1.
What
inspires you as a writer?
I love
telling a good story. I’m not sure what
makes a story worthwhile, but I know it when I think of it and then can’t stop
thinking of it. The idea for this book
came from watching a series of infomercials.
“Things the Banks Don’t Want You to Know”, “Things the Government
Doesn’t Want You to Know.” My friend
Jeff and I turned to each other and started joking. “Things Your Dog Doesn’t Want You to Know.” And that was it. The title came first.
2.
When did
you have that ah ha moment when you knew you were a writer?
One of my
early projects was a collection of short mysteries for Sterling
Publishing. I loved the twisty little
plots and dreamed, in my oversized way, that a Hollywood producer would happen
upon my work and call me up. And,
although it took a few years, that’s basically what happened.
Out of the
blue one day I got a call. The man on
the other end said, “My name is Andy Breckman.
I just created a mystery TV show and I need stories. So I went to a bookstore and found your books
and tracked you down.”
That’s not
how I became a writer, but that’s how I became a TV writer. The show was “Monk” and it was probably the
best eight years of my professional life.
3.
What is
your writing process?
I sit down
around eight, as soon as the cobwebs start clearing, and write until I hit
1,000 words or find something better to do.
Then I come back in the afternoon and review the work and work on
plotting for the next day. Right now, I’m
under contract to write two books in six months. I’m cranky a lot.
4.
Tell us
about your favorite character and why you chose to write about them?
In “Things
Your Dog…” we have 11 dogs, each one writing ten little essays about their
secret lives, from a Chihuahua living in a stylish purse, to the world’s
dumbest Yellow Lab. My favorite would
have to be Sarge, the German Shepherd.
In each of his stories, Sarge has a job and winds up losing it. Whether it’s sniffing drugs for the police or
working nights in a junkyard, things never work out. Finally, Sarge gets adopted by a real family. But he still thinks it’s a job. That strikes me as a perfect metaphor for my
own life. Just keep working.
5.
What are
you currently working on?
I have a
mystery series that just started called Abel Adventures. The first book, “Rally ‘Round The Corpse,” is
already on the shelves and the second is on its way.
The project
that’s driving me insane is the Monk novels.
A few months ago, the people at Obsidian Press asked me to take over
writing a mystery series based on the Monk characters. The first one, ‘Mr. Monk Helps Himself”, will
be out next year.
6.
Any
upcoming events?
Working,
walking the dogs and eating. That’s
about it until May.
7.
If you
could be anyone you like, who would you be?
A thin,
good-looking Alfred Hitchcock.
8.
Do you have
any advice for new writers and something that a seasoned vet can learn?
Don’t write
too detailed an outline. Figure out
where you need to be by page 100 or 200 or 300.
But in-between those mile markers, let the story lead you. You’ll run into problems, sure. But writing is all about solving problems and
making them into assets.
9.
Where can your followers find you?
I’m at
hyconrad.com and thingsyourdog.com. Also
please look up my page on Facebook.
10.
Any last
words?
Everything
in publishing today seems to be about marketing; getting yourself out
there. But there’s no real substitute
for just being good. Work at your craft
and read – a lot. A writer who doesn’t
read isn’t a writer.
Thank you for stopping by.
