williamrawlings

Q: At what point in your life did you realize that you
wanted to be a writer?

A: That’s hard to answer. Over the years I’ve done a
good bit of writing, including a number of scientific
articles and reports. I have always been an avid reader,
and like so many people, at times I’d say to myself,
“I can do better than this.” I started seriously trying
to write after the birth of my first child when I found
myself sitting at home looking after the baby while
my wife rested. I’m not a big fan of television, and
sometimes I’d run out of things that I was interested
in reading. It occurred to me that perhaps
I should try writing. I found I enjoyed it, and with the success
of my first novel, I was hooked.

Q: Where do you get your plots and story lines? Do you use
things that have happened in your life or that of friends?

A: The adage is that one should “write what you know.” I am a Southerner by birth and
upbringing, and that’s why my novels are set in the rural South. It’s a familiar
environment and one that I am comfortable writing about. As to plots, more than three
decades of practicing medicine in a small town has given me enough stories and
situations to last most writers several lifetimes. Indeed, most what I’ve written is in some
way more or less true. I may adjust the facts, situations and timing, but deep down I can
probably relate it back to some situation that I’ve seen or heard of or been involved in. I’
ll leave it to the reader to figure out which.

Q: Do you have a schedule for writing? Is it the same for every book? Do you
have an outline or do you write by chapters? Do you know how the book will end
before you start?

A: The answer to all those questions is both yes and no. At this point in my career I am
trying to do one good novel a year. I will probably spend 6 months of that thinking about
and tinkering with a plot in my mind. I may write a few chapters, say 10 or 12, to see if I
have the right feel about the characters and where I think they are going with the story.
I will usually have a broad outline, perhaps more of a summary on one or two
typewritten pages. I know the beginning, middle and end of the book, that is, I generally
know where I want it to go and how I intend to get there. When I do start seriously
writing, I do it linearly, from the beginning to the end—it helps me keep the plot line in
focus. Occasionally, when I hit a roadblock with my writing, I’ll skip over a section,
coming back to finish it later. Since I write suspense fiction, the end of the book, the
dénouement, becomes the most important thing. I’ll make a very detailed outline with
the exact sequence of events, hoping to surprise and delight the reader. As to how I
write, I tend to do it in chunks of time. I will block out several days and write for 10 or 12
hours a day. I may then not write for a week or two before starting back. I’ll spend that
time thinking about and mentally revising the story line, making changes the next time I
start writing.

Q: What is your favorite place to write?

A: Without a doubt, I enjoy Sea Island most. The environment is a perfect mix of
inspiration and relaxation. I’ll write for a few hours, then take a walk on the beach to
clear my mind. I also do a good bit of writing at our place in Highlands, NC and at my
private office on the City Square in Sandersville. With that said, I think I can write pretty
much anywhere so long as I can find a comfortable spot for my laptop.

Q: Which of your books do you consider your favorite? Thus far, which is the
favorite of your readers?

A: Like most writers I know, I always am focusing on my latest book, which I hope is my
best. As for readers, that varies. Many people like the recurrent character of Matt
Rutherford. Others like one book or another for various reasons. I hope that as time
goes on, readers will focus on my work as a whole, rather than one individual book.

Q: Do you have hobbies or interests, and how do they play a part in your books?

A: Certainly I have things that I enjoy, and I may throw them into a plot mix to add some
verisimilitude to my writing. For example, I am an ardent cruciverbalists, and out of that
grew part of the plot line for Crossword. There are many things that I’ve had to learn,
however, about this and that to lend an air of realism to my books.

Q: What character from your books is the most like you?

A: None of them, I hope! When you write suspense fiction, you’re often dealing with
some pretty shady folk—murderers, thieves, sociopaths, etc. Someone has told me that
Matt Rutherford is my alter ego, but I hope that’s not the case. He’s got a lot of
problems and seems to attract trouble.

Q: What does a book festival such as the Amelia Book Festival do for your writing
career? Do you go to lots of book festivals or do you prefer to have personal book
signings?

A: The world of publishing is a very crowded one. Every year in the United States, there
are close to two hundred thousand new titles published. Many of them are great books;
others, not so great. There is no way that even the most avid reader can get to know
anything but a small fraction of the authors and the books that are out there. Book
Festivals serve as showcases for new and existing literary talent. I’ve had many people
contact me to say that they’d never heard of my books until they met or saw me at a
book event, but once that read one of my novels, they’d become big fans. As to
whether I prefer festivals over book signings, I think to some degree they are different
animals. Book signings—at least in the conventional bookstore sense—are designed to
let book browsers and/or buyers meet and talk with the author in an informal setting.
Festivals on the other hand tend to offer more formal presentations such as seminars,
readings and the like. I honestly enjoy interaction with my readers and fans—both
positive and negative. One is always evolving as a writer, and I value greatly the
thoughts and input from those who take time to attend a book signing or festival.

Q: Tell me about your next book, “The Mile High Club.”

A: It’s another Matt Rutherford novel, the third in the series. It starts in the spring after
the end of Crossword. Matt and his soul mate, Lisa, have split up. The discovery of a
naked female body on some of his timberland leads to his involvement with what at first
appears to be a horrific accident, as a few miles to the north the wreckage of a small
plane containing a naked male body is soon discovered. The dead girl’s parents talk
Matt into “looking into” their daughter’s death. He becomes involved with her co-worker
and ex-roommate. It is one of the most complex plots I’ve written. The preliminary word I’
m getting from those who’ve seen the manuscript is that it’s “the best one yet.” I hope
so. I had a lot of fun writing it.

Q: You’ve written three Matt Rutherford novels now. Do you plan to use any other
characters from your previous books in your future ones?

A: Almost certainly. I’ve discovered that readers really enjoy getting to know a character
and then following him (or her) as his life moves forward in time. Small southern towns
offer a rich assortment of characters, many of whom could come back for more fun and
games. In fact, the dead girl in “The Mile High Club,” Laura McIntosh, had a “walk-on”
part in Crossword. Although I didn’t intend it at the time, her character became the
perfect vehicle for the story in the next book. We’ll just have to see….

Q: Was there any one person in your background who you could cite as your
greatest influence in terms of your current writing career?

A: Two people stand out. First of all, as a young child my grandmother instilled in me a
great love of books. She was well educated and always said that “every home needs a
library.” Before I could read myself, she’d spend hours reading to me. I grew to love the
written word at an early age. As I grew older, my uncle, a brilliant and somewhat
eccentric man furthered my interest in books and reading. He was an avid reader of
The New Yorker and Scientific American, habits that rubbed off on me as child. My love
of reading has evolved into a love of the writing. I may not be a great writer, but I do
enjoy a good turn of phrase.

Q: Where do you get the names for the characters in your books?

A: I generally pick them out of the air, being certain that they are context-appropriate.
Most of the “local” names I use for the residents of Matt Rutherford’s small Georgia
town are of English or Scotch-Irish origin, reflecting the actually make-up of the part of
the state where I live. I do sometimes model characters after people I’ve known, but
more often than not, the actors in my books are composites of many individuals. Unless
I mention a “public” figure, all of the characters in my work are entirely fictional.

Q: Why do you write?

A: Ah! The ultimate question for an author. I write because I have a vivid imagination
and I enjoy telling stories. The greatest pleasure for me is when someone I’ve never
met comes up to me and says, “I really enjoyed your book.” That’s all the reason I need.

Q: You have many varied interests. If you could do only one thing for the rest of
your life, what would it be?

A: If I could do only one thing, I’d be miserable. Given my personality, though, and the
limits of your question, I’d probably try to master a very arcane subject. Of late, I’ve
been interested in collecting beetles. Honestly! It drives my wife crazy, but they are
really quite beautiful things, especially the rhinoceros beetles, which are members of
the scarab family. The farm where I live has several hundred acres of undisturbed
timberland. At times I roam the woods, pitchfork in hand, turning over rotten logs to see
what new type of beetles I can find. I could enjoy doing that as a scientific pursuit.

William Rawlings, Jr. is scheduled to be a featured guest at the Amelia Island Book
Festival on Amelia Island, FL. The festival runs October 4-7, 2007. Please visit
www.bookisland.com for more information.