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Critic Angela Wilson chats it up with Abraham’s Bones author Joe Prentis about how writing has shaped his life.

Who is Joe Prentis?

I think most people spend all of their life trying to discover who they are. It starts with family members trying to teach us to print our name, and then progresses to the stage where we hold up our hand in the classroom at roll call. I think much of what we label as misbehavior in society is nothing more than the endless search for our identity. Employers want to see our resume, which is supposed to tell them something about us. There are courthouse records, medical records, and tons of stuff spread across the globe in an effort to place each of us inside an understandable category. I like to think that each of us is more than a name, and more than a label. I am an American, the husband of a wonderful wife, with a successful and adorable daughter. I worked for the FBI, I was a Protestant Minister, and worked for many years for Tenneco Cooperation. I am currently retired, living in a small village, and I am writing full time. I hope that somewhere among all of the pigeonholes, there is one with a label that will fit me. I am still searching, and I think that is what life is all about.

How long have you been writing?

I love that question and I never get tired of answering it. One of my sisters taught me to read before I started to school. The story was Sammy Jay and it had a very unsatisfactory ending. As soon as I learned to write, I started scribbling in the margins of the book, searching for a more pleasing conclusion. I read a lot, but could not seem to leave the plots alone. I was constantly trying to find meaning in the most mundane events. When I was in the 4th grade I wrote an adaptation of a novel, and with the aid of the teacher, we performed the play at school. Later in the same year, I wrote a poem. Our school librarian was a friend of Carl Sandburg and she sent the poem to him for his evaluation. Mr. Sandburg said that it needed more work. I think that statement has guided my life and helped me through many difficult situations. From plot to print, every writer is haunted by what they should have said. As long as we view life, and writing in general, as a process that ‘needs more work,’ then progress is possible.
My first sale was to Reader’s Digest in 1980, and was a very heady experience. I have written 52 stories and articles that have appeared in print, plus four novels. I guess the short answer would be that I have been writing for all of my life.

How did you get the idea for Abraham’s Bones?

Would you believe me if I told you I don’t know? I grew up around people who had an insatiable appetite for information. I have always read a lot, and I continue to have an interest in almost everything under the sun. The idea for a book sometimes leaps into my mind in a way that is uncanny. I am sure a lot of it comes from the many things I read, plus the things in everyday life I find interesting. I read books and magazines on archeology, science and history. I suppose the idea began to grow many years ago as I thought about the conflict between the three great faiths. Stir in a little political unrest, distrust, anger, and growing problems with the world’s economy, and you have a book that will almost write itself. After I started gathering information, I soon discovered I would not be able to include all of the interesting things in one book. This is where the idea of a series was born. I am now at work on the second book of the series and I am having the time of my life.

What was it like to see Abraham’s Bones finally come into print?

I am not sure there are enough words in the English language to describe a moment like that. It takes many months to put a book together, not to mention the research, the actual writing and rewriting. I think it is a combination of all of the milestones in my life embodied in one climatic experience. Think about when your son or daughter walked away from you on that first day at school; how small they looked, the mixture of anxiety and pride . . . Thank God I had the time and the inclination to start writing the second book in the series. Some authors have almost insurmountable problems with getting started on their next book. Writing can be a painful experience, but it can have a healing effect as well.

What is your ideal writing setting?

I have an office with bookshelves extending from floor to ceiling. I keep the blinds closed, the radio off, and I don’t answer the phone. If I need to take a break to look something up, the reference books are handy. If I sit too long, I occasionally step on my treadmill and walk for a while until the story pulls me away. I like it quiet, I like to be focused.

What is your greatest joy when penning a new story?

Creating new characters. There are two types of books. Character driven and plot driven. At some point in the process of collecting information, the characters start to come to life. By the time I finish plotting the story, the characters are fully formed. Many very good writers do the opposite. They have a plot and then create the characters to populate their new world. I don’t think this would work for me. Once I have formed an idea about what I want to write, the characters automatically come to life. They are real to me, and the challenge—and a whole lot of the fun—involves making them so real to the reader that they think they are reading about a living person. It is my ambition to create characters as real as Scarlet O’Hara or Captain Ahab. As I go through the rough draft, my characters will sometimes evolve in surprising ways. By the time I have finished a book, I have this eerie feeling that if I turned my head fast enough, I might find them looking over my shoulder.

What about frustrations?

I don’t have any frustrations in the actual writing of a book. The frustrations start when I finish the manuscript. This is where you have to wrestle with the endless details of the marketing process. This involves a number of people. All of them are specialists with ideas of their own. Sometimes their ideas are better than mine are and I have learned how to compromise. Someone once said that only a fool will refuse to change anything, and only a hack will agree to go along with every suggestion.

Who is your greatest champion?

This being a discussion of the writing process, I assume you are asking about people who are influential in the field of literature. I admire anyone who can write a good book, but there are writers who have paved the way by creating new kinds of literature, or who find a fresh way to tell a story. There are several writers who have done this in a variety of ways. One of the writers I admire the most is Barbara Delinsky. She writes novels about ordinary things, but few writers can capture and sustain the drama she produces. One of her books might involve no more than a divorce, but by the time you finish, you will have experienced the event in a way that is palpable. Delinsky never resorts to melodrama, but her characters suffer, and you will suffer along with them. LaVyrle Spencer is able to capture the same magic in a slightly different way. James A. Michener was one of the best writers at creating memorable characters and placing them in lifelike situations. Historians have actually included events from more than one of Michener’s novels into their history books. You also have people like Linda Fairstein, Robert Harris, and Robin Cook. Each of them is pushing the finish line further out in new and exciting ways.

Who are you reading?

I don’t watch television very much, so I have some time to read. I usually keep a couple of books going at the same time. Right now I am reading The Blue Zone by Andrew Gross, who has written several novels in partnership with James Patterson. I am also reading Grapes of Wrath for about the tenth time.

What’s next for you?

It has been a long time since I have written short fiction. I am currently working on a couple of short stories. This is a way to fit some of my characters into situations and watch them develop. I am also hard at work on my next novel, which is the second book in my series about the Middle East. I have several books in various stages of completion. I can do some constructive work on a novel, but unless the plot catches fire, I can’t bring the book to a successful conclusion. At some magical point, my characters start shaking me awake at daybreak, and urging me to get on with the story. Did I tell you that I am having the time of my life?

Where can we find you on the Web?

I have two sites on the web. One is my blog, which isn’t a blog in the sense that I post every day. It is more or less an addendum to my web site where I can post things of interest. My official website is for presenting information about my novels. It also provides a link for anyone who wants to get in contact with me. I enjoy hearing from other writers, and especially from people who read my books.


http://www.joeprentis.com
http://www.prentisatpickwick.blogspot.com