I try to keep my writing as honest as possible. Even in fiction, I like to pursue emotional honesty that doesn’t sink to the lowest, common denominator, that doesn’t just feed the reader junk food.
Ken La Salle – 28 December 2014
The Back Flap
In the early 70’s, in the middle of the night, on a dried out lawn in a broken down neighborhood in the Southern Californian community of Santa Ana, Nate Brewer’s mother held him as they watched his father leave them to an uncertain future. After that, it was every man for himself.
At least, that’s how Nate and his brother, Ira, saw it.
Now, Nate is 45 years old. He’s losing his wife. He lost his career. His mom is losing that same home in Santa Ana and Nate thinks he may be losing his mind.
That’s just the beginning of indian paintbrush, a darkly, bitter-sweet comic tale told by Nate himself. He thinks he’s writing a journal for his psychiatrist but, as his recollections grow darker, he realizes that he has let every bad moment in his life keep him from reaching for anything good. This could be his last chance at remembering just what it is he can’t live without.
Some people grow up hoping things will change but, very often, the only thing time changes is our memories… Maybe there are times when “family” comes down to a group of people you just can’t stand, who you actively hate. And these are the people with whom you will share some of your fondest memories.
About the book
What is the book about?
At its core, indian paintbrush is a book about finding yourself in the middle of your life and wondering how you got there. It’s a reminder that the things that happen to us are little more than events, and the moment we decide to let them define us is the same moment we’ve lost our way.
It’s also about art and artists, some with paint and some with other things. Nate Brewer paints but he somehow cannot come completely out of the closet about it, by which I mean he hides behind one job or another while denying what he is. Sometimes, the hardest thing to admit is what everyone else knows all along.
When did you start writing the book?
I began writing indian paintbrush about three years ago but, as with so many of my projects, it was poking its way up through my subconscious long before that.
How long did it take you to write it?
I banged out the first draft of indian paintbrush in just a few months. As usual, though, rewrites continued for years, even as I recorded the audiobook!
Where did you get the idea from?
Now, there’s a loaded question! Most of indian paintbrush was inspired by stories taken directly out of my childhood. The original idea was to dredge up all my worst, most traumatic memories to put in a book began all the way back in 2008, just after my father passed away. I wrote about my dad in my book, The Day We Said Goodbye, but the idea of dredging up the worst things I could remember from my childhood for use in a bitter, dark comedy took some getting used to.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Absolutely. Deciding on the character dynamic was the hardest part. Indian paintbrush focuses a great deal on the relationship between two brothers, who are based on me and my brother, Keith. But I didn’t just want the book to be a case of talking out of school. So, I decided to take the harder road and put Nate (the character inspired by my own memories) in the hot seat. In the end, I believe a better story is found when we, as writers, aren’t just pointing fingers at others and looking for villains but hold our own avatars accountable.
What came easily?
The memories. Absolutely. Once I began looking back, the memories just flooded my brain. And they didn’t stop once the book was finished, either! In fact, this started an avalanche and I decided to use the rest as a basis for a non-fiction look at growing up in the 1970’s. I’m writing that right now and calling it False Starts.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
So much of indian paintbrush is true, as I remember it. The problem with memories, of course, is that anyone else could have remembered things differently, which is why I decided to take all the liberties I wanted to and just call it “fiction.”
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
Kurt Vonnegut was a huge influence on me as a young man. His elegantly simple, un-patronizing style is one I have tried to use myself. I can’t tell you how many editors have asked me to flower up my language. It’s so foreign to me, so foreign to my style, that I just tell them to move along.
Do you have a target reader?
I try to keep my writing as honest as possible. Even in fiction, I like to pursue emotional honesty that doesn’t sink to the lowest, common denominator, that doesn’t just feed the reader junk food. Substance over Style. I suppose my target reader is anyone who can appreciate that.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
I tend to work on a lot of projects at once, depending on what stage they’re in. For six months to a year before I begin the first draft of a project, I will take copious notes, not discarding anything or using any kind of internal filter. I just throw stuff down on paper until the day comes when I start the project. Then, I sift through it all. I find the best ideas I’ve laid down and I tuck into it like a fine meal. Normally, I can finish the first draft within 2-3 months. Then, I work on something else while that sits and gathers some dust, allowing me to get some distance from it. After a while, I’ll go back in and hack and slash my way through a first re-write. I’ll send it to one of my readers for notes and proofing, and then I’ll hack and slash my way through a second and, sometimes, third re-write. After that, it’s time to find that puppy a home. Usually, by that time, I’ve finished other projects as well.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
It really depends on the project. For a full-length novel, for instance, I’ll outline pretty extensively with regards to what happens – but I’ll leave some freedom with regards to why things happen or how. For some books, though, such as my Fun To Grow On series, I’ll just dive in and try to make it out alive!
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
For me, editing begins before I even begin writing and doesn’t end until I don’t have a choice. They say writing is editing, after all.
Did you hire a professional editor?
Sadly, I do not have the wherewithal for such expenditures. Instead, I tend to utilize readers and such… you know, “non-professional editors.”
And I try to learn all I can when working with editors hired by small publishers.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
God, how I wish I could! Sadly, I’m one of those writers who requires some semblance of silence.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
Absolutely! I work with two terrific ladies, Jeanie and Evie, at the Loiacono Literary Agency.
www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I consider myself a hybrid author, meaning one who works both independently and with a publisher. This really depends on how personal a project becomes. In the case of indian paintbrush, for instance, that book is intensely personal. Most of the stories come directly from my own life. I didn’t want to have to worry about a publisher wanting to change too much of it. I also didn’t like the idea of anyone else recording the audiobook. So, the decision to go indie with indian paintbrush felt right from the start.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
The cover of indian paintbrush was actually created by a young artist out of Big Bear, California named Ashley Stark. Ashley is an incredibly talented young lady and I wanted to give her an opportunity most artists her age don’t see. I paid her to draw the cover based on some general ideas behind the book. And then, I let her go wild. I didn’t want to provide too much input; I wanted her finished work to come as a surprise. With indian paintbrush being so much about art and the creative process, I felt it honored the book to give Ashley free rein with her art – and I was not disappointed. The cover to indian paintbrush is one of the best on any of my books.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I’ll be the first to admit that my marketing efforts are not the strongest in town. In fact, I’m constantly amazed by the great marketing other writers put out on their own. (And this is doubly sad because I have a long history in marketing!)
Much of my marketing is done through my podcasts, The Monday Morning Show and So Dream Something. (Both are available free on iTunes and around the web.) I create trailers on YouTube, write on blogs, send out a mailing list, etc. – but my attention always turns back to the next project.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
If you’re not giving it everything you got, if you find yourself inconvenienced or put out, if you can think of anything – ANYTHING! – you would rather do… do that. This life does not pay enough to do it just for the money… and all the acclaim isn’t nearly as much as you’d think.
About You
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in the middle of Orange County, California, which most people only know for its opulence, disposable income, and reality shows. The middle I grew up in, however, was the city of Santa Ana, which bore and still bears little resemblance to any show on Bravo.
Where do you live now?
I’m just up the street in Anaheim. My wife and I keep talking about other places we’d like to live – but we’re mostly at work, anyway. So, I suppose we’ll stay a bit longer.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I always have something new in the works and I’m always trying to shatter barriers, either to opportunities or in my own art. You can find new things on my website very often and I appreciate all the support my audience provides, either by sharing my videos on Facebook, tweeting about some article I wrote, or just enjoying my books enough to give them a good review. My career is nothing without my audience and I appreciate them very much!
What are you working on now?
So much! I’m in the process of writing a book about growing up in the 1970’s, which as I mentioned earlier is titled False Starts. Unlike indian paintbrush, False Starts is going to be all about the shared experiences – the music, the television, and so on – and those goofy moments I lived through, growing up with my brother, sister, and single mom.
But that’s not all! In December, WiDo Publishing will be releasing my new romantic-fantasy called The Wrong Magic. I have plenty of wild plans for 2015 and I can’t wait to share them. Keep an eye on my website for some big announcements coming very soon regarding a project codenamed Third Wall.
End of Interview:
For more, visit Ken’s website, follow him on Twitter, like his page on Facebook, or check out his YouTube channel.
You can find Ken on the following blogs and sites of e-lightenment:
Life and other issues of the day: http://twolivesonepath.blogspot.com/
On writing and being a writer: http://kenlasalle.blogspot.com/
And Ken writes a monthly blog at http://www.recoveringself.com/category/ken-la-salle
Last, don’t forget to pickup your copy of indian paintbrush from Amazon US or Amazon UK.