

Another example: Halfway through the novel, a secondary character flip-flops on an issue that’s critical to the story. His immediate response to the situation is the emotional reaction every reader expects. But as the episode unfolds, some serious economic implications become clear to him. As a result, his perspective changes—that’s what money does to us. But I had to write and rewrite a few times to get there.

These changes come through being engaged with the characters, staying focused on the ‘one thing’ each one wants most in the world, and then letting the tension take its natural course—between husbands and wives, teammates, a publisher and his readers, the town and its mayor….

I start with a loose notion, and then let the story unfold one scene at a time.

What are a few of your favorite books (not written by you) and why are they favorites?

Beach Music, My Losing Season, and Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy. Conroy describes his own style as overblown, and maybe it is. But I’ve read each of these books three times. My all time favorite opening line comes from Conroy’s biographical book, My Losing Season: “I was born to be a point guard, but not a very good one.” I’m sure Dickens would grin.

Old Dogs and Children, Dairy Queen Days, and Home Fires Burning by Robert Inman. If there are Southern novelists who capture a sense of place better than Inman, I haven’t read them. His characters are quirky and loveable. Bright Birdsong, the protagonist of Old Dogs and Children might be my favorite fictional character.

The Runaway, The Book of Marie, and To Dance With the White Dog by Terry Kay. Okay, there is one writer who captures the South as nicely as Inman: Terry Kay.

All Over but the Shouting and Ava’s Man by Rick Bragg. These books are more along the lines of memoir, stories of Bragg’s family in the rural South. He writes sentences that are too pretty to read just once.

The Yearling and Cross Creek by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. I went to college near Rawlings’ home. Few people appreciate the beauty of Florida the way she did. And no one has ever captured it better or expressed it more vividly.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?

Type.

How much marketing do you do? What have you found that particularly works well for you?

I’ve outlined a pretty aggressive marketing plan. I’ve made lists of personal contacts, lists of people who know key people, created a website and blog, produced a few materials to send to key audiences. I’ve set up a few speaking engagements and am working on more.

Here’s one of the funny things I’ve discovered in this process:

When I started, I thought writing the book would be the hard part.

After the manuscript was completed, I was sure that finding an agent would be harder.

Then I thought finding a publisher would be the hardest part of all.

Now, I’m pretty sure that selling the book is the brutal part.

But I’ve got too much time, effort, and emotion invested to sit back and hope it sells. If Safe at Home fails, it won’t be for lack of prayer—or effort.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

I came across a quote once that said something to the effect of “writers are readers moved to emulation.” I want to write because I love to read, because I love the way the words sound as they roll of the tongue. I try to spend some time every day reading books I love, trying to get the inflection and tone of the language inside, making it something that comes with me when I sit down to write.

Read the books you wish you’d written.