Interview With Author Bruce Scivally
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in rural north Alabama, and read lots of pulp fiction (Doc Savage novels), mysteries (Sherlock Holmes), and adventure (Tarzan) books when I was a kid. Once I was out of college, I worked in the film industry for years, including writing scripts for DVD “making of” documentaries on subjects as diverse as 007 films and Doris Day movies. I’ve written books on film history/pop culture (James Bond: The Legacy, Superman in Film, Television, Radio and Broadway, Billion Dollar Batman, Dracula FAQ), but am now beginning to write fiction.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“The Last Stage” is my first novel. It grew out of a love of the Western genre and having visited various sites associated with Wyatt Earp. When I then researched Earp and read that his last words were “Suppose…suppose,” I was suddenly struck with the idea of writing a novel that would primarily be his dying dream. It also allowed me to explore themes that – with so many people losing loved ones during the pandemic – are relevant to our own time: How do you come to terms with the end of your life, and how do you let go of life partners facing their final days?
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I find writing to be like a roller coaster. In the beginning, as the story is forming and the structure is being mapped out, it’s like the slow beginning of a roller coaster ride, just slowly lurching forward. But once I’ve got a few chapters under my belt, it all starts to fall into place, and then it’s like moving steadily over the rises and falls until I arrive at the ending, which whips by suddenly like the final downhill plunge. More practically, my writing habits are to put on some appropriate music to stay in the mood (in the case of “The Last Stage,” I listened to lots of Western movie themes, particularly those of Ennio Morricone) and just sit with my laptop and let the ideas flow.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
To be honest, I read more non-fiction than fiction, but I still enjoy the classics (Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ray Bradbury, Louis L’Amour, Arthur Conan Doyle, Ian Fleming). I’ve always appreciated the artistry of Fitzgerald, who was a master of crafting a beautifully-written sentence, and the ability of Steven King and Harlan Ellison to write in a conversational style that makes you feel that they’re sitting across the table from you just telling a story.
What are you working on now?
My next novel will be a modern take on a cozy mystery, and then I have a thriller that’s still in the early plotting stages. I generally have 3 books going at once – the one I’ve just written and am publicizing, the one I’m writing now, and the one I’m planning to do afterwards. And I keep a running file for new ideas as they crop up.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Currently, I’m pushing the book out through my own website, Facebook page, and my email contacts list. I’m also trying targeted marketing – with a Western novel, I’ve posted links to the book on Facebook pages for Western aficionados. And I’m just now learning about sites like Awesome Gang, so this old dog is learning new tricks.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Before writing, ask yourself which audience you’re writing for. Publishers – and readers – appreciate it if your book falls within an easily identifiable genre and sits comfortably within the expectations of that genre. And then do your damnedest to write the best example of that genre that’s ever been written. The key to attracting readers is simple – write a book they can’t put down.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Once you start writing, just get to the end. Don’t get stuck in the endless rewriting of passages, which can bog you down and frustrate you and keep you from finishing. Your brain has two sides – the creative side and the analytical side. Stay in the creative side until you reach the end, then turn on the analytical side for the inevitable revisions.
What are you reading now?
Book marketing websites. I recently finished “The Crazy Game” by Clint Malarchuk, the true story of a pro hockey player who struggled with mental health issues, am just starting Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “Love in the Time of Cholera,” and I’ve just ordered Brian Woolland’s “The Invisible Exchange.”
What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully, many more novels. “The Last Stage” was my first fiction book, and I expect it will not be my last. Next for me, hopefully, is improving as a writer and finding a loyal readership base.
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?
“The Great Gatsby,” “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” and a book of the Top 10 strategies for being rescued from a desert island.
Author Websites and Profiles
Bruce Scivally’s Social Media Links