On Writing Author Interview: Newt Love

To avoid pre-conceived notions which can sometimes be connected with certain genres, the number of books published and/or an author's appearance, none of that information will be revealed until the bottom of the interview.   So pour a cup of coffee, have a seat, and check out this interview - see how much, or how little, you have in common with this published author.

ON WRITING:
What is your favorite part of being a writer?

Creating the characters and the world that they inhabit. I breathe life into them, and place them in challenging situations that they must embrace, so they can discover who they are, and how they relate to the others that inhabit their story(ies). I believe in real life and reality, but everyone can achieve a modicum of success in a quest for a happy life.

What is your least favorite part?
The “day job” that pays the bills (until I can make consistent money from writing) certainly cuts into the fun of writing.

Name one obstacle you’ve had to overcome.
“I have scar tissue older than you.” – Newt Love 2001.
Where do I start? I moved out into my own apartment at 16, finishing high school on my own. Classmates thought it was “cool,” but a teenager coming home to an empty apartment every night was very lonely. It took a long time to believe in myself; but I digress.

Is there a specific part of your writing you’re working on to improve?
I need to cut-loose more. I realize that I am already pretty eclectic as a writer, but I sense a “next-level” in my writing is coming.

What part of your writing makes you particularly proud?
I surprise my readers with plot twists and circumstances that while aberrant, are none-the-less resonant with reality. (Or so I hear.)

What does your favorite main character have in common with you?
He has no clue about where his life will take him.

Do you do a lot of research for your projects or do you only write about what you already know?
I have extensive collections of web news articles about the people, places, and events that inhabit the stories I write. Realism flows from understanding reality, and that comes from observation. Besides, people watching (and eavesdropping at restaurants) is fun!

How do you use the internet for your writing?
Primarily for research.

If you’ve won any awards for your writing, what impact do you think that has had? 
Umm... I don't really go in for competitions. I remember surfing one day in Venice Beach, CA, and when I came in, there was a cheering section for me. They were convinced I was a pro-surfer because of how I knew where to consistently find the tubes.
“No, I'm a soul-surfer. I don't compete. It's just me and Mother Nature, and we dance together as soul-mates.”
I did enter a contest for Best 1^st Novel. A famous author really loved my entry, but I didn't win.

What one marketing tool have you had good success with?
While it was good, MySpace. Also, Facebook is good, and remains my primary source of contacting / gaining fans, and alerting them to my new works.

What good writing habits have you developed that you think would be helpful to someone starting out?
Write. Seriously, write! Just get it out of your head, and on paper. Edit and refine later!

Do you have any bad writing habits that you’d advise writers to avoid?
If you can figure it out, quit the day job; it really sucks the creative life out of the writing soul. I still hope to figure that one out.

Do you have any strange writing habits?
I tend to get into the head of the main character for the scene-du-jour. Sometimes that means creating circumstances that put me in the same mood as the character when I write the scene. Sometimes I get lucky, and life shoves me into circumstances that are right for the scene I'm writing. Sometimes, I get to drink good Scotch to get into that character. Other times, it's cheap red wine, or going hungry and drinking only water for a day.

When you’re not writing, do you read, and if so, what?
I read everything. Other writers, Internet news, blogs, et cetera. It comes in and influences what flows out of me.

What are you trying to accomplish with/through your writing?
Understanding. I write about the evolution of incomplete humans moving toward more complete humans in their trajectory along the human condition.

ADVICE TO OTHER WRITERS
What words of wisdom do you have for young writers?
Dream! And then always believe in your own dreams.
Are you normal? Then the normal rules apply.
Are you not normal? Then the normal rules do not apply.
Success is yours if you embrace your inner you, and follow that to what you are supposed to be successful.

What advice do you have for someone looking to get published?
Perseverance is the key to achieving your goals.

Any thoughts on what this author writes?  How many books published?  Here's a little more information about the author...
 
How many published books are to your credit?   4.

Do you have an agent?  No.

Are you self-published?  No. All my publishers are bona fides.

How many different companies have you published with?  4

How long have you been writing?   I got serious about writing in 1992. It's 2011, so, 19 years.

Do you write full-time? If not, what is your other job? And how do you balance work/writing?
I work as a Technical Fellow for a US DoD Contractor.

So, any thoughts?  Here's the full scoop:

In Author Newton Love’s own words:  Like most people, you won't believe my bio is true. The short version, with the more believable parts can be found on my web site. The total truth of my life experience is too much to put down, without pushing potential fans into disbelief or getting in trouble with DoD Security.

Newt is author of the following titles: 

     In 2005, the Annapolis Chorale, directed by J. Ernest Green accepted my Easter Cantata, "Man of Sorrows," for performance and publication. The cantata is written for double choir and full cathedral organ. You can download a WAV file of the score on my web site. I'm working on a Opera “Sitting Bull.”

    No Accounting for Taste, A Nick Schaevers Mystery.

    How the Strong Survive (thriller)

    La Voie des Braves(French version of How the Strong Survive)

    Odd and Odder: A Collection of Sensuality, Satire and Suspense

 

Newton Love’s titles are available through Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.co.fr, Barnes & Noble, Booksamillion, and other online retailers.

THE FUTURE
What are you working on now?
When Dead Cats Bounce, the 2^nd Nick Schaevers Mystery is finished. The cover art is progressing. In the meantime, I'm writing Roadhouse Affairs, an homage to Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and James Ellroy. It's set in the Winter of 1930, in the Roadhouse that would become the present day Moss Beach Distillery in Half Moon Bay, CA.

PARTING WORDS
Anything else about being a writer that you’d like to share?
“Abandon hope, all yee who enter here.”

If you'd like to know more about Newt Love, the most famous person nobody has heard of, visit his web site at http://www.newtlove.com/

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