Our second author interview takes us an author who describes himself as the “best author you’ve yet to read”. He is a Windy City native, military and police veteran, and the genius behind the zombie novel Dead Assets, and the Brandywine – the Chicago Trilogy. Ladies and gents, I give you, the sugar weasel himself, Don Miskel
Something Wicked This Way Comes - When did you know you wanted to be an author?
Don Miskel - I’ve wanted to be an author as long as I can remember. From what my mother says, I was trying to hold conversations just a few days into my tenure on this planet.
SWTWC - Where are you from and where are you now?
DM - From Chicago, born and raised—and I don’t mean a suburb, either. Rough-and-tumble South Side. Englewood. Busted open fire hydrants on hot days and lots of frustration; but there was lots of love and beauty, too. Like my character, Detective Brandywine, I started off in the neighborhood of Washington Park. Rugged backdrops but they gave me some great life lessons and the ability to observe people. Writers are good at observing. As for where I am currently, that’s classified.
SWTWC - What has your life been like so far?
DM - Life is no joke but there’s plenty to make you laugh, if you’re paying attention. I’m not into self-pity and learned a long time ago I can achieve anything I want to accomplish by removing excuses. Wouldn’t have it any other way!
SWTWC - What other jobs have you had?
DM - Professionally, I’ve done some rather interesting things. Among those, I retired honorably from the military and served quite a few years as police. That overlapped with a stint as a security specialist, which is a lot of fun. Been a firearms instructor, taught CPR and non-lethal weapons, and did some voice work, too. However, my lifelong career is authorship. It’s the only thing I plan to continue doing until the day I’m manipulating the big, figurative keyboard in the sky.
SWTWC - Tell us about your personal favourite novel of yours. Brag a little
DM - Stories are like children; we’re proud of them all but some resonate more than others. And, as we go, our “parenthood” grows, hopefully our artistry yields better results. That said, as much as I love it, I am going to give my first novel, Dead Assets a much-needed overhaul. I am smitten by my second full novel, Brandywine - the Chicago Trilogy, but crafting its sequel has my rapt attention. However, before I ever committed to publishing my first full-length book, I was penning short stories. Of those, “Anything,” which has yet to see the light of day, remains unpublished. I may change that soon. It’s my absolute favorite. Once I release it, I’ll be able to discuss why.
SWTWC - Does writing energize or exhaust you?
DM - Writing, again comparing it to raising kids, both energizes and exhausts me. But it’s that love and toil that makes it all worth it.
SWTWC - What are common traps for aspiring writers?
DM - The most common trap for an aspiring author is PROCRASTINATION, specifically when it comes to starting the initial project. Not that I’m unfamiliar with putting things off—as Jules Winfield claimed to be the “Foot Master,” I am the Overlord of Procrastination. However, anything worth getting done is worth actually getting around to doing. The best advice I can give to overcome it is to commit to writing a weekly blog. If you can do that and remain consistent, you can dial it up a notch and start writing a little something every day. The amazing fact is, if you pen a page a day, by the end of a year, you’ll have enough material for a full-length book.
SWTWC - What is your writing Kryptonite?
DM - My creative Kryptonite is distraction. It could be anything: from a videogame I act as if I need to play, though it doesn’t accomplish anything, to an errand that has to be run. When the Muse decides to visit, I should clear the schedule to entertain her. Treated well like a cherished lover, she tends to want to hang around. And she enjoys being the centre of attention.
SWTWC - Have you ever gotten reader’s block?
DM - I’ve gotten reader’s block but never writer’s block. I don’t allow myself to give in to the latter. I just understand that most things, to include storytelling, should be accomplished organically. That means if I get overloaded, I move onto another project. The best distraction to writing one project is working on another. I have more ideas, back-burner tales, and half-finished stories than I have time to write. That means I never run out of yarns to spin. Taking a break from a particular project, while continuing to write something else, keeps the creative juices flowing.
SWTWC - Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
DM - I consider writing under a pseudonym and will likely do it, as I pen stuff for people of different interests and ages. I don’t ever want kids to mistakenly pick up one of my adult-themed works, assuming it’s for them.
SWTWC - What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
DM - I have lots of friends who are also authors. Three of them keep their collective, inspirational Chuck Taylor to my backside: Pamela Murray, Nike Marshall-Binger, and HMC. I don’t always appreciate it at the time but they’re part of a system that keeps me on my toes. Pamela, who is also my editor, has the pleasure of dealing with my moodiness while working on projects; Nike gives sage advice out of nowhere; and last, but definitely not least, HMC refuses to accept my excuses.
SWTWC - What authors did you dislike at first but grew into?
DM - I’m an organic-type of person. Much like a few minutes into a movie or TV show, if I don’t like a writer within the first couple of chapters, I typically never return to their work. Nothing against them personally but the philosophy of how I spend my time, attention, and energy comes down to a simple concept: either it is or isn’t.
SWTWC - What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
DM - My mother has a simple saying, which I have found to be true: “You will have what you say.” She would typically hit me with this nugget of wisdom whenever I was sucking my teeth and complaining. She was calm about it, too. After growing up on a constant diet of positive affirmations, I could see a definite difference between what would’ve been typical for someone of my background and my accomplishments. Words have power. That’s why I write.
SWTWC - What’s your favourite under-appreciated novel?
DM - Favorite underappreciated novel? Well, I have a series that fits that description: The World of Sorrow by Kelvin V.A Allison. ‘Nuff said!
SWTWC - As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
DM - Choosing an avatar, I’d use something I doodled in my sketchbook forever ago. It’s a character holding an oversized pencil, denoting the love and need for creation. Here’s one version of it:
SWTWC - How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
DM - I won’t claim to have a vault of unpublished work that rivals that of the late, great Prince but I do have too many half-finished stories and novels to count. And that number constantly grows.
SWTWC - What does literary success look like to you?
DM - My definition of literary success has evolved over time. When I was young, it linked my talent to the amount of money I wanted to make from it. Money is good but, to paraphrase Dr. Dre, fulfilling your passion shouldn’t be driven by finances. And he’s Hip Hop’s first billionaire producer—one of the first to ever ring that sort of bell. Literary success, for me now, is being blessed with more ideas than I could possibly produce in a lifetime, while making forward progress on some project. Ultimately, I write for the love of writing.
SWTWC - What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
DM - My current novel hinges on a rather tragic event. Before I started, I did quite a bit of research, which I continue to refine as I go. Got to make sure the facts line up!
SWTWC - What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
DM - Women are superheroes, so there’s that… The most difficult thing about writing a character of the opposite gender is the nuanced stuff. Never developed from an awkward girl to a classy lady and I’ll never know what it is to carry a child. I’ve been a dude all my life so, though my point of view makes perfect sense to me, I have to keep in mind that some people experience and express things differently.
SWTWC - How do you select the names of your characters?
DM - The names of my characters just come to me. There are some go-to names that I have to ensure I’m not repeating from story to story. However, I have a sneaking suspicion none of my characters will ever be named Penelope…or Poindexter. Just sayin’.
SWTWC - Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
DM - Yes, I read reviews written about my books. I enjoy the good ones and see the others, particularly if the same things are being said by reviewers who don’t know each other, as room to grow. Whether good or bad, I don’t take them personally.
SWTWC - Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
DM - Every book I write has some of my DNA in it. I often put in personal experiences from my childhood that only a few folks will recognize. But, because these are secrets, I won’t reveal them.
SWTWC - What was your hardest scene to write?
DM - The hardest scene to write is one in which a woman or a child gets hurt. Especially if it’s told from the point of view of the assailant(s), figuring they’re justified in what they’re doing.
SWTWC - Do you Google yourself?
DM - I may have Googled myself…once.
SWTWC - What is your favorite childhood book?
DM - My favorite childhood book was Green Eggs and Ham though, after having kids of my own, Hop on Pop became more autobiographical! And now that I have grandchildren, the latter Seuss book will likely remain the story of my life.
SWTWC - Does your family support your career as a writer?
DM - My family does support my creative endeavours. I keep wondering how and why, because I can be something to deal with when the Muse comes a-knockin’!
SWTWC - How long on average does it take you to write a book?
DM - I have yet to work out an “average” time to write a novel. Depends on the story. I used to rush things, which is why I feel the first iteration of Assets needs to be reworked. I got so wrapped around the axel to get that first book out, it proved a bit detrimental. I believe, as an author, I need to spin the best yarn I can for my readers—I’m committed to that. Working on the next Brandywine novel, I’ve taken a relaxed approach—it’ll be out this year but, otherwise, it unfolds and develops as it does.
SWTWC - Do you believe in writer’s block?
DM - I believe writer’s block exists but I don’t allow it to take root in my creative process. I allow myself natural breaks and come back around to the project. Blockage happens when something has either not been well-thought-out or is being forced.
SWTWC - What are you planning next?
DM - Next up: the aforementioned second coming of Brandywine. But, somewhere in there, the first iteration of “Skitter” or the follow-up to “Everyday Heroes” and “Close Call” may happen. I have to keep it moving.
Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Don-Miskel/e/B00KYEG8NA?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1611238817&sr=8-1
Website - https://www.donmiskel.com/?fbclid=IwAR3gcECQz9vMoi7lSnO90KXt0fPlqsbTlY9yi6p7ocg_ZMj2ByEdCq17SvA
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