Interview with
Michael Morris
Interview by Jenna Glatzer
A
fifth-generation native of rural northern Florida, Michael Morris knows
southern culture and characters. It is the foundation and inspiration for the
stories and novels he writes.
Upon graduating from Auburn University, Michael worked for U.S. Senator
Bob Graham's Tallahassee office and then became a pharmaceutical sales
representative. Michael soon decided to follow a life-long desire and began
writing in the evenings. The screenplay he penned during this time is still
someplace in the bottom of a desk drawer.
It is when Michael accepted a position in government affairs and moved to
North Carolina that he began to take writing more seriously. While studying
under author Tim McLaurin, Michael started writing the story that would
eventually become his first novel, A Place Called Wiregrass.
Michael is currently completing his second novel and resides in the
Raleigh area with his wife, Melanie.
You say you've had a long desire to write, but that
you didn't get serious about your writing until you moved to North Carolina to
take a government affairs job with your employer. What made you decide to
get serious then?
While growing up in a rural area, I had been told by teachers that I could write
but thought the skill would be limited to writing business reports. For
me, fiction writing was not in the scope of reality. Reality was making a
good living at a steady job. Moving to North Carolina sparked my
creativity. The state is rich with writers and one of my favorites is Lee
Smith. Hearing her speak about the process ignited a flame to finally take
fiction writing seriously. Prior to moving to the area, I had heard Lee
Smith reading on National Public Radio. I was captivated not only by her
voice but also by characters that seemed so real that I felt as if I had grown
up with them. That night I went out and bought the collection of short
stories she was reading from and have since read all of her work. Before
finding her work, I had this misguided belief that successful writers lived in
New York or if they were in the south, they were eccentric alcoholics living in
antebellum homes. I didn't realize that writers could live in small
southern towns and be ordinary people!
How did the late author Tim McLaurin help you?
I first met Tim McLaurin at a book signing. I had just begun outlining A
Place Called Wiregrass and was seeking a course on creative writing. Tim
offered to let me sit in on his class at NC State University and soon he was
providing feedback on the novel. I will always be grateful for his
encouragement and guidance. He was a terrific writer and one of a kind.
I really admired how he remained unaffected despite of all the critical
praise his work received.
Publisher's Weekly reports that you didn't intend to
write Christian fiction-- yet your book A Place Called Wiregrass was
published by a Christian publisher. How is faith a central element in your
story?
My work tends to focus on people who are going through a "hurricane of
life." For example, in A Place Called Wiregrass the main
character is fleeing domestic violence and seeking a fresh start. During
these times of crisis faith seems to fall into place within the story but I
never want it to overpower the story. Prior to writing A Place Called
Wiregrass, I had never read anything in the Christian fiction category.
My goal was to simply write the best story that I could and that's why I'm
glad that A Place Called Wiregrass is doing well in both markets --
mainstream and Christian. I've been extremely pleased that people of all faiths
have told me that they relate to the characters and their circumstances. In A
Place Called Wiregrass you'll find hypocrites but you'll also find people
like Miss Claudia and Missoura who don't preach -- they just live out their
faith by their devotion to others.
It's not often that a man writes about a woman going
through domestic abuse. How did you get into the mindframe of this
character? Did you have any experience with this issue?
My mother and I were in a household of domestic violence with my biological
father. We were fortunate to have the support of my grandparents who
helped get us out. Even though my mom went on to marry a terrific man --
the man I consider to be my dad -- I have often wondered what life might've been
like if we had not had family support. That's when the voice of Erma Lee
Jacobs began to come to mind and when she began to come to life on paper. Erma
Lee does not have the support of family but she ends up befriended by a fading
socialite named Miss Claudia who proves that family is more than blood kin --
it's also the people who help us along the way.
While Erma Lee is not my mother, she is a combination of women I have known
while growing up in the rural south; smart, hard working women who have not
always had the same opportunities as others. Writing in Erma Lee's voice
was a bit unsettling at first. I decided that I would try it in the first
chapter and then chapter two fell into place. Before I knew it, Erma Lee's
viewpoint was leading me to the ending. When I finally let the story
unfold chapter by chapter, the process of writing in a woman's voice became less
intimidating.
I'm thrilled to hear that your book has sold so well
(and so quickly) that the publisher has had trouble keeping up with the
printings! To what do you attribute all of this success?
The publisher has done a great deal for the book but I have found that the
author must be willing to get out and promote the book as much as possible.
I always try to look for opportunities to speak to groups and have found
that bookstores appreciate this grassroots outreach. During the book tour,
I printed up post cards with the book cover and sent them out to the store's
customers. The post cards also listed the time and date for my store event
and included a couple of well-known author endorsements. During the tour,
I put my writing on hold and treated the promotional part of the process as a
full-time job.
You got terrific blurbs. Did you approach the
authors who gave you these blurbs, or did the publisher? How do you ask
someone for a blurb?
Actually I obtained the blurbs by attending author readings and then asking
writers whose work was similar to mine if they would be willing to take a look
at the novel. I found that it was extremely important to have a brief --
30 second -- pitch ready that described the plot. Once the first author
offers an endorsement, it becomes easier to get others. I was fortunate to
live in an area where there were many great writers who were willing to help new
writers like myself.
You've also had very well-attended book signings and
readings. How do you get the word out about these events?
The post cards that we printed and sent out in advance of the event were a big
help. Any press coverage -- no matter how small it may seem -- helps too.
Even if the crowds aren't large, the book signings are a great way to
connect with the store employees and to hopefully get them reading your book.
Again, the brief pitch of the book comes into play here.
I hear you even got a film offer on this novel! Can
you tell us about it?
Right now there have been a couple of inquiries. I'm just focusing on
finishing my second novel and getting it out. Interesting enough, when I write I
see the scenes played out in my mind as a movie. If the movie deal happens
then that would be great but I'm trying not to spend much time thinking about
it.
Tell me about the SEBA trade show and what you did
there.
Prior to the book's release I attended the Southeastern Booksellers
Association's show in Memphis. My publisher purchased a booth and my wife
and I worked the table. We met bookstore employees from all across the south and
handed out three chapter samples of A Place Called Wiregrass. This
association of independent bookstores has been a big supporter of A Place
Called Wiregrass. One of its members (Little Professor in Charlotte,
NC) recommended the novel as a Booksense 76 pick for July.
What advice do you have to share with new writers?
One of the best pieces of advice I received was to crank out the manuscript and
then edit. If you go back and review what you wrote yesterday, you'll
never finish your project. Instead, you'll end up editing all the time. Since
I struggle with this part of the process, I think it was some of the most
helpful advice I received.
As far as book promotion, I think it's important to realize that public speaking
is a big part of the job. To prepare for it, joining a group like Toast
Masters or taking a public speaking course could make the promotional efforts
more successful and also easier to handle.
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Visit the book's website at www.aplacecalledwiregrass.com.
