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Robert Pruneda Interview 4/13/2013 9:46:40 PM
Author Robert Pruneda discusses his latest release and the writing life! For today’s author feature, I’d like to introduce you to Robert Pruneda. Many of you will know Robert for his debut novel, Pursuit of a Dream, but today, we will be chatting about this author’s latest release.
But first, for those not yet acquainted with you, I’d like to begin by having you share a little information about yourself with our readers, Rob. What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?
RP: When I’m not writing or taking care of the day-to-day duties of my administrative support business I enjoy playing video games with my friends to relax. I usually try to spend at least an hour every day hanging out with my gaming buddies. The current game of choice is Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, but when I’m not playing online I enjoy playing survival horror games (especially games from the Silent Hill series) fantasy role playing games (Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Baldur’s Gate . . . yes, the old school PC games) and racing games (Gran Turismo 5, Test Drive Unlimited, Need for Speed). When I’m not playing video games I enjoy watching movies . . . and yes, horror is my favorite. I’m also a Corvette enthusiast and enjoy cruising around in my black 1981 Corvette Stingray, nicknamed “The Bat Mobile” by my friends. ☺
Has writing stories always been a part of your life? Was becoming a published author a lifelong dream?
RP: Not necessarily, but I did have the “itch” early on in my life when I created stories and made them into comics using my map colors. However, fast-forward to 2002 after a year of unemployment and a bout of depression and the idea of sharing my stories with the world began to surface. As I struggled to find work, I decided to take advantage of the extra time and write a novel. It was more of a challenge for me to complete the writing project than anything else, but as I started reading more about publishing, it became more and more of a real dream of mine. It took me two years to write my first novel Pursuit of a Dream, which was published through a vanity press (more on that later). By then I had started my home-based administrative support business and then eventually began a career in the newspaper industry. In September 2011, I left the traditional workforce to focus on my own business and to finally pursue my real dream of writing full-time. That’s where Devil’s Nightmare comes into the picture.
I understand your latest novel, Devil’s Nightmare, is very different from your debut novel, Pursuit of a Dream. What was the inspiration behind this story and can you tell us a little bit about your protagonist, Detective Aaron Sanders?
RP: Yes, Devil’s Nightmare is completely different from Pursuit of a Dream. My debut novel was about a kid pursuing his dream of becoming a professional stock car driver. Pursuit of a Dream is a wholesome family-oriented story of hope and faith, while Devil’s Nightmare falls in the horror genre. It also has mystery, cop drama, supernatural, and occult elements in it. So, it’s a blend of genres really. This novel is also inspired by an actual event that happened to me when I was a kid after messing with a Ouija board and playing with it by myself, which is an absolute no-no according to “the rules” of the Ouija board. I won’t go into details here, but let’s just say I learned my lesson and have never touched a Ouija board ever since. Devil’s Nightmare is very loosely based on that experience.
Devil’s Nightmare is told from the perspective of Detective Aaron Sanders, a seasoned homicide detective who prefers to work alone, is a bit sarcastic at times, and pretty much lives for his job. He was a very fun character to write. Readers have told me that they really like him, and particular enjoyed his occasional sarcastic tone. I also had a beta reader tell me that he got a bit too hot-headed at one point, so I had to tone him down. My beta reader told me that a real detective is trained to stay cool, which makes sense, but I wanted Detective Aaron Sanders to also go against the grain and break the rules sometimes. He’s not perfect, he has flaws, and that’s exactly how I wanted him to be. Plus, he’s supposed to entertain my readers. I think he’s done a pretty good job of that so far. ☺
Creepy! I know others that have thrown their Ouija boards out, too, after having strange/scary experiences with them. Now, without giving away too much, can you reveal what’s in store for the readers when they crack open Devil’s Nightmare?
RP: When readers begin reading Devil’s Nightmare I immediately throw them into the action. There is no lengthy drawn out backstory. You start following the investigation of two brutal crime scenes with multiple victims from the perspective of my protagonist Detective Aaron Sanders. The answers to the mystery unfold and are revealed to the reader only when they are discovered by Detective Sanders. Expect twists and turns throughout. One of the aspects of Devil’s Nightmare that many readers have enjoyed was the dialogue. It’s realistic and gives the characters, well, character. My goal is that when you read Devil’s Nightmare you are drawn into the story and feel like you are right there with Detective Sanders, and by the time you finish the story you have built somewhat of a relationship with these characters.
Expect a surprise ending and absolutely NO cliffhanger. Also, you don’t need to be a fan of horror to enjoy Devil’s Nightmare because of the blend of genre elements in this story. However, if you are a fan of Stephen King and Dean Koontz (readers’ words, not mine) you will enjoy Devil’s Nightmare.
The road to publication is difficult at the best of times. What made you decide to take the indie route and self-publish your novels?
RP: I originally considered the traditional publishing route, but I like the idea of being in complete control of the publishing process from start to finish as an indie. It’s a lot of hard work, but for me that’s part of the enjoyment. I like the idea of being involved in every aspect of the publishing process. Plus, the royalties per sale are a heck of a lot better.
What is the best part (and the worst part) of being an indie author? Who would you recommend this mode of publication to?
RP: I think the best part of being an indie author is the fact that you are part of a growing community of supportive and helpful people (for the most part) and if it were not for this community I would never have written Devil’s Nightmare. The indie author community is the most supportive group of people I have ever met.
The worst part of being an indie author is that you also have to be a salesperson, which I absolutely stink at. It’s one reason I left the newspaper industry. My job was turning into a sales position when all I wanted to do was write, edit and layout my section of the paper (Obituaries). I’m getting better at the whole self-promotion thing, but it can be very frustrating when sales aren’t near where you had hoped they would be. But, that’s when you need to just keep writing. It’s definitely a learning process.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned on the road to publication?
RP: First of all, I’ve learned not to fall for the whole vanity press trap again where you pay them a ridiculous amount of money to publish your novel. I spent over $800 just to have a vanity press typeset Pursuit of a Dream (which they did a horrible job with the first time around) and make it available to purchase. I spent the money with no intention of marketing the book. I just wanted to have a printed copy of my book for friends and family. I spent about $150 just to make revisions. It was ridiculous. Plus, the amount I spent did not include a professional cover. I designed the cover myself. So, word of advice, avoid these print-on-demand services like the plague. Don’t waste your money! If you’re going to spend that type of money use it on a cover artist and editor.
Secondly, I’ve learned that self-publishing does not mean you have to do this alone. I think the term “self-published” can be a bit deceiving and sometimes gives indie authors less credibility. The truth is that the self-publishing process (if done correctly) does involve a team. In the case of Devil’s Nightmare, I had three beta readers and a professional cover artist as part of my publishing team. I’m also currently shopping around for a good editor to add to my team that isn’t going to make me go bankrupt to publish my next novel. ☺
On the subject of writing styles, are you a plotter or pantser? The readers would like to know if you tend to plot out your story line in great detail or if your writing is more organic with the characters and events unfolding as you write.
RP: Definitely a pantser! When I wrote Devil’s Nightmare, I had a general idea of what the story was going to be about, but I decided that if I outlined the story I risked giving away certain details too soon without even realizing it. I really don’t think writing Devil’s Nightmare would have been as much fun if I had outlined it. There were so many times when I was writing at 4 a.m. and certain scenes just unfolded out of nowhere. There were many times where I got chills up my back. I let the characters hold the reigns. Heck, there were a couple of characters that just appeared uninvited but turned out to be integral to the story. Writing Devil’s Nightmare in this style made me feel as much like the reader as it did the writer because I didn’t even know what was going to happen next as the story progressed. You just can’t get that when using an outline . . . at least not for me.
Some authors meditate, others need to fuel up on coffee or listen to music. Do you have any rituals, ones that can be shared with the readers, that you must do before you hunker down for a writing session?
RP: Before I begin writing, I need to close my eyes and listen to some instrumental music. I pretty much meditate for a few minutes. After my mind is clear I listen to music that fits the genre that I’m writing in. In the case of Devil’s Nightmare, I created a “Silent Hill” radio station on Pandora that plays eerie sound tracks from the survivor horror video game / movie and other similar music. I almost always write to music, but I never write to music with lyrics. I also usually write either late at night or very early in the morning.
At one time or another, most writers hit the wall and their work stalls because of the dreaded writer’s block. What do you do to get around or over this mental wall to resume writing?
RP: I actually had to deal with this recently before I began writing my current novel. I was dealing with some very difficult family issues, and inspiration to write just wasn’t there. I thought maybe I just needed to take a break from writing and relax, but my next novel isn’t going to write itself, so I finally forced myself to sit down at my computer one night and just write . . . anything. I told myself that it didn’t matter what I wrote. It didn’t have to be any good either. I just needed to write! I did a bit of meditating and listened to some instrumental music and then stared at my computer screen. I stared at that screen for what felt like an hour. Then a scene started to form in my head. I began to write what I was seeing and slowly but surely the opening scene of my current novel began to unfold. Maybe I just got lucky, or maybe that’s the key. If you have “writer’s block” maybe you just need to force yourself to sit down and write when you don’t feel like it. Don’t worry about the quality at that point. That’s what the editing process is for. Just write!
Who is your favourite author and how has he/she inspired you to write or influenced your writing style or choice of genre?
RP: Stephen King is by far my favorite author. His non-fiction book On Writing was what really kicked off my writing career. It’s a book that I think every aspiring author should read, whether you are a fan of Stephen King or not. I love Stephen King’s no b.s. approach in On Writing. King was also an influence for me to start writing horror. It wasn’t until I read his personal story that I started having confidence in myself to make an attempt at writing in this highly competitive and difficult genre. Stephen King is one of the most gifted authors ever, but even he has flaws, and he also was once just an aspiring writer at one point in his life. He never gave up on his dream, though. And that’s my motto: Pursue your dreams . . . and never look back.
What do you foresee in your future over the next five years and do you hope to branch out into other genres? Can your fans expect a sequel to Devil’s Nightmare in the near future?
RP: Five years from now I hope to have seven to ten novels written and published. By then I also hope to be very close to being able to calling myself a full-time writer. By then I will have all three books completed in the Victory Lane: The Chronicles series and a few more horror novels. I may branch out into other genres too, but for now I think family-oriented dramas and horror are my niche. I have ideas for at least ten novels and fans can certainly expect a sequel to Devil’s Nightmare, which is what I’m currently working on right now. Expect this novel (currently untitled) by Halloween 2013.
