Novel Journey's Interview with Randy Singer

Randy Singer is a critically acclaimed author and veteran trial attorney. He has penned six legal thrillers, including Directed Verdict, which won the Christy Award in 2003 for the best Christian suspense novel, and three nonfiction books. In addition to his law practice and writing, Randy teaches at Regent Law School, serves on the Board of Legal Advisors for the American Center for Law and Justice, co-hosts a radio show on Sirius Channel 161 and serves as an interim preacher for two churches in Virginia Beach. He and his wife, Rhonda, live in Virginia Beach, Virginia. They have two grown children.

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

My next release is called By Reason of Insanity and it hits stores on May 1. It’s the story of a Las Vegas lawyer named Quinn Newberg who specializes in the insanity plea. I can’t really explain it any better than the inside flap description so I hope that’s not cheating. Here’s the blurb:

Quinn Newberg’s latest client is Catherine O’Rourke, a Virginia Beach reporter accused of being the serial killer named the Avenger of Blood. Catherine maintains her innocence, though she claims to have seen visions with graphic details of the crimes—details only the killer would know. Quinn doesn’t believe in the supernatural and thinks these “visions” are nothing more than the product of a fractured personality disorder, triggered by a traumatic event in Catherine’s past.

Quinn knows insanity cases are unpredictable, but nothing in his past has prepared him for this one. To win, or even survive, he’ll need more than his famed legal maneuvering and biting sarcasm.

On this case, he’ll need a miracle.

Tell us about your journey to publication. How long did it take before your first novel was published?

About nine years ago I started my first book, Directed Verdict, and had no clue how the publishing business worked. I don’t want to over-spiritualize this, but at the time I just felt like God had given me this story so I wrote it down. A year later, after getting up at about 5:30 every morning so I could write for a few hours before I went to work, I had a novel but no plan about how to get it published. I prayed, researched Christian publishers, sent out about six letters with a copy of the manuscript and waited for the We loved it and want to pay you big bucks! letter to arrive. To tell the truth, I didn’t get a ton of rejection letters; it was more like I didn’t hear much of anything. After a few months, I prayed that God would show me what He wanted me to do next. His answer: “Write another book.”

“Okay, God. I sure hope you know what you’re doing.”

After a few more months, with nothing to show for it but a few “no thank yous,” I wrote a little entry in my journal. First, I listed all the reasons for despair. Getting my first book published truly looked hopeless. After filling a page or two with “woe is me” stuff, God inspired me to write this:

What I’m about to write has nothing to do with the critics, the publishers, those who have told me how hard it is to get books published or even those who have served as a great source of encouragement. Instead, it’s about believing the promises of God; the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen.

God called me to write these books. God inspired the ideas. God flooded my mind with words and thoughts even faster than I could get them down. Before I could complete one book, God gave me the plot for another. It is God who wakes me up with the books on my mind and in my heart, it is God who gives me a thread of the plot on my morning runs, it is God who develops these characters and brings them to life. And it is God who has assured me often, and again very recently, that this is not a waste of time.

The God who lived in Christ spoke in parables and God is not out of the story-telling business. He has given me stories of persecution, stories that highlight apologetics, stories that share the Gospel in simple terms. Why would I ever think He would abandon me now?

The God of the pen is the God of the publisher. He has already prepared the way for these books. My job is to continue believing, continue writing, and continue praying as I have been for the last four years. Thank you God for what you are doing and what you will do. I will praise you today for what you have done yesterday. But I will also praise you for what I know you will do tomorrow.

I wrote that journal entry on June 11, 2001. A few months later, I received an offer from WaterBrook Press to publish Directed Verdict.

What mistakes have you made while seeking publication?

I didn’t research the industry as much as I researched my novel. I should have gone to writers’ conferences earlier. I should have gone to trade shows and networked. I should have joined writers’ critique groups. Wouldn’t it be a little easier if you just asked me what mistakes I didn’t make?

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

Don’t quit your day job. Not only do many writers quit their jobs too early in their writing careers, but being part of the rough and tumble of the “real” world keeps us fresh. Admittedly, it can also keep us frustrated and burned out, but my best writing seems to happen when my back is against the wall in real life. It’s easier to write legal thrillers when you are still tasting the sweet victories or the bitter defeats of the courtroom. A second good piece of advice (this is a bonus) is to take your time writing and not worry about your audience. I care a ton about my readers, but when I write, I have to block all that out. My writing is best when I write the story straight from my heart to the page, without trying to filter it through the expectations of others.

Tell us about winning a Christy? What was that like?

It was surreal. It happened on my very first book so I had no idea what to expect. At the banquet, I was in the just happy to be here mode so when they announced that Directed Verdict had won, I was probably the most surprised person in the room.

I went to the podium and gave what I thought was a rousing thank you speech. Others didn’t seem that impressed. When I sat back down at my table between my wife and the President of WaterBrook Press, a great guy named Steve Cobb, my wife had her head in her hands—never a good sign.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Ask him,” she said.

I asked Steve. And he told me. I had thanked the wrong publisher! I guess I was so stunned to actually win the award that I somehow thanked the publisher of the book that had just won the prior category. I must add that Steve and his team were incredibly gracious about it, though they did enjoy giving me a mock-up of the book with the other publisher’s emblem on the spine a few weeks later.

The moral of the story? God has a way of keeping us humble even in our moment of victory.

What advice would you give someone just entering this business? How should they maneuver the publishing life?

I would probably advise them to get an agent. As a lawyer, I felt like I didn’t need an agent. I was a big boy. I could negotiate my own contracts, thank you very much. But an agent does more than negotiate contracts. An agent is part cheerleader, part advisor, part advocate and part reality check. I don’t care if you are a lawyer—get an agent.

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

Don’t write books outside your genre. Find what you love writing and stick with it. I’m a legal thriller author. That’s what I love doing. That’s what I do best. Like a lot of other folks, I had to learn the “focus lesson” the hard way.

What’s a good novel to read in regards to study of the craft?

I struggled early on with point of view issues. Then I read Richard North Patterson’s Protect and Defend. Though Patterson and Singer are at opposite ends of the political spectrum, especially on the issue of abortion, I went to school on the amazing characterization and point of view techniques in this book.

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

I really think that I’ve found my voice in my two most recent books—False Witness and By Reason of Insanity.

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

This will sound clichéd, but there is no typical day. I’m holding down two day jobs—Teaching Pastor at Trinity Church and litigation partner at my law firm, so I squeeze writing in whenever I can. I love writing so I seldom lack motivation, it’s just time that is hard to come by. As a result, I’ll either get up early and write first thing in the morning (when my creative tank is full) or during the evening (when I’m looking for escape). I have been known to get up in the middle of the night with a scene on my mind that won’t go away. I don’t try to fight it; I just fix a pot of coffee and start in.

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

I struggle with creating scenes and describing the external traits of my characters. Lots of folks do this very well and I’m not choosy--I’ll borrow talent from any of them.

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

My dream is to someday write the type of novel that transcends time and place. To Kill a Mockingbird, for example. How can anyone read that story and not be moved? How many folks did that book send to law school? How many kids learned to love reading courtesy of Harper Lee? A truly great story gets lodged in the heart. I can’t be Harper Lee, but I can strive for the type of story that does more than just entertain.

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

I love most everything about writing. I love the research. I love developing the characters and the plot. I like cranking out that first draft and I even like the editing process. I could do without the deadlines, however.

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

I try to let the marketing flow out of my life. I tend to do a lot of public speaking so this helps. I am also a regular guest on a radio show. Other than that, it’s pretty much the standard things that most authors do. My advice would be to let your marketing be dictated by your personality. Some people like to be in front of groups; others like to crank out newsletters or blog. Marketing should play into your strengths. The key is to be willing to put yourself out there and be authentic about it.

Parting words?

If you’ve been called to be a writer, don’t let the frustrations of “the business” steal the joy of the craft. As a writer of legal thrillers, God has called me to “speak the wisdom of God in a mystery.” (1 Corinthians 2:7). What could be more fun?