Interview questions for Arnold Grossman, author of Going Together
Going Together Fiction Arnold Grossman Fulcrum Publishing (watch for our review)
Q: Arnold, please tell us about your novel, Going Together.
A: It’s been called a Los Angeles comic fable. Also, it’s a romantic comedy about two troubled people who find each other in the City of Angels and then try to find love, in spite of the avoidance issues that have kept them from succeeding at it. One of those issues is their fascination with the idea of “ending it all,” even though they don’t dare mention the S word. The truth is, they survive by believing they could take a dive off the Santa Monica Pier—but they wouldn’t, because the water is too dirty—or by leaping off a tall building—which they wouldn’t do either, because they can’t stand heights.
Q: Where did the idea for the novel come from?
A: From the love/hate relationship I developed with Los Angeles when I was living there in the ’90s. It’s a city of paradoxes, oddities, but also of great creative minds that have made it the world capital of film.
Q: Your background is as a writer for episodic and reality television, as well as feature articles for national magazines. How is writing a novel different than writing for television and magazines? Do you have a favorite genre?
A: Writing a novel is, in fact, quite different from those other disciplines, especially episodic and reality television, neither of which I would call an art form. It’s writing for demographics of audiences that don’t necessarily ask for art on television. I think magazine writing comes closer to what I would call the art of the written word that goes into creating novels.
My favorite genre continues to be novels that are comedic, with a good deal of dialogue.
Q: Did you have an agent for this book? Do you feel that an agent is required for all novel writers?
A: No, I did not have an agent for this book. It’s becoming more and more difficult to have a qualified agent if you’re not a so-called A-list author, with a proven record of sales success. I’m far from A-list. Maybe somewhere around Q.
Unrepresented writers just have to work harder at finding publishers and, if they succeed a few times, they can then likely find a willing agent. It’s another catch-22, like the banker who will only make you a loan after you’ve proved you don’t really need one.
Q: Explain how you chose the title for the book.
A: It’s a tongue-in-cheek double entendre that just happened to tickle me. In times past, couples dating were going together. In this case they were also going somewhere dark – together.
Q: Was there a message you wanted to give to readers when writing Going Together? If so, what is it?
A: Not really. I don’t think novels should send messages. They should tell stories. I’m reminded of what Samuel Goldwyn reportedly said to a young screenwriter who pitched a script that had a strong message: “If I want to send a message, I’ll go to Western Union.”
Q: Do you write full-time? What is your writing schedule like?
A: Yes, writing is my job. I keep hours, daily, and if the day’s work isn’t done by day’s end, I go into overtime. Only there’s no overtime pay. Time-and-a-half of nothing is nothing, or something like that.
Q: How long did it take you to write Going Together?
A: Six months.
Q: Are you working on anything else that our readers might be interested in?
A: Yes, I am working on something else, and I hope your readers might be interested in it. All I can say about it at this point is that it’s another L.A. story and also on the quirky side.
Q: What were the biggest obstacles you experienced in writing this book and having it published? Or was the experience smooth?
A: The experience was actually smooth. Fulcrum Publishing was the first publisher I showed it to, and they took it. That’s rare these days, and I feel fortunate it happened.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring novelists?
A: Don’t sit down to do anything more than tell a story. Make it a good story. Put in characters you’re going to want to live with for six months or a year, in a meaningful relationship. If you don’t care enough about them to stay with them, your readers won’t either. Let them drive the story.
Q: Where can readers find Going Together?
A: In most bookstores, the public library, and on the Net at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Q: Do you have a website?
A: Yes: http://www.arnoldgrossman.com
Armchair Interviews says: Thanks Arnold Grossman, for such interesting answers to our questions.