Today, Hartford Books Examiner is pleased to welcome Russell Brooks.
The author of two novels, Brooks lives in Montreal and is currently shopping his first manuscript, the spy/thriller Pandora’s Succession, to publishers and agents. (An audio excerpt can be heard at http://www.Pandorabook1.com) He is a proponent of social networking, and maintains an active web presence which includes accounts with Twitter and Facebook as well as a blog to keep readers informed of his activities. Brooks also participates in a weekly Internet radio show in which he interprets poetry submitted by others, and recently debuted The Russell Show on YouTube. A former member of the Canadian Track and Field Team who participated in both the World University Games in 1999 and the Jeux de la Francophonie in 1997, he is the embodiment of discipline and determination.
Now, Russell Brooks kindly offers an insightful look at his works-in-progress and shares his knowledge of and experiences with the publishing industry, which is sure to be of benefit to all aspiring writers…
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1) You've written two novels--PANDORA'S SUCCESSION and another work. What can you tell us about your characters and their circumstances?
I wrote a second book last year but it hasn't been edited yet. And that one falls into the mystery genre as opposed to the action/thriller genre of PS. I won't talk about it right now.
PS is about troubled CIA operative, Ridley Fox, who blames himself for the death of his fiancé who was murdered on the same day that he proposed to her. In PS, he confronts her killers, an arms consortium called The Arms of Ares who have somehow salvaged what may be the world's oldest biological weapon. A lead sends Fox to Tokyo where he crosses paths with another operative, Dr Nita Parris, a woman from his past whom he nearly got killed. The subject matter is about bioterrorism and corrupt government agents, which in essence, is an actual threat today.
2) How did you find the experience of writing the second book in comparison to the first? Were there any particular lessons that you learned the first time around that benefited you with book #2?
The second book was a lot easier than the first. For PS, I had to do tons of research. I had to read up on articles about the CIA, biological warfare, microbes, weapons, the military, terrorists, and several scientific articles. I also read spy novels by Vince Flynn and Barry Eisler for some reference material. My brother's in the Canadian army and was a reference for my military info. I have a background in biology (BS Indiana University, Bloomington) which helped me with the rest. I also had help from my writing coach, Victory Crayne (www.Crayne.com) who worked with me to bring my story up to publication standards. I learned a lot from her in 2 months than I did in 20 years that it took me to write PS (all the rewrites).
My second novel, I decided to give myself a break and keep it local in and around my home town of Montreal. No foreign locations, no spooks, no terrorists, and no heavy research. It's about 3 ordinary people in their twenties that get themselves involved in a murder. Think of the movie, Pineapple Express, with black people as the main characters and without the weed, lol. That one only took me 2 1/2 months to write. What helped me was that I had an outline, and since research was far less, there were less complications.
3) You are currently shopping PANDORA’S SUCCESSION. How have you found this experience to be, given the current climate in publication? What advice would you share with fellow writers looking to be discovered?
The publishing climate is extremely tough. I've been rejected several times. The good news is that after my last draft, literary agents are still requesting chapters of my novel, some of them were the same ones that refused it before. The advice that I would share with fellow writers is that it is important to learn as much as you can about the publishing industry. It's important for writers to know that not every agent/publisher is legit and should refer to watchdog websites such as Predators and Editors to make sure that they are not being scammed. Secondly, get a professional to edit and critique your novel, don't get friends or family members, unless they work in the publishing industry or have sold several books. I stress the word sold, because nowadays anyone can get their book published. But many published books (traditional, vanity (which I do not recommend) and mostly self-published) go unsold unless friends and family members buy them.
Write to published authors or visit their websites. JA Konrath (www.JAKonrath.com) has an excellent website where you can get a wealth of info on the publishing industry, and what it took for him to become a successful mystery/humor author.
4) You have a web-site, blog, and Facebook and Twitter accounts. What advantages do these forums provide? What other means of self-promotion have you found to be effective?
Social networking has its advantages because it allows me to easily update my followers on what I'm currently doing. It's also important to make good relationships with people, especially strangers. I have a background in sales, and what I found to be important is that people won't necessarily buy my novel when it's published. They're going to buy me first. As long as the general public buys me, everything else will follow. Another advantage to social networking is that you never know who will spot you. It could be an agent, a publisher, or a journalist. My blog, The Big Picture, is where I showcase some of my other talents. I've posted several essays on various topics that most people should be able to relate to. One of them, Why does Vancouver not deserve to host the 2010 Winter Olympics, was published in the Op-Ed section of the National Post last year. I'm a former Canadian Track and Field team member, so I used my personal experiences as a Canadian athlete to expose several problems that athletes face that very few Canadians chose not to speak of or do not know about. That was my first published work, and I also became an enemy of the state in the same week.
I also participate on an internet radio show called The Artist Lounge Radio Show every Sunday evening, where I recite poetry on live radio. I'm not a poet, but poets send me their poems and request me to read them. I used my background from an acting class that I took while at IU to help bring my personal twist in each poem or story that I read. I've posted a few episodes on my blog. What I also started last weekend was my own YouTube show called The Russell Show, where I just take what I do on the radio show in front of a camera. This is my way of giving back to my supporters and showcasing some of my other talents. I plan to do other things on the show in the future, such as reading book excerpts, etc. (I might play my violin sometime).
5) Do you ever find that promotional activities get in the way of the actual writing? What advice would you give for achieving a balance between the two?
I hired Gumbowriters.com to handle the major promotion. CEO and author, Jeff Rivera, was in the same situation that I am right now a few years ago when he wrote his first novel. When it comes to writing my novel, I don't think about promotion because I already have too many ideas going on in my head already for the book. I'll social network a bit in between to respond to all of my messages I get every day. In between writing novels, I'll promote tremendously along with Gumbowriters.com. I live by my motto "Don't expect anyone to do for you what you're not prepared to do for yourself."
6) You are a former member of the Canadian track and field team. Do you find that the discipline needed for training/competition has transferred itself to your writing? Are there any other comparisons that you can draw between the two?
Most definitely. When I was competing professionally it was important to learn as much as I could and perfect running technique, which is similar to writing. Anyone can run, but not everyone can run efficiently. I'd say that my track meets are similar to marketing. I am up against thousands of other writers attempting to get a book deal, just as I was up against several sprinters trying to get a spot on the national team. And it's not necessarily the one that has worked the hardest that will land on top, it's the one that has worked the most efficiently.
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Be sure to visit Russell Brooks through his blog, The Big Picture, or follow him on Twitter.
Russell Brooks was born in Montreal, Quebec. He attented Indiana University in Bloomington, IN on a track and field scholarship where he was an all Big Ten in the 60m, 100m, and the 200m. He graduated in 2000 with a degree in Biology and a minor in psychology. He represented Canada in the World University Games in Palma di Mallorca, Spain in 1999 and several other international level competitions in Europe. During these road trips he began writing his first novel, Pandora's Succession. He has since retired from sprinting and now focuses more on his writing.
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