Full Transcript for Michael Wendroff Reveals Secrets of Writing Thrillers that Sell | Author’s Voice with KAJ

00:04:11.680 --> 00:04:12.639 What have you? 74 00:04:12.639 --> 00:04:15.639 You know? You could have gone in any other direction, 75 00:04:15.879 --> 00:04:18.480 even as I'm on the marketing side. Also, that book 76 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:21.879 would have told many many times more. I want to 77 00:04:21.959 --> 00:04:25.720 understand why only in this particular direction you know much 78 00:04:25.759 --> 00:04:27.000 more of a thriller. 79 00:04:28.680 --> 00:04:32.480 Well, I always like thrillers, and in fact, my mother 80 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:36.720 had remarried a literary agent and a lot of his 81 00:04:36.879 --> 00:04:39.879 clients were thriller and mystery writers, and I got to 82 00:04:39.879 --> 00:04:42.360 know a lot of them, and in fact, I remember 83 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:45.079 one time we were staying at Robert Ludlam's house. Robert 84 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:47.879 Ludlam was the author of many bestsellers. A lot of 85 00:04:47.879 --> 00:04:52.399 people know him from the Born Identity movies with Matt Damon, 86 00:04:53.079 --> 00:04:56.480 and I remember one time I woke up early, went 87 00:04:56.519 --> 00:04:59.839 into his living room and there he was sitting on 88 00:04:59.879 --> 00:05:02.279 a couch with a yellow legal. 89 00:05:02.040 --> 00:05:05.360 Pad and a. 90 00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:09.160 Dixon Ticonderoga number two pencil in hand, and that is 91 00:05:09.240 --> 00:05:12.160 how he wrote his four hundred and fifty page novels 92 00:05:12.240 --> 00:05:18.360 by hand. Now, I admired Robert Ludlum's plotting in his prose, 93 00:05:18.439 --> 00:05:21.839 but thankfully, when it came time to write my book, 94 00:05:22.079 --> 00:05:24.879 I had a PC to do it. But you know, 95 00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:26.720 I knew a lot of thriller writers, and that's why 96 00:05:26.759 --> 00:05:30.079 I wanted to write a thriller. And you know, besides 97 00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:34.959 my stepfather having me around authors, my mother was also 98 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:38.079 in the publishing world at one point, because she had 99 00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:42.120 been an editor at New York City publishing houses when 100 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:47.720 she was younger. And in fact, I distinctly remember weekends 101 00:05:47.800 --> 00:05:52.160 seeing her cross legged on the couch, manuscript pages strewn 102 00:05:52.199 --> 00:05:55.439 about her, her red pencil. 103 00:05:55.120 --> 00:05:57.639 In hand, marking up those manuscript pages. 104 00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:00.839 You know, you think that would have prepared me when 105 00:06:00.879 --> 00:06:05.680 I got my editor's editorial comments. But you know, it 106 00:06:05.720 --> 00:06:09.079 wasn't in a red pencil anymore red pen but those 107 00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:12.839 comments in the margins of the word document, we're just 108 00:06:12.959 --> 00:06:13.959 as stuff. 109 00:06:14.439 --> 00:06:16.800 But I should have known that's what authors go through. 110 00:06:18.360 --> 00:06:22.720 Absolutely, So, how was your experience of writing this debut 111 00:06:22.800 --> 00:06:25.399 book of yours. Because see, you can be around so 112 00:06:25.439 --> 00:06:29.399 many authors, your family can be into publishing, being an 113 00:06:29.399 --> 00:06:32.920 author themselves, or editor or whatever it is. But at 114 00:06:32.920 --> 00:06:34.600 the end of the day, it is you who have 115 00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:38.879 to write. How did you do that for yourself? Was 116 00:06:38.920 --> 00:06:42.639 it a challenge or was it you know understood that, okay, 117 00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:45.279 it should flow much more easily to you. 118 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:49.839 Well, I love the writing process itself, that's my favorite thing. 119 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:53.879 But there's certainly were challenges because there's a lot of elements. 120 00:06:53.399 --> 00:06:55.560 To my writing process. 121 00:06:55.800 --> 00:06:58.079 I mean, for me, this is the first step in 122 00:06:58.160 --> 00:07:01.480 doing it is to id eight, to think up the 123 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:04.000 idea to do. What's the main plot going to be? 124 00:07:04.680 --> 00:07:07.120 And then you know, there are two kinds of writers. 125 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:10.600 There are writers called pantsers, who sit down at their 126 00:07:10.600 --> 00:07:13.120 PC and start writing by the scene of their pants 127 00:07:13.160 --> 00:07:17.959 without any outline, without any detailed plot. I can't do that. 128 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:20.279 I admire them, but that's not me. I'm what they 129 00:07:20.319 --> 00:07:24.759 call a plotter. So I will plot out in detail 130 00:07:24.879 --> 00:07:27.920 what's going to happen in my story. You know, what's 131 00:07:27.959 --> 00:07:30.319 that twist ending going to be? Where am I going 132 00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:33.639 to plant the red herrings along the way? What are 133 00:07:33.639 --> 00:07:36.920 the subplots? I need to know all of that. And 134 00:07:37.079 --> 00:07:42.079 you know, it's not like the plot can't evolve. I mean, 135 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:45.680 sometimes the characters in my book will start to talk 136 00:07:45.720 --> 00:07:50.439 to me, and am I crazy? Maybe a little, But 137 00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:55.000 you know, I remember one time actually when my plot 138 00:07:55.120 --> 00:07:59.560 outline called for the character to be killed off, and 139 00:08:00.120 --> 00:08:03.680 I'd really grown to like this character, so I couldn't 140 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:03.920 do it. 141 00:08:04.399 --> 00:08:06.560 I couldn't kill the character off, so I had to 142 00:08:06.639 --> 00:08:08.120 change the plot a bit. 143 00:08:09.240 --> 00:08:12.000 And then, in fact, there was another time when I 144 00:08:12.040 --> 00:08:14.120 also had to kill out a character that I'd grown 145 00:08:14.160 --> 00:08:18.240 to really really like, and this time I did kill 146 00:08:18.279 -->

00:08:21.079 the character off, and then for the whole next week 147 00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:23.519 I was so depressed. My wife's yelling me, what's wrong 148 00:08:23.560 --> 00:08:23.800 with you? 149 00:08:23.879 --> 00:08:24.680 These aren't real. 150 00:08:25.319 --> 00:08:28.519 But to an author, you know, these characters are real. 151 00:08:28.600 --> 00:08:29.920 You're living with them a long time. 152 00:08:29.959 --> 00:08:30.480 They're real. 153 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:35.240 So you know, my number one is plotting it out. 154 00:08:35.320 --> 00:08:39.399 Number two is to research the book. And you know, 155 00:08:39.480 --> 00:08:43.840 these days, with AI like chat GBT, you can be 156 00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:47.039 more efficient at researching. Back when I wrote this one, 157 00:08:47.080 --> 00:08:50.320 it was really just Google to learn about old you know, 158 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:52.360 I didn't know much about guns or these. 159 00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:55.240 Crazy groups, so a lot of research. 160 00:08:55.279 --> 00:08:58.240 But what I found actually is that the best way 161 00:08:58.279 --> 00:09:01.480 to do research is to talk to the real people. 162 00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:04.960 So I was lucky I got to talk to FBI 163 00:09:05.080 --> 00:09:07.279 agents since I have a FBI agents in my book. 164 00:09:07.480 --> 00:09:09.600 I got to talk to a chief of police in 165 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:13.360 my town. I got to talk to a female detective, 166 00:09:13.399 --> 00:09:16.759 which was very important for because I have a key 167 00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:19.799 character that's a female detective, and that was very helpful. 168 00:09:19.799 --> 00:09:22.759 I got a lot of insights from her and anecdotes 169 00:09:22.799 --> 00:09:26.240 that made their way into the book. So, you know, 170 00:09:26.279 --> 00:09:29.320 it's important to talk to characters that are going to 171 00:09:29.399 --> 00:09:30.799 be in your book, the type of people that will 172 00:09:30.840 --> 00:09:35.039 be in your book. Now, I don't think I spoke 173 00:09:35.159 --> 00:09:38.240 to any serial killers, but. 174 00:09:39.879 --> 00:09:40.440 Who knows. 175 00:09:41.279 --> 00:09:43.600 And then the last part of my process after the 176 00:09:43.639 --> 00:09:47.720 research is to sit down and write. 177 00:09:47.720 --> 00:09:49.799 So I'll sit down, I'll get I'll wake up early, 178 00:09:50.039 --> 00:09:50.600 I'm fresh. 179 00:09:50.639 --> 00:09:53.360 I work best when i'm freshest in the morning, and 180 00:09:53.399 --> 00:09:56.399 I'll just you know, start scribbling out on my PC 181 00:09:56.639 --> 00:10:00.960 the storyline, not worrying about the words and cells or 182 00:10:01.279 --> 00:10:03.639 you know, is this good writing. Just get the story 183 00:10:03.759 --> 00:10:06.720 flowing and then you know, let's say that's day one. 184 00:10:06.799 --> 00:10:09.600 Then the next day I'll start off in the morning 185 00:10:09.720 --> 00:10:13.480 going over what I'd written the day before, and that's 186 00:10:13.679 --> 00:10:14.679 when I try. 187 00:10:14.399 --> 00:10:16.120 And make it into real writing. 188 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:19.519 Make sure every word fits with the other words, and 189 00:10:19.559 --> 00:10:22.879 the sentences, every sentence fits with the others in the paragraph. 190 00:10:23.559 --> 00:10:28.120 Add the metaphors, add the analogies, maybe some alliteration, do. 191 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:29.279 All of that stuff. 192 00:10:30.639 --> 00:10:32.919 And then you know that, and then when I'm done 193 00:10:32.960 --> 00:10:35.759 with that, I'll start just you know, getting the story flowing, 194 00:10:36.120 --> 00:10:39.879 getting the words moving again. And I'll have that day 195 00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:42.240 by day, you know, get the words out, review what 196 00:10:42.240 --> 00:10:45.639 I'd written, get the words out, and I'll do that 197 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:49.360 every day until i can write my two favorite words, 198 00:10:49.559 --> 00:10:51.559 which are the end. 199 00:10:54.039 --> 00:10:59.320 Absolutely. What about feedbacks? Normally authors do take feedback along 200 00:10:59.399 --> 00:11:02.799 the base. They can, you know, define it not only 201 00:11:02.840 --> 00:11:06.240 just the editors, but also you know, some part of 202 00:11:06.279 --> 00:11:09.879 the you know, would be readers. I understand there are 203 00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:12.759 groups and all what was your thing? Did you require 204 00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:15.879 that or it went straight to the editors. 205 00:11:16.200 --> 00:11:18.960 No, I think it's important to get feedback before the 206 00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:22.360 book starts getting shown. And you know, there are a 207 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:25.559 lot of writers who do belong to writing groups and they. 208 00:11:25.480 --> 00:11:26.600 Get feedback that way. 209 00:11:27.720 --> 00:11:31.559 My initial feedback was from my family and you know 210 00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:34.919 some people my family are avid thriller readers, so I 211 00:11:35.000 --> 00:11:36.639 got some good feedback from them. 212 00:11:37.240 --> 00:11:38.399 And then I did what a. 213 00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:40.519 Lot of other authors do, which is cool, go out 214 00:11:40.559 --> 00:11:45.080 to beta readers and beta and you know, those are 215 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:48.600 people generally they could be friends, but they read a 216 00:11:48.600 --> 00:11:52.960 lot in your category, so my case, thrillers, and and 217 00:11:53.000 --> 00:11:54.879 I gave them the book to read. I gave it 218 00:11:54.879 --> 00:11:57.879 to three people and they all gave me very good feedback. 219 00:11:57.879 --> 00:12:01.200 I changed some things based on that feed back, and 220 00:12:01.240 --> 00:12:06.320 then when that was over, you know, then I felt 221 00:12:06.320 --> 00:12:10.080 the book was good enough for my agent to show 222

00:12:10.120 --> 00:12:10.679 it around. 223 00:12:11.279 --> 00:12:12.320 And you know what I. 224 00:12:12.320 --> 00:12:15.399 Learned in terms of, you know, the editorial and changes 225 00:12:15.919 --> 00:12:19.360 from that process is that when I wrote my two 226 00:12:19.399 --> 00:12:23.840 favorite words the end, that was clearly not the end 227 00:12:23.960 --> 00:12:27.440 of the process. What I found is there's all sorts 228 00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:31.080 of different editors at a traditional publishing house like Bloomsbury. 229 00:12:32.279 --> 00:12:35.399 You know, first there's the acquiring editor, the editor that 230 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:38.120 buys your book, and that editor, I would say, is 231 00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:42.399 more like a strategic editor might say things, you know, 232 00:12:42.519 --> 00:12:45.679 very big picture, might say things like this book needs 233 00:12:45.679 --> 00:12:48.759 a prologue, or you need to move this action from 234 00:12:49.039 --> 00:12:50.440 the end of the book to more in the middle 235 00:12:50.440 --> 00:12:53.879 of the book, you know, more big picture stuff. Then 236 00:12:53.919 --> 00:12:57.480 there's a line editor, and the line editor is like 237 00:12:57.559 --> 00:12:59.879 its silence, goes through every line in your book, and 238 00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:02.799 you know, wants to make sure it's the best that 239 00:13:02.879 --> 00:13:06.120 it could be. And after that, you know, of course 240 00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:08.559 each stage I'm having to, you know, go through my 241 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:09.440 entire book again. 242 00:13:09.960 --> 00:13:13.039 And after that is the copy editor. 243 00:13:13.360 --> 00:13:17.559 And the copy editor's job is really to do things like, 244 00:13:17.639 --> 00:13:21.080 you know, check facts if you're writing about guns or dates, 245 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:25.039 make sure that you didn't say that, you know, Jill 246 00:13:25.200 --> 00:13:27.879 had green eyes in chapter two and brown eyes and 247 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:30.399 chapter eight, that that type of thing. Keep track of 248 00:13:30.440 --> 00:13:33.679 all those details and make sure they're right. And after 249 00:13:33.720 --> 00:13:39.600 that is a proofreader. And of course a proofreader wants 250 00:13:39.639 --> 00:13:42.080 to be a copy heater. A copy heater wants to 251 00:13:42.120 --> 00:13:43.679 be a line editor. So they're all trying to do 252 00:13:43.759 --> 00:13:49.799 this extra stuff to show they are but the proof reader. 253 00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:52.279 But they're all extremely valuable obviously people. 254 00:13:52.519 --> 00:13:56.480 So I thought I was finally done, and then my 255 00:13:56.519 --> 00:14:01.000 publisher comes to me and says, hey, Michael, the hardcover 256 00:14:01.240 --> 00:14:02.879 type was just set. 257 00:14:02.759 --> 00:14:03.480 On your book. 258 00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:06.480 You need to go read it again and make sure 259 00:14:06.519 --> 00:14:08.039 nothing happened in that process. 260 00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:09.320 And no type fell out. 261 00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:14.000 I can't tell you how many times I read my book. 262 00:14:14.840 --> 00:14:16.320 It's a good thing. I like it. 263 00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:22.840 Absolutely, absolutely, But what about you know what's the trick 264 00:14:22.919 --> 00:14:27.000 to land you know, Bloomsbury, and then you sell the 265 00:14:27.360 --> 00:14:32.399 you have the EBU cover Italians, you know, selling rights, 266 00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:36.039 language rights in Italian, Japanese, Hungarian. 267 00:14:35.759 --> 00:14:36.840 It's all these things. 268 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:40.440 Normal authors they struggle a lot. How did you manage 269 00:14:40.480 --> 00:14:43.159 any tifts for new authors? 270 00:14:44.039 --> 00:14:47.480 Well, I mean, besides writing a good book, the key 271 00:14:47.600 --> 00:14:50.039 is is, really, you know, make sure you get a 272 00:14:50.120 --> 00:14:53.639 good agent. So a literary agent is really the person 273 00:14:54.120 --> 00:14:57.759 that is the go between between an author and the publisher, 274 00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:02.559 and publishers these days will not look at your manuscript 275 00:15:02.759 --> 00:15:07.120 unless it comes from a literary agent. And you know, 276 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:11.000 some people say that it's harder to actually get a 277 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:14.240 literary agent to take you on as a client than 278 00:15:14.279 --> 00:15:17.480 it is for that agent to then get your book published, 279 00:15:17.960 --> 00:15:21.840 because you know, it would not be unusual to reach 280 00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:26.080 out in what's called a query process to one hundred agents, 281 00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:29.799 and you can get rejected by one hundred agents. But 282 00:15:29.879 --> 00:15:34.840 if you find that one that likes your story, then 283 00:15:35.320 --> 00:15:38.120 it could be golden and it could work out really well, 284 00:15:38.320 --> 00:15:40.960 so I was lucky that I had a good agent, 285 00:15:41.039 --> 00:15:43.120 and there was you know, a lot of interest from 286 00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:46.000 you know, publishers around the world, and a lot of 287 00:15:46.039 --> 00:15:49.200 interest from you know, people that do audio books and 288 00:15:50.240 --> 00:15:53.919 all these different versions. In fact, the paperback edition comes out, 289 00:15:53.960 --> 00:15:57.120 and it comes out in a couple of weeks, and 290 00:15:57.159 --> 00:16:02.200 my hardcover had sold out. You know, it's a tough process, 291 00:16:02.279 --> 00:16:04.679 but you know, to all those budding authors, it could 292 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:08.039 it could work out really well, but you just have 293 00:16:08.120 --> 00:16:12.600 to be you know, persistent, got to keep that absolutely. 294 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:16.120 So to repeat my earlier question, who is

this book 295 00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:19.480 for only for people who love thrillers or is it 296 00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:22.600 for a much more wider audience? Help us understand from. 297 00:16:22.519 --> 00:16:27.720 That point, Well, if you love mysteries and thrillers, it's 298 00:16:27.759 --> 00:16:30.360 definitely for you. But I think, you know, there's also 299 00:16:30.440 --> 00:16:33.879 a wider message in it, and you know, it's really 300 00:16:33.919 --> 00:16:40.919 about the ever, everlasting bonds that transcend time. So you know, 301 00:16:40.919 --> 00:16:43.399 if you like the movie The Sixth Sense, you'll you'll 302 00:16:43.480 --> 00:16:46.399 like this too. I think it reaches and what I 303 00:16:46.480 --> 00:16:49.120 found in the research so far and who's buying the book, 304 00:16:49.159 --> 00:16:52.480 There is some research and it shows that it appeals 305 00:16:52.519 --> 00:16:55.320 to both men and women, and I was very happy 306 00:16:55.360 --> 00:16:57.679 about that. I wanted it to appeal to both. So 307 00:16:58.200 --> 00:17:00.080 you know, I've got a lot of action in there, 308 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:02.759 which a lot of the men appreciate, and I've got 309 00:17:02.759 --> 00:17:07.400 a lot of you know, emotional and romantic elements to 310 00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:08.200 it as well. 311 00:17:09.480 --> 00:17:11.480 So you know, it looks like it's. 312 00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:16.480 Appealing to anyone aged twenty five and up and both 313 00:17:16.519 --> 00:17:17.559 male and female. 314 00:17:17.720 --> 00:17:19.400 So's it's been good. 315 00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:21.319 And you know, I was just lucky that I also 316 00:17:21.400 --> 00:17:24.759 got a lot of really nice quotes from best selling 317 00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:29.400 authors who were willing to actually read my book, and they. 318 00:17:29.279 --> 00:17:31.400 Said such nice things about it. Like J. D. 319 00:17:31.559 --> 00:17:33.599 Barker, who's been a number one Dyar of Times best 320 00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:38.720 selling author, said that when Droff expertly weaves the narrative, 321 00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:42.680 that beigs just one more page. And that's that's exactly 322 00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:45.000 what I wanted. I wanted it to be a page turner. 323 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:47.640 I wanted people to not be able to put it down. 324 00:17:48.359 --> 00:17:51.279 And you know, some of the tricks are the way 325 00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:54.279 I write really to do that is I write in 326 00:17:54.359 --> 00:17:57.920 short chapters. And I guess the original author who did 327 00:17:57.920 --> 00:18:00.960 that was James Patterson, but I like way he had 328 00:18:01.000 --> 00:18:05.720 written his early books, and I try to end each 329 00:18:05.920 --> 00:18:09.240 of the short chapters on some kind of hook. It 330 00:18:09.240 --> 00:18:13.559 could be an emotional hook, it could be a physical hook, 331 00:18:14.079 --> 00:18:17.599 just some kind of cliffhanger that I'll make the reader 332 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:19.839 want to go to that next page and then at 333 00:18:19.839 --> 00:18:23.279 that next chapter. I'll try and start each chapter with 334 00:18:23.960 --> 00:18:27.680 a very interesting first line. Also, you know, keep the 335 00:18:27.720 --> 00:18:30.440 pages turning. And that's what I like. So many people 336 00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:32.920 have said, oh my god, you kept me up all night, 337 00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:34.799 that type of thing. They could, they couldn't put it down, 338 00:18:34.799 --> 00:18:35.720 and that's that's so. 339 00:18:35.960 --> 00:18:38.799 Gratifying for an author. I'm very happy with the way 340 00:18:38.839 --> 00:18:40.160 it's all worked out. I'm lucky. 341 00:18:41.720 --> 00:18:45.319 Absolutely absolutely. So you know you wanted to write those 342 00:18:45.640 --> 00:18:49.960 two little words the end and Jedd Warker Barker says 343 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:53.319 in your and is coment just one more page? So 344 00:18:53.720 --> 00:18:56.279 is this this is the first book? Any more book 345 00:18:56.279 --> 00:18:58.880 after this? Anything else in the pipeline? 346 00:18:58.960 --> 00:19:03.880 Absolutely? Absolutely. I'm writing my second book right now. I'm 347 00:19:03.880 --> 00:19:06.559 about in the middle of it. Of course, it's another thriller, 348 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:09.960 because I believe that, you know, authors, for the most part, 349 00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:13.039 should should be like brands and give their readers the 350 00:19:13.079 --> 00:19:15.359 type of book they expect from you based on what 351 00:19:15.400 --> 00:19:16.200 they saw in the past. 352 00:19:16.200 --> 00:19:17.000 So it's another. 353 00:19:16.799 --> 00:19:21.240 Thriller and it's kind of pretty quil because it does 354 00:19:21.279 --> 00:19:24.920 include the two main characters from What Goes Around, so 355 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:28.279 they'll be in it as well and having a ball 356 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:29.839 writing it. It's it's a lot of fun. 357 00:19:31.480 --> 00:19:34.599 Absolutely, it's a lot of fun for you and a 358 00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:37.559 lot of you know, things for the for the audience here, 359 00:19:37.720 --> 00:19:40.440 so for a lot of people who'd want to connect, 360 00:19:40.440 --> 00:19:43.440 but you learn more from you about you, about your journey, 361 00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:46.240 also about the book. What's the best way for them 362 00:19:46.480 --> 00:19:48.200 to do so, Michael. 363 00:19:49.640 --> 00:19:51.799 The best way to do so is really you can 364 00:19:51.799 --> 00:19:54.960 go to my website Michael Windroft dot com and on 365 00:19:55.000 --> 00:19:58.920 that website I have an email page and authors or 366 00:19:59.240 --> 00:20:01.839 would be writers or anyone or people who read the 367 00:20:01.839 --> 00:20:04.200 book and of questions about it can email me and 368 00:20:04.559 -->

00:20:07.319 I respond to every email I get, and I've been 369 00:20:07.319 --> 00:20:09.799 getting a few and it's fun to respond to them. 370 00:20:09.839 --> 00:20:12.400 And you know, I found out a lot of would 371 00:20:12.440 --> 00:20:17.200 be authors have also been writing in and asking questions, 372 00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:21.200 and you know what, I usually my advice to them 373 00:20:21.240 --> 00:20:23.920 when they when they ask about what they should do, 374 00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:27.839 is you know, first write in the genre that you 375 00:20:27.960 --> 00:20:28.680 enjoy reading. 376 00:20:28.759 --> 00:20:29.920 I think that helps a lot. 377 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:33.480 Keep reading, you know, read, you know, go check out 378 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:36.680 what's selling in your genre and read all the time. 379 00:20:37.400 --> 00:20:42.000 And then I think what would be authors have to 380 00:20:42.039 --> 00:20:46.640 do is really learn and practice the craft, because there 381 00:20:46.759 --> 00:20:49.920 is a craft to writing. You have to know, you 382 00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:53.519 know what perspective you're writing in, and there's a lot 383 00:20:53.559 --> 00:20:57.039 there's actually a lot to it, and you can learn 384 00:20:57.079 --> 00:20:58.920 in a lot of ways. I mean sure, as I 385 00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:01.359 mentioned before, these writers groups who can get feedback from, 386 00:21:01.880 --> 00:21:08.000 but you can also go online and there's different best 387 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:11.480 selling writers that have been on like BBC Maestro is 388 00:21:11.480 --> 00:21:15.799 something where I listen to a ten part series from 389 00:21:16.279 --> 00:21:19.920 Harlan Coben and then another one from James Patterson, and 390 00:21:19.960 --> 00:21:22.880 they talk about writing and they don't always you know, 391 00:21:23.240 --> 00:21:25.279 they may not always agree, they may have different points 392 00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:27.039 of view, but I think that's good too, so everyone 393 00:21:27.079 --> 00:21:30.359 can find you know, what works for them. And there's 394 00:21:30.400 --> 00:21:33.920 also you know a lot of conventions, like I was 395 00:21:33.960 --> 00:21:37.720 at thriller Fest in New York City, a thriller writers convention, 396 00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:40.960 and they also have a lot of classes and talks 397 00:21:41.000 --> 00:21:45.079 about the craft of writing. So would be writers should 398 00:21:45.079 --> 00:21:49.039 definitely take advantage of these learning opportunities that are out 399 00:21:49.119 --> 00:21:52.799 there and always be writing, and I guess i'd be. 400 00:21:53.319 --> 00:21:56.880 I should say. One last thing about becoming an author 401 00:21:56.960 --> 00:21:59.319 is that if you really want to become one, you 402 00:21:59.400 --> 00:22:03.119 have to start preparing yourself to do the marketing aspect 403 00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:06.920 to so, you know, make sure you've got your social 404 00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:11.000 media going, and start to be unfamiliar with what you 405 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:13.759 you might have to do to market your book. Is 406 00:22:13.799 --> 00:22:17.960 publishing these days, it's or being an author these days 407 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:22.000 it's it says, fifty percent writing and fifty marketing. 408 00:22:23.880 --> 00:22:27.480 Absolutely absolutely with this. It's set up on this very 409 00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:31.319 special edition of the Author's Voice with KAG. Thank you 410 00:22:31.359 --> 00:22:33.200 so much indeed for joining us. 411 00:22:33.559 --> 00:22:34.440 Thank you. That was fun