What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
My name is
Obren Bokich. I'm originally from Boise, Idaho. I now live in Los Angeles.
Did you
always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I decided I
wanted to be a filmmaker when I was about 14, writing my own films, of course.
I also
dreamed of writing novels, but for most of my life I didn't believe I could do
it. The most surprising
thing about The Cinderella Blues for me was that I enjoyed writing it more than a screenplay.
When did
you first consider yourself as a "writer"?
I had
poetry published when I was still a teenager, so I guess that would be it.
Did it take
a long time to get your first book published?
Yes. And it
looks like it will be even longer for the second.
Do you work
another job as well as your writing work?
I also
write screenplays and work in film production.
What is the
name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words
what would you
say?
I'd rather
not divulge the title at this moment. My wife calls it "The
Unforgiven meets Donnie Darko."
How long
does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing
writing it?
The
Cinderella Blues took about a year
and a half. I've been working on my second novel for about two
years. I began writing the newest book last summer and I'm about halfway into
the rough
draft.
What can we
expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different
genre?
I write
what interests me. The Cinderella Blues is a Romantic Comedy. My second novel is very hard to
categorize, but I would say Metaphysical Literary Fiction, but it's also violent,
funny and sexy, and
there are ghosts and demons in it.
What genre
would you place your books into?
Impossible
to say. I write what interests me.
What made
you decide to write that genre of book?
The
Cinderella Blues was inspired by my
disgust at seeing Sandra Bullock forced to kneel in an elegant
short skirt suit before a man on a New York sidewalk in the film The
Proposal.
I wanted to
write a romantic comedy that wasn't degrading to the women in the story.
Do you have
a certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a
certain chair?
I work like
it's a regular job. After breakfast I sit down to work with my second cup of
tea.
Instead of
lunch I go for a mountain bike ride, which also often involves working on
problems in the story.
I'm back at it until six or so.
Do you have
anybody read your books and give you reviews before you officially release them? ie.
Your partner, children, friends, reviewers you know?
I have a
rule that I don't read anything in a book or screenplay prior to the previous
day's work until the I
have a rough draft (not counting making adjustments in the story for
continuity). This is because
I'm a compulsive editor. By the same token, I don't let anyone else read what I've written
until the first draft is done. This is to prevent that self‐conscious voice
from intruding on the
creative process. My wife is always the first to read it. Then my editor. Then
I show it to a very select
group of smart literate friends.
Do you read
all the reviews of your book/books?
Yes.
What was
the toughest/best review you have ever had?
Reviews are
so personal. When I'm shopping for something on Amazon, I always read the
reviews
first, but I vette them, not only by the writer's style and language, but by
their other
reviews,
especially for books. I had a GoodReads reviewer say she stopped reading at
page 50. I looked at
her other reviews and understood immediately why she wouldn't enjoy my book.
How do you
come up with the Title and Cover Designs for your book/books?Who designed the Cover of
your books?
Adina Baker
did the cover for The Cinderella Blues. She's an amazing artist.
Do you
choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?
The title
usually comes after I've started work. One day it's there, and you know it's
perfect.
Are
character names and place names decided after their creation? Or do you pick a character/place
name and then invent them?
Characters
sometimes name themselves naturally. Sometimes I use reference books or the
Internet.
My second novel is set in 1865, so I sometime looked at names in newspapers
from the period and
locations.
Do you
decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the
whole book or as you go
along?
I have a
very clear idea of who my characters are before I start writing.
Do you
basic plot/plan for your book, before you actually begin writing it out? Or do
you let the writing
flow and see where it takes the story?
The first
step for all my work is a thorough step outline.
Have you
ever suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past
the "block"?
No matter
how "blocked" I feel, I have always woken up one day knowing how to
write the
story, so I
would say for me it's just a matter of not being ready, that the story hasn't
completely incubated.
What do you
do to unwind and relax? Do you have a hobby?
I mountain
bike, cook, play guitar, watch movies, tease my wife.
Have you
ever based characters on people you know or based events on things that have happened to
you?
All the
time. (Be careful how you treat writers!)
Are there any hidden messages or morals
contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesop's Fables type
of "The moral of this story is..")
Yes.
Is there a
certain Author that influenced you in writing?
Many. I
read and reread Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh and Kingsley Amis. I love Cormac
McCarthy's
books and Paul Theroux.
Do you
think books transfer to movies well? Which is your favorite/worst book to movie transfer?
Absolutely.
The best screen adaptation was One Flew Over The Cuckoos's Nest. One of the worst is another by Ken Kesey, Sometimes
A Great Notion. The difference is the scale of the
books. Cuckoo's Nest is a novella. Sometimes A Great Notion is three times
longer. The reason The Tin Drum was so good is they only adapted the first half of the book.
What are
you currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it? (ebook, hardback
or paperback)
Cold
Mountain, by Charles Frazier. One of the readers
of my new book suggested I read it. I
understand
why she suggested it. It's a real (paper) book.
Do you
think ebooks will ever totally replace printed books?
I hope not.
Did you
read a lot at school and write lots of stories or is being a writer something
newer in your life?
I learned
how to read with picture books before I started school, and books were my
escape,
beginning
in kindergarten. When I entered middle school I decided to read the entire
library. I was allowed to
check out five books a day. I would take them home and start one. If it didn't
grab me I'd move on to
the next. It was unusual not to find one I wanted to finish, and I'd read it
that night. I got to the W's
by the end of the ninth grade.
Did you
have a favorite author as a child?
My first
favorite author was probably Margaret Wise Brown. I read all the Doctor
Doolittle Books, plus Freddy
The Pig and all 36 of the OZ books.
Do you have a treasured book from your childhood? If yes, what is it?
I still have my copy: Wait Till The Moon Is Full, by Margaret Wise Brown.
What piece
of advice would you give to a new writer?
In the
words of Bob Dylan, "know your song well before you start singing."
In other words outline your story
so you know where you going before you set out on your journey. That doesn't
mean it won't
change, but you'll always have a seat on the train the next day.
Do you or
would you ever use a pen name?
That's
funny. When my editor read The Cinderella Blues she pronounce it "Chick
Lit," which surprised
me (my wife said she thought the same thing; she just didn't say it), and she
suggested I publish it
under a female pseudonym. I was raised by a proto‐feminist mother who firmly
believed that anyone
can do anything. What matters isn't my gender, but whether the work speaks to
you in an honest voice.
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