Author: Eli Thorpe

Click Here To Purchase The Valley of Ashes

Today, Norm Goldman Editor and Publisher of Bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as our guest Eli Thorpe author of The Valley of Ashes.

Good day Eli and thanks for participating in our interview

Norm:

How did you get started in writing? Did you read any special books on how to write? What keeps you going?

Eli:

I’ve loved books since I learned how to read, and I’ve been writing almost as long. I’ve never really wanted to do anything else. I learned to write mostly by reading. I’ve read a wide range of literature, and I’ve worked as an English teacher, which taught me how to really understand literature. I don’t think I’ve really read any books on how to write. As for what keeps me going? That’s like asking me what keeps me breathing. I can’t imagine not writing.

Norm:

How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?

Eli:

In all kinds of ways. I came from a well-educated, middle class family in a city similar to the one in which my book is set. My family made sure I got a good, well-rounded upbringing. There were bookshelves in every room of the house, filled with the classics, light fiction, non-fiction, everything. But at the same time, I didn’t fit in well, and most of my friends were from much more blue-collar background. Early on, I walked away from a lot of the advantages and opportunities I could have had – I wanted to find my own way. Like most of my family, I’m stubborn, My parents had their children late in life, so I was brought up by Depression-era parents, so I expected life to be hard. And it was, particularly in my late teens and early 20s.

Norm:

Was The Valley of Ashes from your own experiences and how much of you is in the novel?

Eli:

It is a work of fiction. But of course, I drew on my experiences and the experiences of people I knew well to create that fiction. Some incidents closely draw on real incidents. Other incidents are complete fiction, but draw on emotions or composites of events. There is an awful lot of me in the novel. That’s not to say there is a character in the novel that is my alter-ego. Most of the characters are me, to some degree or another, but none of them are based on any particular individual.

Was The Valley of Ashes improvisational or did you have a set plan?

Eli:

A little of both, I think. I had a plan when I started, but it never worked out. I lost count of how many times I revised it. There was a long period when I didn’t work on it at all because I was so disgusted at how far it was from what I envisioned. After a few years, I had been working on some other stuff that didn’t seem to be going anywhere, when I realized, “Hey, I could combine this with the novel!” Of course that set off a new round of revision, and in the time that passed, my vision of what I wanted changed. A couple months ago, I did a comparison and figured out that only about 20 percent of the original storyline survived into the final draft.

Norm:

How did you go about creating the characters of Mike and Dave?

Eli:

Dave was easier to create, because I had a very clear vision of who he was from the very beginning – the guy who was out of step with his fellows, who was truly his own person. He evolved from his original form, as the story took shape around him. He had to. People change in response to the pressures on them, or they break. I tried to show that. I wanted a character who would remain true to himself at the core, all the while being shaped by the changing events around him. Mike was much harder. He was originally intended to be a sort of detatched observer, but as the story took shape, it forced him into the center. He really is a creation of the storyline – I combined several characters who existed in earlier drafts to make him. He ended up being a lot less likeable than I had originally planned, but also I think more real, more believable. At some point we all have to realize we are not as perfect as we’d like to be, that we might not have lived up to our own ideals for ourselves.

Norm:

What was the most difficult thing about writing The Valley of Ashes and what was the most gratifying?

Eli:

The most difficult part was deciding that it was done. I actually haven’t read it myself since I finished proofing it, because I know I’ll find all kinds of things I want to change. Eventually it will be distant enough that I can read it, but even then, I won’t like it. I’ll know all the things I could have done better. The most gratifying part was realizing that I had created something that people other than me thought was good. I’ve put a lot of time and passion into the writing, and knowing that others appreciate it is the most gratifying.

Norm:

Do you have a local writing community or fellow writers that you look to for support and advice? As a follow up, did you have a writing mentor? Do you mentor others here?

Eli:

I don’t, really. At a couple of stages, there were individuals, not writers, who were invaluable sounding boards and critics. I looked for a writing group, but all the ones I found were only interested in specific genres, or writing about the area where I now live. Neither of these worked for me. My wife has been a constant support, even when I was ready to pack it in. My writing mentors were the books of authors I admired. I have tried to be a mentor to others, and taught creative writing for years. I like to think I’ve helped a couple young people find their voices, but only time will tell.

Norm:

What has your experience been like with self publishing? Do you recommend it over traditional publishers?

Eli:

I’ve really enjoyed self-publishing. The people at Outskirts are very professional, and they put out a high-quality product. They’ve provided a lot of support after publication as well. It was on their advice that I looked you up, for that matter. As far as traditional publishers go, you can’t get there from here. Their margins are so thin, they only want guaranteed winners. They won’t look at something unless it comes through an agent, and these days most agents won’t look at something from an unknown author unless it comes with a recommendation from a respected author or reviewer. It can take years to get a traditional publisher to read your manuscript, and then when you’re accepted, it takes a year and a half or more until it sees the light of day. I’d rather pay up front and get it out in front of readers, who are the ultimate judges in the end. It takes a little more work, and builds slowly, but if your work is good, you’ll find your audience.

Norm;

Where can our readers find out more about you and The Valley of Ashes?

Eli:

I have a WEBSITE which has some additional information. I have also partnered on a site with a very close friend, Dan Wheeler. He did the cover design on The Valley of Ashes for me; he’s into photography and graphics.

Norm:

Is there anything else you wish to add that we have not covered?

Eli:

Not much. I hope to follow up The Valley of Ashes with something else soon, either a collection of short stories, or another novel. I have about three, maybe four, short stories I’m working on, and what’s turning into a novel – nothing like The Valley of Ashes, completely different genre. So I’ll finish up one or the other probably this summer, then see where I am. Right now, my priority is getting The Valley of Ashes noticed. I’d like to thank you for giving me this opportunity.

Thanks once again and good luck with The Valley of Ashes

Click Here To Purchase The Valley of Ashes

Click Here To Read Norm's Review of The Valley of Ashes