To conclude our ‘Author of the Month’ feature, we’ve asked Ivan a few questions about his work and life as a writer
Have you always known you wanted to be a writer or is it a passion you developed as an adult? What inspired you to put pen to paper the first time?
It didn’t hit me until later, but after thinking about it, I have liked to write all my life. I remember when I was in third grade writing a story about a day in the classroom. Then when I was 16, I wrote a story about my baseball team and all the different personalities on it, and the fun times we had playing. I think the reason why I began writing is I wanted parts of life to be remembered, and writing gave me that opportunity. I am sure there are millions of moments in all our lives, and when they are captured, they live forever, no matter how many years pass. I am sure some of what Shakespeare wrote were things that he saw, or things that happened to him, and he wrote them down and used them in his stories, so in that way, they live forever.
Even though all your novels are standalone stories, they all feature a ‘redhead’. I am sure our readers would be interested in finding out why. Is it a secret you can reveal?
Well, I have a muse at home who is a redhead, so I think a lot of what goes into the redheaded heroines in my stories comes from being married to her. All the strength, weakness, vulnerability, courage, and funny moments come from our time together. I call her Red, which is my endearing nickname for her, and in my stories, there is a little bit of her in each of the heroines. As I mentioned before, in my stories, I want them to live forever, so if one day I am not here, Red will have my book as a lasting time capsule of our time together and the love we shared over the years. And I have to add that I have always been intrigued and dazzled by redheads. I think it’s because they are so different than other women (I think only 1-2% have red hair in the world) so that makes them intriguing to me. I also know that they were bullied in school (Red was too), so I like to write about them being strong, courageous and intelligent characters that have overcome adversity in their lives. Don’t get me wrong, I find all kinds of hair color attractive, but it’s the redheads that have a special place in my heart.
What message would you like readers to draw from your books?
I think readers of all hair colors will enjoy my books, especially now where we need a happy ending in the world. My stories feature people going through adversity, but also have a large dose of humour, since we all need that. I also like to put in a lesson about living life to the fullest, and never taking for granted anything, since we never know when our time might come. I was in an accident a few years ago, and while I was in the hospital, I was next to a man who was in worse shape, he couldn’t talk and had to write out what he wanted to a nurse who sat next to his bed. It got me to thinking how things can change in an instant, and if I couldn’t write any longer, or be with my loved ones, I would regret it, so I made up my mind to never take a day for granted. Do the things you want to do now, while you have the chance. Say I love you to the people special to you. Take that trip. Write that book. Sing that song. Because one day, you might not have that opportunity.
What drew you to the romance genre in the first place? Would you say that, as a man, writing romance is a bold choice?
What do men know about romance anyway? Haha I think for me, I have always had a thing for the boy meets girl, and how lovers find each other. And then throw in how boy might lose girl, and how will boy get girl back, and you have a story for the ages. I think everyone has had that kind of experience in their lives, so they can relate to how we find love, but can also lose love and how we live after both outcomes. Yeah, I think for a man, it’s tough to write in this genre. I have to work extra hard to make sure I write my stories with all respect and courtesy to my female heroines, but also to the reader. I laugh about people telling me about a man who describes making love to a woman, and all the crass, insulting, and vulgar terms they think will make the story compelling. Oh, and don’t forget the female anatomy descriptions! I read some of those and laugh since it’s so outrageous, but also, I cringe since it’s disrespectful. My stories are all sweet romance that leave the rest to the imagination of the reader. Besides, I don’t think I could ever write a sex scene since I would be laughing too hard. Plus, my Mom would read it…haha. One of the best examples of a love scene that put the reader into the scene without any profane terms was Hemingway’s, For Whom The Bell Tolls. He wrote a scene where two people are making love, but never write a word about the action, or the body parts, or uses any profane terms. But you see and feel the scene as if you were there. That’s the way to stir emotion in a reader with class and style.
As a writer, we assume you are also a great reader. What are your favourite genres and books? What are you currently reading?
You should see my man cave, AKA The Hemingway Room. I have wall to wall bookshelves with several genres, so it depends on my mood. I like biographies, and historical books about times and places. I am a Churchill fan, so I like reading about him and what he did during World War Two. The Last Lion series was wonderful! Currently, I am reading, The Greatest Ballpark Ever, which is a story about Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, which was home to the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1913-1957. Since I am editing my next book, which is a time travel romance where the lead character goes back in time to play baseball for the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, I am reading up on locations, moments and places so I can add them to the story. Of course, there is a girl in 1955 and the protagonist must decide to either stay in 1955 with her or come back to present day.
As we’ve known you for a while, we think your journey as an author could actually inspire others. That’s why we’d like to ask: traditional publishing or self-publishing? Can you tell us a little about your experience?
I think they both offer something for the writer, so there are pros and cons to both. With traditional publishing, you usually have to find an agent who will represent you, and that takes time and a little luck. Then the agent sells you and the story to a publishing company, who takes over everything from marketing, promotion, creating the book cover art all the way to editing your story and getting it ready to be published. It’s a long road and the odds are long, but if you can get an agent and a house to publish your book, you are all set.
With self-publishing, you call all the shots. That means you write and edit the book, create the cover art, market and promote it, and also format the book. You are responsible for everything. For me, I didn’t have a choice since I could not find an agent, so I couldn’t sell my book to a publishing house, so everything fell on me. I didn’t mind since I enjoyed writing the book, and editing, although I needed beta readers and an editor to help with the things I missed. Like typos and making sure the plot and the characters were consistent. I didn’t know anything about creating cover art, so I learned Photoshop, and after a lot of trial and error, I came up with a cover that I liked. And formatting was not fun, but I didn’t have the money to hire a formatter, so I learned that too using Adobe InDesign. Learning on the fly took time, but it brought me closer to my stories and made me appreciate the process of writing and publishing a book.
In the end, it all comes down to whatever the author wants to do. Give up control and have the work done for you, and also low revenue per book sold, or keep control, keep more of the profits, but have a lot of work to do. I can see reasons for both.
What are your plans for the future? Any new books in the pipeline?
Glad you asked! As I wrote before, I have a time travel romance coming out this spring titled, A Redhead in Brooklyn. Sam Murdock goes back in time to play baseball with the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, which fulfils a lifetime dream of playing in the major leagues. Even if it is in 1955. There he meets sassy Brooklynn Kennedy, and at first, their relationship is as icy as a trip to the Artic Circle, but as time passes and summer comes to Ebbets Field, their relationship warms up. But when the season is over, and it’s time for Sam to go back, will he decide to stay in 1955, or go back to the present? And when a mix-up leaves Sam without a time, place or his girl, what will become of him?
The next book is titled, The Redhead and the Fountain Pen. When Mark Dawson finds a Dear Jill letter in a copy of his favorite book, The Great Gatsby in a used bookstore, he is intrigued and writes back to the girl to find out what happened and if he can help since he’s getting over a broken heart too. Since they both aren’t on social media, they don’t know anything about what each other looks like, sounds like, or anything else. All they have are the words in their letters to each other, both using a fountain pen, which is their favorite way to write. It’s a throwback to the days when people write letters, not scanning social media sites, and how they fall in love with each other only by their words and feelings. But what will happen when they finally meet and see each other in person for the first time?
On a parting note… Any advice (on anything) you’d like to give to authors that are only starting out?
I think Hemingway’s advice about writing a first draft is so true. He wrote that the first draft of anything is sh**, and a lot of writers get discouraged after reading their first draft. Don’t. Keep writing and take the time to shape your manuscript into the story that you want to tell. There will be plenty of rejection and you’ll get discouraged, but in the end, you have to stay strong and know that in your heart, you can do it. As I wrote earlier, one day, you won’t be able to write, and you’ll regret not taking the chance to do something that will live forever. I know when I held my first book in my hands, it as a feeling of euphoria and I knew that no matter if anyone else ever read my book, I wrote it, and it was now real, and nothing and nobody could ever take that away from me. Believe in yourself and don’t let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do. It all rests with you and if you have passion and persistence, you can do anything you set out to do. Good luck!
For more information about Ivan’s work, visit his website: https://ivanscottbooks.com
