I believe you can’t write well if you don’t read a lot and pay attention to what you read. 

Don Silver – 10 May 2024

The Back Flap

After his father dies suddenly and his family’s fortune takes a nosedive, Jonas Shore starts selling weed and pills to cool kids at his Philadelphia high school to support himself and his mother; that is, until his hustle catches up with him and he’s sent away to Lafayette Academy.

In this testosterone-fueled boarding school for fatherless boys, Jonas learns how to survive. He and his roommates form a tight unit, vowing to have each others’ backs for life, but their bond is tested after a brush with death threatens to rob them of their futures.

Two decades later, Jonas is balancing a family and several successful businesses when one of his old Lafayette pals shows up with ghosts from the past, threatening to destroy everything he’s built.

About the book

What is the book about?

Scorched is about an adolescent boy who experiences hardships growing up and whose friends make matters better and then worse for themselves. Mid-way through, the book shows these same men at middle age dealing with the repercussions of their childhoods.

When did you start writing the book?

2016.

How long did it take you to write it?

All told, seven years.

Where did you get the idea from?

I have a good buddy who as long as I’ve known him has given me ideas for books to write. Most of them have been terrible, but one time he came up with a premise I thought was incredible.  It ended up not really working, but by the time I figured that out, I had a pretty good novel.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Characters come easily for me. I struggled a bit finding plot points worthy of the people I’d imagined.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

The characters in Scorched are made up which is to say I don’t know anybody like them. In a few instances, things happen to them that I recognize from people I’ve known or have heard or read about.

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?

The motto of Bennington Writing Seminars is read 100 books, write 1. I believe you can’t write well if you don’t read a lot and pay attention to what you read. After the Hardy Boys and biographies of famous people, my first real love in fiction was Edgar Allen Poe. When I’m writing I read other genres and try not to read fiction lest I try to adopt the style or tone of the author.

Do you have a target reader?

I write what I would like to read.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I write every day for as many hours as I can. I used to need long stretches and complete quiet and then I raised a boy by myself. Now, as long as I have a place to sit where I can mumble and stare at a screen, I’m good.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I don’t outline. I just go until something good comes out. I follow Hemingway’s practice of ending a session with a few sentences that open up into a new part so I have a little bit of a running start the next day.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I edit constantly, before, during and after I’ve finished sections. Both.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Once I have a finished draft, I have a few readers whose input I trust. Then yes, I use a professional editor.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I can listen to ambient music while I write, but I prefer silence.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

Yes.

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 had a book deal in the early 2000s with a big publisher. It was heady and prestigious but unsatisfying. I self published in the mid- 2010s and it was easy and more fun. I never really connected with an agent for Scorched so after a while I decided to do it myself.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

Professionally.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

We have a marketing plan.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Unless you’ve done the work that a publisher traditionally does and have a good reader base, or somehow find a small publisher with resources to give you an advance and promote your book, I think there’s much more satisfaction and potential upside to be had with doing it ourselves.

About You

Where did you grow up?

A suburb just north of Philadelphia.

Where do you live now?

Asheville, North Carolina.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I appreciate and respect people who read. It’s a brave thing to do these days when mindless distraction is being delivered to us all 24/7. I tried to create something entertaining and worthy of focus and attention.

What are you working on now?

I’m reading, mulling over ideas, and learning to play jazz saxophone.

End of Interview:

For more from Don Silver visit his website.

Get your copy of Scorched from Amazon US or Amazon UK.