Q&A with Author Peter Rennebohm
Peter Rennebohm has worked successfully with a small traditional press on publishing all three of his suspense/crime fiction books. Enjoy this Author Q&A.
Read our reviews:
Buried Lies—http://reviews.armchairinterviews/reviews/buried-lies
Blue Springs—http://reviews.armchairinterviews.com/reviews/blue-springs
Q: What made you decide to become a mystery writer?
A: That wasn’t my intention. When I started I had no idea about different genres, so “mystery writer” meant nothing to me. I just wanted to write a book that was more of an adventure with lots of action (see French Creek). Actually I consider my writing suspense, or crime fiction genres.
Q: Where do you get your ideas from?
A: Sixty-five years of living, I guess. I have a very vivid and fertile imagination. I’m constantly wondering about a different sort of spin on various things.
Q: Did you take classes?
A: Yes, I have taken some wonderful online classes. But mostly I learned from a lot of reading, studying and practicing writing short stories. I was fortunate to have won a number of contests and established credentials early.
Q: Are you in a critique group?
A: No. I shy away from those sort of groups as they just aren’t for me. I have sought out a group of professionals to comment on my work.
Q: How long does it normally take to write a crime novel?
A: It takes me about three months to write the first draft, but that is very, very rough. Then I go back and flesh it out. I’ll probably rewrite and revise a manuscript at least 50 times–and by then I’m pretty tired of the whole thing.
Q: Are there rules that your publisher has that you have to follow, like at a certain point the plot needs to change, or the murder needs to happen?
A: No, no rules. However, a suspense novel must have sustained tension and conflict. Think of the letter M—the protagonist starts up the hill and obstacles are presented at the peak where some sort of action takes place. It’s resolved, temporarily, maybe. Then, things quiet down for a while, but zip, it’s back up the hill again for more conflict and trouble. This continuous movement keeps the reader interested.
Q: How do feel about authors who write all in summary setting, versus a dialogue setting–or is important to mix the both in the story?
A: The first? Boring. The second? More interesting. Notice how when you read it’s much easier and more interesting to read dialogue versus being “told” about something. Ever hear of “show, don’t tell”? That’s what a good writer will do.
Q: When you send your work to the editors, how do you feel when they send it back with “red” marks all over it?
A: At first I was crushed. Now, I expect it.
Q: Have you every sent in a piece were you loved what you had done, and how it was laid out but the editors didn’t and wanted you to change it?
A: No, not really. The problems I’ve had have been monumental–my latest book, Buried Lies, had to be cut back from 137,000 words to just over 100,00. That was very difficult. Large chunks of setting and description had to be deleted. A writer can’t become too attached to what is referred to as his/her “purple prose.” If it’s that great, save it and use it someplace else.
Q: How long did it take before you received your first approval letter to have your first novel published?
A: Two years. I am published by North Star Press of St. Cloud, a traditional press.
Q: Have your book sales meet your expectations?
A: Yes, my first hardcover run of Buried Lies was sold out within the first month—and all in Minnesota, and without any advance publicity. The sales were often “word of mouth” by others who were hand-selling it. I was both thrilled and humbled.
Q: Do you find it easier to write in first person or third person?
A: Third…by a bunch. First person (see Buried Lies) is very restrictive. You are limited to what the protagonist sees, knows, hears, or is told.
Q: Do you become a part of your stories when write them?
A: Yes. I have trouble sleeping during the initial writing phase. Q: Do you attend Writers Festivals/Book Fairs to talk with readers and sell your books? A: I have attended several local ones with my first two books, and will again with the newest. I have not yet attended any of the writers’ conferences for mystery/suspense/crime writers, but just might if they are within driving distance. I am a big-time “non-flyer.” I am considering the “Love Is Murder” convention in Chicago in February as it’s close enough to drive from Minnesota.
Q: Do you do anything special or unique to promote your book?
A: Yes I am a member of a group called, Minnesota Dept. of Crime and Suspense (M.D.C.S.). We will travel to both metro areas and around the state to talk about our books, writing, and our specific genres of crime, mystery and suspense. So far our group includes Minnesotans Jeff Foster, Brian Freeman, Jan Dunlap, Rob Hahn, Carl Brookins, and myself. We’re always fine-tuning “our act.
Q: Who do you read?
A: Thomas Perry, Lee Child, Carl Hiaasen, Gary Paulsen, Dennis Lehane, and Cormac McCarthy.
Q: How soon do you start writing your next book if this one just launched in September? And are they all stand-alones or sequels or part of a series?
A: I’m about a quarter or the way into novel 4. It may or may not be a sequel…so far, it can go either way. I’m waiting for some sort of Divine Intervention to guide me… .
Q: What else have you written?
A: I wrote a story about taking care of my granddaughter, Lilly in 2001. I sent “Grampa and Lilly” to about 20 publishers, but nothing came of it. I took care of her for nine months; two and sometimes three days a week when she was three months old. it was quite an experience and I kept a journal of our time together. Frankly, I thought the world would welcome such a pithy epistle about a grandfather taking care of a first grandchild. Not so….
Be Not Afraid: Ben Peyton’s Story (ISBN 087839205X) was my first published book in 2004. This was about a high school student who was seriously injured playing hockey–and his recovery from paralysis. My first novel, French Creek, was published later that same year.
About Peter…
A lifelong resident of Minnesota, Peter and his wife, Shari, live on ten acres west of Minneapolis. When he’s not writing, he can be found at a local hockey rink where he spends the winter coaching a boy’s hockey team. Peter has had over two-dozen short stories published and won numerous awards for his work. Dogs play prominent roles in Peter’s books. Blue Springs (ISBN 0878392270) his second novel, was published in December 2005. Set in Minnesota and South Dakota, it’s a powerful suspense novel about an eleven-year old boy and his beloved dog, Taffy. His third novel, Buried Lies (ISBN 0878392912) was released September 2008. A gripping puzzle-mystery set in the desert Southwest, the book stays true to Peter’s desire to include dogs in every story.
Thanks, Peter, for these interesting answers to our questions.