Interview With Author Bruce Ball
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
When I was in 7th grade, our teacher was in front of the class talking while I was busy writing a short science fiction story in my notebook.
She noticed me, and without saying a word, walked back to my desk, took my notebook, closed it, laid it on her desk and resumed her lesson. I was too afraid to ask for it back.
Two months later, I found out that she had read it and submitted it to the school newspaper and they published it! From that day on, I have wanted to write more than anything else. That was 63 years ago, and I am still writing!
I have done a variety of things in my life, starting with going to college and then being a flight weather forecaster for Navy fighter jets during the Vietnam War. Later, I came across a man who helped me film an artist show for T.V., which ran for three years in different market venues.
I had a career with the United States government, and after I retired I went to school once again and became an ordained Protestant pastor. After spending nearly 20 years as a pastor in several states, I was forced into retirement due to physical conditions.
After I retired from the pulpit, I kept writing and ended up, at this point, authoring more than twelve books, in several different genres. You will notice that for each position I held as mentioned above, there came an “end date”. The only thing that has never stopped is my passion for writing.
I invite everyone to view my website, which showcases each of my books.
http://www.bruceballbooks.com
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, which I just finished, is entitled, “A Murder In Sandy Cove.”
I was inspired by a young man who had just finished his tour of duty with the Marines in Afghanistan and was eager to head home to his hometown to fulfill his childhood dream. that of working for their police force.
He was so passionate, I felt there was a story to be told, and the more I thought about it, the more I knew I had to write it.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do not write every day. My office is on the second floor of our home, and at my age, it is harder to “get up there” than it used to be, so I make notes in a notebook. Every other day or so, when I can get upstairs, I take my notebook and read and type, for hours on end, watching my imagination taking place on my computer screen.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Being a retired pastor, I was first influenced by the writers of the Bible. For everything those men may have lacked, the one thing they had a lot of was pure honest passion for what they wrote about.
I pray that I never lose the passion I have for writing. Writing has been my desire, escape, and even my friend for too many years for me to let go of it now.
What are you working on now?
I just started a tale of a man who gets off work one day and bids the people he works with good-bye. But when he goes to the parking lot to get into his car, it is gone. He phones his wife to see if she might have taken it, but there is no such phone number.
He goes back inside the building, but they will not let him in as none of them recognize him.
I have my notes that I have written, but I am not positive where this story will lead, as it keeps changing on me every few days.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
In college, it was pounded into me to do all I could to avoid plagiarism. Today, I have been told that my personal writing style shows up many times as an AI produced writing and that I should change my personal style of writing so that it does not do that.
Rather than change ‘me’, I have discovered another way to deal with it. I use two different websites to help.
I use a free website that checks to see if what I have written is AI generated. If it shows up that it is, I use another website to paraphrase my words. I let it paraphrase the words I wrote three times. Then, I edit the finished product again using my own words.
After that, I can feel confident that nobody can ever say I cheated or that I am not using my own words to write.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Definitely do not try to write for any monetary rewards, because there will not be any! Instead, write because it consumes you and you just love to write – period!
And do not let negate comments do anything but motivate you more. You will improve naturally as you keep writing, so just relax, chill out, and write from your heart.
Oh yeah, you will be faced with a million ways to spend your money to “get sales.” You may have to occasionally spend some money, but spend wisely. If someone contacts you, tell them “NO!” If you want someone’s help, you contact them!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
An old preacher once told a much younger me, “Pray before you write something, pray as you write it, and then after you finish writing, pray again to see if that is what you really want to say to others!”
That man was Billy Graham, and I met him in the 1960s in Tokyo when I was in the Navy. Smartest advice I ever got!
What are you reading now?
I just finished James Michner’s “IBERIA”. Such an elegant wordsmith! If I could be half as good as him, I would finally be satisfied with my work!
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have found my niche. I believe I shall write until I die, hopefully making a little profit along the way and praying I can give my readers their money’s worth!
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Bible.
A few good comic books.
A book on how to sterilize water and exotic foods.
And a dozen Stephen King books.
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