HOW TO BE FUN AND INTERESTING:
AN INTERVIEW WITH STEPHEN D. ROGERs
JAKE MAGAZINE: To produce the amount of work you write, do you have to follow a strict writing schedule, or do you write any time the mood strikes?
Stephen D. Rogers: I had scheduled writing time which, unfortunately, has been cut to the bone. I did write Monday and Wednesday evenings for two hours and then Saturday mornings for a number of years. At one point, I changed jobs and gained lunch hour. I quit to be a stay-at-home dad and gained naptime, only to lose it with a deep shock two years later. Currently, I'm down to Wednesday evenings and whatever I sneak into my new lunch hour which also includes local errands. Monday night I now go to writers group.
JM: What inspired you to begin your non-profit literacy program, LIFE?
SR: Wherever I looked, I saw people who once probably loved making up stories now afraid to put their thoughts on paper because of negative experiences in school. (And in exchange, they still didn't appreciate the classics or know how to construct a decent paragraph.) In the business world, this led to poor communication and materials written in haste. I'm trying to instill a sense of confidence in people as much as help them improve.
JM: It almost sounds like a class or a support group, is that how you envision LIFE?
SR: LIFE is really a lot of different programs. The last project we did was edit a self-published family genealogy. Actually, with the rise of the internet, I'm not sure if many of LIFE's functions aren't met just as well elsewhere. I'll have to think on that.
JM: Mystery and science-fiction are both genres that are often overlooked by people seeking 'fine literature'. Have you found this to be a problem, or does it give you freedom to experiment more?
SR: There are more people reading mysteries than literature. Writers who think they've written a novel with a strong mystery element sometimes resist being tagged a mystery writer but publishers are aware that the label will improve readership. There are critics and readers who will always sneer at genre writing. So what? As to people who might enjoy a certain story but don't notice it because of a genre label, I'm sure it happens. That's one of the instances when word-of-mouth is so important. I'm not sure genres allow you to experiment more as much as focus on the writing. Genres come with a basic structure that you can stretch as far as the framework allows but that central storyline is what people who don't like literature give as the reason. "Nothing happens." Science fiction is at an odd place in the novel spectrum (though thriving at the short story level). The few non-franchise bestsellers are not labeled science fiction as such. Soon after JURRASIC PARK stomped over the world, I saw a non-fiction book tracing this phenomenon but failed to buy it.
JM: Why haven't you written any novels?
SR: I think you mean, why haven't I published any. I've finished six. The first I consider my masterwork and expect that it will eventually see the light of day. The second had a publisher but I withdrew the manuscript over creative differences and haven't made the effort to restore the text to its original shape. (These first two novels would be considered literary.) Then there's a mystery (all I would save was the title), a horror/suspense/romance hybrid (can you spell bad decision from a marketing standpoint?) a science fiction novel (which I really need to revisit at some point but I seem to have shifted my "brand" towards mysteries), and a suspense novel with some redeeming features. After a long break from the format, I started another novel this spring and assume my time is better spent focusing on new projects rather than those born when I knew less than however much I know now. This new novel is why I joined the writers group.
JM: Six novels! How long has it typically taken you to write a novel? Is the experience taxing? What advice do you have for budding novelists?
SR: I wanted to get on a schedule of writing a novel a year but that never really worked out. Writing a novel isn't much different than writing a string of short stories except for structure. At least for me, structure is the hardest part of writing a novel, creating the arc and all the smaller supporting ones. Anybody who wants to write a novel should just start, finish, and then submit the final product to agents/editors. I think selling the novel is the most difficult part of the process. Writing is writing. Yes, I'm daunted by the idea of how many words I need to produce for this new book is but then I try to remember that I've written over 500,000 words worth of short stories.
JM: How do you build trust in a writer's group? How do you go about establishing one?
SR: I was actually asked to join this writers group but I have started others by posting a notice at the library. I think trust has to do with respect and all the members are multi-published writers in various forms. That cuts down on amateurism. I think it's also important for people to make attending and bringing new material priorities.
JM: You maintain a presence on the Internet in a number of places. How helpful have websites and e-zines been in distributing your work?
SR: . I love the internet and how it allows a reader to finish a piece, follow a link to my home page, and then link out to other available material and publications. Unfortunately, between the reduction and writing time and the novel, my presence has shrunk dramatically.
JM: How many short stories and poems have you had published? Have you ever considered putting out a book of short stories or poems? Why or why not?
SR: What is it they say about statistics? I've sold 349 short stories and 117 poems. Discount reprints and markets that folded, that drops the count to 298 short stories and 98 poems. But some of those may not have appeared yet and so may once again be unsold as publications fold. I focus on what sells in a month because that's how I structure my website (http://www.stephendrogers.com) and try to gauge the direction of my "career." If someone came to me looking for a particular type of collection then it might happen. Otherwise, there are too many ways to slice me. That's a downside to writing across the map.
JM: How old were you when you decided that you wanted to be a writer? What influenced you?
SR: . I don't ever remember not wanting to be a writer. That choice has colored all others I've made in my life. As a youngster, I read everything I could get my hands on and then reread the pieces again and again until I could get my hands on something new. Unfortunately, I don't think I did a very good job of absorbing lessons from those published examples or I'd be further along in my "career." The list of authors who most influenced me includes Richard Matheson, Donald Hamilton, Richard S. Prather, Walter Wager, Alistair Maclain, Kurt Vonnegut, and PG Wodehouse.
JM: For the uninitiated what is Crime Scene and what do you write for them?
SR: Crime Scene (http://wwww.crimescene.com) is an online interactive mystery. Someone dies and viewers are treated to police interviews, character biographies, evidence, and other documentation that is released on a schedule as the case unfolds. Before the final solution is presented, viewers have the opportunity to post theories and win prizes. Until that time, there is a thriving community bulletin board and occasional chats. Paying members see new information as it's released but anyone can jump in and view everything but the most recent additions. I write character biographies, interviews (my favorite task), and evidence ranging from telephone records to arrest reports. For the next case, I've been asked to step up to the head writer position which will add producing the case bible, setting writer assignments, and hosting "Ask the Detectives." The Crime Scene site also has an on-line store. Now I can fingerprint the family at Thanksgiving and finally say, "Okay Grandma, time for your DNA swab."
JM: Where did the idea for an interactive on-line mystery come from? How long have you been working with Crime Scene? What kind of future do you see for a story in which an audience can interact from anywhere in the world?
SR: I'm not sure how Crime Scene came to be. It's been around ten years and I've only worked there for the last two. I think the format is vibrant because I can tailor what I'm writing to fit (or subvert) viewer comments and assumptions.
JM: I see that you teach two different courses at the on-line Writers College. How does the college work? What will I learn if I take one of your classes?
SR: At Writers College (http://www.writerscollege.com), my students receive six weekly lectures, extensive feedback on homework, and any questions asked in a timely fashion. (Timely only means you can measure how long it took, right?) I have two goals with each student. First, that the student should end the course with a completed short story that is better than it would have been without the course. Second, and I realize I have no control over this, that the student recoup the cost of the course by selling that story.
JM: Who are your favorite authors? What are you reading right now?
SR: . I don't have favorite authors so much as favorite pieces. It's not uncommon for me to like only one book/story of an author's catalog and nothing much else. Right now I'm reading Death of a Red Heroine, The Mystery of the Cape Cod Tavern, and A Woman's Eye.
JM: Any favorite music? Bands?
SR: I write most commonly to AC/DC and Black Sabbath. Sometimes I'll play music at almost a subliminal volume and sometimes I won't. Lately, I've been playing movies that I've seen a hundred times and just listening to them whenever I pull back from the writing. In a way, it's funny I write to older bands when I listen to college radio in the car but then I guess it's a matter of where I need to focus.
JM: What types of jobs have you held in the past? Are you still a stay at home dad?
SR: I had to go back to work as the civilian computer guy at a police station. I've had jobs (over fifty) in more sectors than I've missed. Paying the bills is important, yes, but I need to better understand the full gamut of people if I'm going to write about them.
JM: What do you see as the future of publishing? (Print vs. On-line etc.)
SR: It's hard for me to guess the future of publishing. I know I prefer print but that's the world I grew up with. Personally, I can't see the appeal of cell phones but that certainly hasn't stopped them from taking over the world.
SR: (One last thing) I recently wrote my twenty-third MURDER INK column for Writing World (http://www.writing-world.com). The column has been tough. I in no way consider myself an expert (at anything). On top of that, I feel this huge obligation to give readers something life-altering. Since that's a desire I also bring to both Crime Scene and Writers College, these three areas always have priority over my own writing.