South Flatland Fiction

Eaton:
Bill, thank you for taking time from your busy schedule for this interview. You have quite an impressive background: a BA from Northwestern University, an MA Communication Arts degree from Southern Methodist University, and a career in the US Army.

You have described yourself as a "general all around good guy who loves writing, helping others learn to write well, and growing the nicest roses in town." Tell us a little about yourself. Who is Bill MacWithey?

MacWithey:
Hard question to answer. I'm a father, a husband and owner of three adorable little dogs. When one ponders who they are, it necessarily involves what one has done with ones life to this point. What have I accomplished? I have always tried to face life with a positive attitude. "This is going to be a great day." Today, I will do something extra well. I also believe age has a lot to do with who we are. Older is better, right? Perhaps this is not a great answer for who Bill MacWithey is but, on the other hand, I believe we are what we feel we are. Make sense?

Eaton:
You've managed to write numerous fiction and nonfiction books. When did you first decide you wanted to be a writer and what were the major influences that shaped your writing career?

MacWithey:
I suppose my love of writing came from my love of reading when I was young and had to do book reports. At a quite young age, I realized fiction was something truly special. The people writing fiction had to conjure up the entire story, pull it out of thin air and put it on paper.

So, in answer to what inspired me to write, I would have to say writers are dreamers. Just as the saying goes, "Men never really leave boyhood, only their toys change." I began writing seriously at a point in life when I had the time, the environment and the maturity to put dreams on paper. Someone once said that a great fiction writer is a person with an overactive imagination, who has learned to be a great liar. Honestly, I try hard to limit lying to my writing.

Eaton:
Tell us who your favorite author is and why.

MacWithey:
I suppose my first choice would be Bill MacWithey. Just kidding. Actually, if we were talking about authors living and dead, there is no hesitation in saying Mark Twain. He would be my first choice for a number of reasons. First and foremost, for a fiction writer, he had a great way with words and coming up with his own original double entendres. His works were so often filled with messages just below the surface, messages some understood and others didn't. His original writings were based on people and events he saw happening around him, and he had a uniquely marvelous way of turning them into enjoyable stories.

If I had to choose a favorite living author it would be extremely difficult because, just as I write in a number of genres, I read a number of genres. There is such a long list of excellent writers today I find it nearly impossible to name even a few as favorites, but I admire Truman Capote's ability to turn true incidents into a novel so well. I admire the research and knowledge that goes into Tom Clancy's work. And, I could go on and on. I have been accused of not being able to say good morning in less than two hundred fifty words, so I will stop here.

Eaton:
Based on your own experience, what advice would you give to unpublished writers?

MacWithey:
Today, if you have no publishing record, it seems you must be a mass murderer, a Hollywood type or politician to get published by traditional publishers. Yet, there are many options for publishing your work. Among these are publishing your work at websites such as mine, self publishing and/or publishing with someone like Xlibris Publishing. I charge nothing to place your work on my site, but I am rather demanding in that it must be a good story, well written and well edited.

There are a number of free sites where you can publish your work without charge. This can be moderately successful, but do not quit your day job.

Xlibris Publishing charges for placing your work on their site, but they offer print on demand and have connections with major book retailers and wholesalers.

Self-publishing can be quite rewarding if you are willing to work at it. Not the publishing, but promoting and selling. Anyone interested in self publishing, I can give them a world of insight into getting their book ready for printing, getting it printed at a reasonable rate and how to promote and sell their books, since I self published my book of short stories,Can't You Hear The Whistle Blowing? This has been a pretty successful venture.

There are few traditional publishers who will look at "anything" without it being sent to them by a legitimate agent. Agents who want to charge you to represent your work are con artists, who do nothing but take your money and laugh. More info on this if you want via E-mail.

Eaton:
As I scanned your website Books By Bill and saw all the books you had written, I decided that writer's block apparently isn't a big problem for you. Can you give our writers some tips for avoiding that dreaded plague?

MacWithey:
Quite honestly, I might not be the best person to answer this because, as you surmise, it has seldom been a problem for me. But, one way to walk away from writer's block is to go off on a tangent with your story line. Example: if you are writing a sweet romance, where the couple involved are sure to end up living happily ever after, and you get to a point where you don't know where to go next with the story, have one of them hit by a bus and killed. Of course, this will ruin the happy ending that you want, so write the scene of sorrow etc, with the surviving lover mourning the death, and remembering the "good times." You're likely going to throw this away and continue in another vein, but it will distract you from the problem, give you new ideas for the story and, most importantly, it will keep you writing.

Eaton:
I understand you are working on an exciting new novel. Can you tell us a little about it and when it will be due for release?

MacWithey:
Actually, I'm working on a new romance novel, Bill and Elizabeth, which is about half finished This is the story of an undying love between two people through thick and thin. Bill and Elizabeth must continue running from a mobster to whom she was reluctantly betrothed. He is a monster that must be faced sooner or later if they are to live and be together.

Eaton:
In addition to selling your books--both fiction and non-fiction--from Books By Bill, are your books available for purchase through other major online booksellers and/or traditional bookstores?

MacWithey:
My books are for sale at all the major booksellers, such as Barnes & Noble. They are also available online from Amazon.com, Xlibris Publishing, and all smart booksellers everywhere.

Eaton:
Thanks again, Bill, for taking the time to share your experience as a writer. I know we'll all be looking forward to the release of your new romance novel, Bill and Elizabeth.