Not surprised, just very, very grateful. The Stanford novel writing certificate program gave me tools and confidence. I just needed to find a publisher who believed in the book and an editor to offer a few words of advice about what scene to add and what scene to leave out.

11. Your book has elements of love, survival, and fortitude – mixed in with suspense, the supernatural, and thrills. How do you manage to invest the reader into this world that you created out of thin air?

Some of the story development in my novels is due to research and some of it is pure imagination based on personal observations. The trick for me in building a good story that resonates with readers is to blend the thematic ingredients with authentic narrative description and dialogue that grounds the reader as concretely as possible so that they can see, hear, smell, taste, and feel the action and fully identify with the characters’ feelings. A teacher at Stanford once referred to my writing as ultra-realism.

12. Does your thriller show how a person can make one bad decision that unleashes unimagined consequences?

If you’ve ever been betrayed by a colleague, friend, or family member, you will identify with the characters in Swimming. Hopefully nothing as bad will happen to you as happens to my character Gray who, while innocent, is being hunted by a drug cartel notorious for cutting off the heads of their enemies

13. How would you define your writing style?

How do neo-romantic thrillers sound? If you’ve never heard that term, neither have I. I love many music styles, but when I write I’m aiming for a glass of Claude Debussy over ice with a shot of Hans Zimmer.

14. Who are some of your favorite authors?

Like most writers my age, I was raised on Hemingway and Steinbeck, whose writing I admire but is anchored in the past. The modern writer I respect most is Mark Helprin, who combines romanticism with the fantastic in gorgeous writing that leaves me breathless as a reader. A few of my favorites include Winter’s Tale, A Soldier of the Great War, and Paris in the Present Tense.

15. How did your extensive travels – globally and internationally – inform or inspire your writings?

I am an explorer at heart. I love watching people and have been fortunate to travel for business as well as pleasure. I have walked extensively in cities large and small in Europe, North America and elsewhere. Exploring cities on foot inspires me and helps me understand a little about the residents who live there as well as appreciate the beauty and history of the architecture.

16. What was it like growing up in a small town outside of Seattle, the son of the town’s three-time mayor?

In a word, stultifying. Being raised in a small town like Auburn was frustrating due to its limitations for creative outlets. On the plus side, I had loving grandparents who taught me reading, writing and math before I turned five and started first grade. But there were also gangs and a high rate of alcoholism and suicide. By the time I was thirty, I knew over two dozen people – friends, neighbors, classmates, and their parents – who had committed suicide. It made me both wary of people and also curious about what was perhaps going on beneath the surface. You can see some of that reflected
in the character Valerie in Swimming with the Angels.

17. I understand you once climbed Mt. Rainier, and in the process, some of the skin came off of your face. Is there a daring and competitive side to you?

I was definitely disposed to physical danger when I was younger. My uncles on my mother’s side were loggers who lived and played hard. They became my early role models. Perhaps that is why I nearly drowned three times before I was thirty and why I climbed Mt. Rainier on a sprained ankle with nine other young men. Unlike my uncles whom I admired for their robust physicality, my father was a tall, skinny accountant before eventually becoming mayor. It was only after his death that I realized what a wise and talented man he was.

18. You have spent nearly a half-century in the advertising and marketing industry, at times representing iconic brands such as McDonald’s and IBM. Which is easier – writing an ad for a Fortune 500 company or penning an engaging thriller?

Writing an ad under deadline can be tough, but writing a novel is the hardest thing I know. To write a 100,000-word novel requires at least one million decisions. Perhaps many times that number. And the hardest part is not knowing when you’re done if anyone will actually buy it.

19. What advice do you have for a fellow writer hoping to become a successfully published author?

It’s not easy so don’t be an idiot by thinking you can fake it. Learn the craft, read a lot, write more. Be dedicated to your goal and be ready to sacrifice. Sorry, but you will probably need to give up watching sports or playing golf. Find a school, writing group, or workshop for support. And don’t quit. I know it sounds like trite advice, but it’s true. If you persist, it will all be worth it, because writing is the most fulfilling activity there is, bar none.

20. What challenges did you overcome to pen your books?

I can’t begin to tell you how many people told me I couldn’t publish, that I couldn’t write, and that I should quit. An ex-wife even hired a psychologist who informed me there wasn’t a chance I would ever be published. In addition to all of the challenges, problems, and surprises that life offers everyone, there’s also the criticism and self-doubt that plagues all creative people. With about a million books published each year, the odds against success are phenomenal. Without faith in yourself or God, you can’t do this, so, have faith. What have you got to lose? Oh wait, there’s your job, your marriage, and your sanity, but who’s counting?

Colin Kersey

Colin Kersey

Colin Kersey

The Blog

Thoughts, musings, and ruminations.