What is your name, where were you born and where do
you live now?
My name is Ken La
Salle. I was born in Orange, California and I live in Anaheim, California. (I
believe this is called being a “man of the world.”)
Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did
you want to be?
I knew from a very
young age that I wanted to do something creative. I felt pulled towards
theatre, towards singing, and towards writing. After spending my time in a
couple of cover bands, I realized I wasn’t exactly cut out to be a rock star.
After doing a lot of theatre, I realized my strength was not necessarily
acting. Though I loved both more than I can say, my weakness as a singer and
actor turned out to be my strength as a writer – that is, I tend to over-analyze
things. You might say I think too much. There are times as a performer you just
want to go with things and not think and, while that wasn’t my strength, it
turned out doing just the opposite, being very aware of what was going on,
thinking a whole lot, has helped me as a writer.
When did you first consider yourself as a
"writer"?
I tend to be very
particular about calling myself a “writer.” I knew for most of my life that I
didn’t want to do it until I was sure. I’ve seen that guy who brags about working
on his book who you know is never going to finish it. You know he’s just
boasting over nothing. I didn’t want to be that guy.
A few years ago,
as my life turned more and more towards writing – one of the few upsides to a
crappy economy – I began to see things change and all of those caveats I put on
myself that prevented me from calling myself a “writer” were pushed aside. My
plays began to get produced. I found an agent who believed in me. I was
published – and not just self-published, either, which was nice.
But the day I
realized I could consider myself a “writer” was when I was out with my wife and
someone asked the inevitable, “What do you do?” And I said, “I’m a writer.” I
said it without thinking, without flinching. It just became what I am – and I
have marveled at that every day since.
Did it take a long time to get your first book
published?
I guess that
depends on what you mean by my “first book.”
I’m 46 years old
and I’ve been writing seriously for about 25 years. I wrote my first book, which
I have lost since lost, when I was 21. I’m not ashamed to say: it stunk. The
last quarter century has been about learning, refining, and becoming the writer
that I am. My first published book was Climbing
Maya, available from Solstice Publishing, which I wrote in and around 2008.
By that time, I had written about a dozen books.
So, the short
answer is: Yes.
But then, if you
look at how long it took from writing to publishing, it’s not as long. The
whole process took about four years, and that’s not bad.
Do you work another job as well as your writing work?
I used to. I spent
about 20 years working in marketing management and in marketing and technical
writing. But I grew to resent that because I worked under my real name and
wrote under my pseudonym, Ken La Salle. I had to do this for fear of losing my
day job. I hated living two lives and looked forward to the day when I could
“come out,” so to speak.
Now, thanks to the
help of my lovely wife, I have come out and live my life (openly) as a writer.
I am so busy between working on new books, promoting published books, working
on new plays, and just generally going about the business of being a writer, I
don’t have time for another job.
What is the name of your latest book, and if you had
to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say?
I just finished a
book on ethics called Dynamic Pluralism.
In less than 20 words: Dynamic Pluralism
presents a working system of ethics, something that has not been proposed in
over 200 years.
Who is your publisher? or do you self publish?
When it comes to
self-publishing or looking for a publisher, I live by the motto: Do everything!
So, when I write a
new book, my intention is to find a publisher. I’ll work to find a publisher
for as long as I can and, if that doesn’t work out, I’ll look at the
self-publishing option. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this.
Sometimes, publishers aren’t looking for the book you have to sell.
I’ll give you an
example. Next month, I will be releasing my next, self-published book, The Worth of Dreams/The Value of Dreamers.
I’ll be releasing it as an ebook and (with any luck) an audio book. The Worth of Dreams/The Value of Dreamers
is a compilation of my first year of articles about pursuing your dreams run on
the Recovering The Self website. I’m
putting those together with some bonus material and charging a very small
amount for it all. I know a publisher won’t necessarily be looking at this but
it’s something I believe in, which is why I’m doing it myself.
Do you have a "lucky charm" or "lucky
routine" you follow when waiting for your book to be accepted by a
publisher?
Yes. My lucky
charm is my wife, Vicky. No kidding. I’ve been fortunate to meet and marry
someone who inspires me, helps me with the business side of writing, and makes
my life fun. I couldn’t ask for more!
How long does it usually take you to write a book,
from the original idea to finishing writing it?
I’m pretty fast
once I get going but I tend to “pre-write” much of my work. By that, I mean
that I think through all the major issues before I write the first word. It’s
not that I plot it all out to the Nth degree, but I want to know where I’m
going and what I’m doing and then, with that resolved, I can begin writing.
From start to finish, that means a novel takes 3-5 months.
A full-length play
takes me about two weeks to write.
Non-fiction takes
a bit longer. The book I just finished, Dynamic
Pluralism, took me about 20 years from the first ideas to the last rewrite.
Mind you, most of the work was done in the last three years, but it was
important to lock down the theories before I committed myself.
Which of your books were easier/harder to write than
the others?
Well, as I just
mentioned, I spent a very long time working on my last book. The writing time
was astronomical compared to how long it takes to whip out a novel: six months!
But the thing is it was worth it. It was one of those experiences, like Climbing Maya, when I realized I had a
book that could help people, could make the world a better place.
That said, the
next book I dive into will be a novel – because after you spend several years
working on something worthwhile, you just need a break!
What can we expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of a
different genre? Do you have plans for a
new book? Is this book part of a series?
As I recently
mentioned to another interviewer, my “brand” doesn’t tend to lean towards one
genre. My output is very diverse, as you can see just by looking up the books I
have available on Amazon, etc. That said, one of the benefits of moving forward
with my writing career is that I’m learning what people want.
For the last
decade or so, my goal has been to always be a moving target. I wrote every
genre that interested me – fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, literary,
commercial, non-fiction – hoping that someone would find some interest in my
work and I could say, “Okay, so I should write more of that.” And that is kind of what has happened in the last couple of
years. With Climbing Maya out, I’m
going to follow that up with another book on philosophy, the aforementioned Dynamic Pluralism, and another memoir, a
book about my father’s passing away called The
Day We Said Goodbye. With the encouragement I’ve found at Recovering The Self and my regular
column on pursuing your dreams, I’ll be releasing the Year-One compilation, The Worth of Dreams/The Value of Dreamers.
With more of my
shows finding receptive theaters, such as Writing Man Productions and the Dark
Room Theatre in San Francisco producing my farce Murielle’s Big Date in November, I’ll continue to write more plays
– mostly because they’re just a whole lot of fun.
In the midst of
all that, I’m excited to be starting a new novel called Work of Art. It’s about a group of people drawn together by nothing
but the endeavor to create art, which is actually very powerful. This is a new
kind of novel for me, a hopeful idea. My agent refers to my previous work as
“eorish,” but this feels like something new and I’m excited to be starting it…
somewhere amidst all those plans…
Do you have a favourite out of the books you have
written? If so why is it your favourite?
My favorite is
always the book I’m working on at that moment. Having just finished Dynamic Pluralism and as I have not yet
begun my next project, I guess I’d have to say my favorite at the moment is Climbing Maya. It’s my favorite because
it’s a book that inspires people and really strikes a chord and I never
realized I could do that. It’s a book that has inspired me; it has made me a
believer in myself. I’d say that’s a pretty good reason.
Do you have a favourite character from your books? and
why are they your favourite?
I can name two off
the top of my head and they are both alike in that they are both, so far at
least, unloved.
The first
character is Hex from my Rynia book of fantasy novels (available on Amazon and
Smashwords, etc.) Hex is a pacifist, a loner, a lost soul – and he is asked to
be a hero. He’s not a hero. Far from it. But through the course of the four
Rynia books, you see how the people in his life make him a hero. After
finishing the four Rynia books, I was ready to go on and write two more
trilogies… maybe one day…
The other
character is Maggie Lawrence, the protagonist in my murder mystery, Sleepwalker. Maggie has sleeping issues
and wakes up one morning to find out that she just might have run someone over
as she drove in her sleep. She’s no detective and her friends are far from your
usual cast of characters. She has to find out who did it, not to catch the bad
guy but just to make sure it isn’t her. This is a novel I’m actively trying to
sell and I would love to follow Maggie through several more books because she
is so ill-suited to be a detective.
If you had to choose to be one of your characters in
your book/books which would you be? and why?
I’ve heard it said
that writers always put themselves in their books, that one character always
represents the writer. I, on the other hand, like to play all the characters. I
think it’s the actor in me.
How long have you been writing?, and who or what
inspired you to write?
My dream of
becoming a writer began in 1983, back when I was in high school. One of the
other students, a guy older than me and far more mature named Roy Johnson had
just written a story called Snails. I
can’t recall exactly what it was about but I remember it was, of all things, a
love story. It was very impressive and me being the showboating, young actor
that I was, which is to say also terribly insecure than anyone could do
something I could not – well, I said something stupid like, “Yeah, that’s okay.
I’m working on my first novel, myself.”
And, of course,
someone called me on it.
I remember that
was on a Friday and I had to come up with a first chapter by Monday or be
proven wrong. Well, I did… but it was horrible. For many years after that, my
motivation for writing was simply to write something as good as Roy Johnson had
written. Once I got something close, I was so pleased that I’d actually done it
that I had to do it again!
Where do you get your book plot ideas from?What/Who is
your inspiration?
The short answer
is: I don’t sleep.
I’ve wrestled with
sleeping problems all my life but one of the upsides to being up in the wee,
small hours of the morning is that I can let my mind travel wherever it wants.
I usually know sort of what I want to do next; I have inclinations pulling me
one way or another so I’m generally not a blank slate. I just let my mind do
what it wants and play with whatever inclination I might have.
You know, one of
the things about being a writer, or any artist really, that is so hard for some
people to understand is that you need to untrain so much of what you’re taught
through your lifetime. I think that’s difficult for people to comprehend. But
I’ve found that my writing, that all of my art, has only succeeded to the
extent in which I’ve been able to shut off so much of what I’ve learned. I
remember, as a child, being told not to let my mind wander. I remember being told
not to daydream. Oh, what I would give to smack the folks who told me that.
Letting your mind wander and having an ability to daydream, those are arts in
themselves! That’s where I get my inspiration!
Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie
You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?
I don’t so much
have a routine as I have a desk and a “To Do” list. I sit at my desk and look
at my “To Do” list and get started. Usually, this means about eight hours each
day, except when Vicky can pull me away on weekends, sitting at my desk in
silence. I’m sure if I had a laptop (with requisite ergonomic keyboard), I’d
write anywhere and it’s probably better that I don’t because being able to take
my writing anywhere would probably be dangerous!
Do you have anybody read your books and give you
reviews before you officially release them?ie. Your partner, children, friends,
reviewers you know?
Vicky reads just
about everything before it goes out. She’s my partner in this endeavor. She
works as my proofreader and my adviser. I wish she was a bit more vocal about
how she feels but she seems to like what I do, so I guess I can’t complain.
Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?
They say you
shouldn’t read your reviews and I firmly agree. That said, I read everything
and it’s the dumbest thing I could do. I have a notoriously thin skin and tend
to believe people with an almost “well, if they wrote it down it must be true”
kind of approach. This has been devastating, of course, but I like to think it’s
helped thicken my skin a bit.
What was the toughest/best review you have ever had?
I tend to be very
hard on myself, which means that I am also my worst critic. This is very
helpful, though, because while I throw away most of my ideas I also know that
if I’ve stuck with something that usually means it’s worthwhile.
Would you ever ask a reviewer to change their review
if it was not all positive about your book/books?
Sure, if it was
possible. I’d prefer every review be a good one! Sadly, however, we don’t live
in that universe. We don’t even live in a universe where a reviewer would
listen to your request. The best we can do is accept the good with the bad. As
long as I can keep working as a writer – you know, once I make some money at it
– I’ll try not to let negative reviews hurt me too much.
How do you come up with the Title and Cover Designs
for your book/books? Who designed the Cover of your books?
One of the most
enjoyable things about self-publishing has been in coming up with my own
covers. I am a closet graphic artist and I’d love to be talented as a painter,
but I’ll take designing book covers where I can.
On Climbing Maya,
I worked with the cover designer at Solstice and that was a great experience.
At first, I had suggested using a mountain top for the cover, going with the
implications of the book’s name. Then, I realized we needed something iconic,
because the “climbing” in the book is a philosophical climb with a summit that
may be an illusion. I asked if we could get a mountain top that looked like it
came out of A-Ha’s Take On Me video.
Mind you, that video didn’t feature a mountain top but the cover designer
somehow got my intention and came back with an iconic image that ended up being
the book cover. I think it’s absolutely wonderful.
Do you choose a title first, or write the book then
choose the title?
It depends. I
often get a title right away, because I know where the book is going and want
to start talking it up with my friends. In those cases, names just pop up. The
title for my mystery, Once Removed,
was like that. I was lying in bed, talking about my new book idea with my wife
– the idea being about a wife who finds notes from her dead husband that
eventually lead to his murderer – and the name just came out.
Other books aren’t
so simple. The three Rynia books that make up the Sons of Rynia trilogy were
very much like that. I spend years calling them “Books One, Two, and Three”
without any kind of title at all. Once I knew I was going to self-publish them,
however, I knew I’d need a title… actually, three titles. So, I sat down with
the first book title, A Hex Upon Rynia,
and tried to find three names that fit that name scheme. By the time I finally
had them, I wondered what had taken so long!
How do you come up with characters names and place
names in your books?
As I said, I tend
to think things through quite a bit. But I don’t even start thinking about it
unless a core idea, event, or person nags at my mind. In my next book, Work of Art, for instance, I have the
image of a boy painting flowers for the girl he loves in my head. That got me
wondering: Why is he painting them? Where is he painting them? How is he
discovered? Once those questions found answers, more questions started popping
up until I was sure a book was there.
Are character names and place names decided after
there creation? or do you pick a character/place name and then invent them?
I have the hardest
time with name and tend to fuss over them quite a bit. For instance, I feel I
tend to use the same names over and over and sometimes I think my names get to
be too generic. So, I’ll change them even as I finish a book or play because
I’m second, third, fourth-guessing myself. I’ll look all over the Internet for
a name to grab me. Basically, I’m lucky to finish something with names intact.
Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet,
tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?
Oddly, I don’t
tend to think too much about traits. I usually listen for a specific voice. If
I can find the character’s voice in my head, that usually also gives me
everything I want to know about character. For instance, I recently wrote a
play called Broken People in which a
character called The Sad Man walks into the Arizona desert in the middle of
summer to kill himself. When I wrote The Sad Man, I could hear his lines as
Peter O’Toole. I needed to use that voice for the gravitas it provided.
O’Toole’s signature voice also told me everything I needed to know about the
character. I’m not always so lucky as to find such a specific voice, most of
the time it’s just me, but when I can find a particular sound it helps me
capture what I need to know about the character.
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?
I do a little of
both. As I mentioned, I like to find the major notes in the book. I know if I
have that I’m good. The way I like to explain it is that I like to know what
happens in the book and, in the process of writing the book, I learn how it
happened. That gives me enough room to play while still giving me the book I
wanted.
How do you market/promote your books?
Since my books
have so far all been e-books – this will end with the paperback edition of Climbing Maya, coming soon! – I’ve been
working on promoting my work online as much as I can. This has happened through
interviews like this, of course. I’ve also created my own website. I blog
fairly regularly and work the social media. Basically, I’m looking for any
opportunity I can find to get the word out there!
What do you think makes a book a really
good/bestseller ?
How I wish I knew!
This may be the
worst thing for a writer to admit, but I have learned that I am not the best
judge of what is marketable. I started writing mystery novels, for instance,
because an agent told me they would do well. They haven’t.
When I wrote Climbing Maya, I told my wife I was sure
nobody would ever be interested in it. Turns out, that’s my first book released
by a publisher. So, what do I know?
Have you ever suffered from a "writer's
block"? What did you do to get past the "block"?
When I was
younger, I would suffer from writer’s block but that hasn’t been a problem in
more than a decade. I believe one reason for this has been because I dedicate
myself to writing every day, as much as possible. Now, my problem is just the
opposite. Last July, I suffered from what I called “Burnout,” which was just
the opposite of writer’s block. I could not write! I had to take a month off
from writing all together because I’d pushed myself too hard. Now I’ve learned
that I need time off. I’m going to take time off this July as well, just a
couple of weeks, to help cool off before I burn out again.
What do you do to unwind and relax? Do you have a
hobby?
I work so much
that it’s sometimes hard to turn off the machine. For this reason, my hobbies
tend to either be aimed at turning off my brain or giving me opportunities to
work away from the keyboard.
One way I turn off
my brain is with video games, specifically World of Warcraft. I can play WoW
for an hour or so and just vegetate and not think. I know this probably sounds
like sacrilege to hardcore gamers but I’m not there for that. I’m fine spending
an hour crafting or questing.
Working away from
my keyboard comes in the form of jogging or bicycling. I love to go on
long-distance road trips, cycling 100 kilometers or even 100 miles. It’s
something I do not do nearly enough but it’s great because I can work on a
story as I ride. It’s the best of both worlds.
Have you ever based characters on people you know or
based events on things that have happened to you?
Sure, as long as I
can mention my memoir – or is that cheating?
Climbing Maya, my philosophical memoir
about the nature of success, very nearly did not happen. I was out of work at
the time and trying to think of something marketable I could write, something
that would make money. (This goes back to how little I can tell what is
marketable and what isn’t.) I gave the choice to my wife: either a zombie
horror novel or a philosophical memoir. Fortunately, she told me I should write
the one I felt more compelled to do, which became Climbing Maya.
As it turned out,
I wrote both and it was Climbing Maya
that found publication first!
I knew I couldn’t
just write a straight non-fiction book on success; I just didn’t have the
confidence to do that. But I felt I might be able to approach the subject if
told through my own experience. After all, I was unemployed, my best friend was
an alcoholic, and my other best friend was losing his wife to cancer. If our
lives didn’t just scream “Success,” whose did?
Are there any hidden messages or morals contained in
your books? (Morals as in like Aesops Fables type of "The moral of this
story is..")
My earlier writing
did. I felt the need to justify something’s existence by wrapping it a kind of
message. But one thing I learned through writing for theater is how unnecessary
that it because that’s not what happens in life. I like to think of it this
way: The conflict is the conflict. Things happen, and not always for a reason.
That has helped me get of that particular crutch.
Is there a certain Author that influenced you in
writing?
If I had to pick
just one writer, it would have to be Kurt Vonnegut. And that’s odd because so
little of my writing reflects this. But I think he turned me on to so many
different aspects of writing: the idea that it could be fun, that it doesn’t
have to be the stuff they teach in school (I was first turned onto him in high
school), that a book can be whatever it wants to be, that you can tell the
story however you want, and on and on. As it turns out, my least favorite book
of mine is the one in which I tried to ape Vonnegut’s style too much. I am
presently in the process of rewriting the book to sound more like me. You can
be influenced by someone but it’s important to know when to put that aside and
do your own thing.
Which format of book do you prefer, ebook,hardback, or
paperback?
For reading or
publishing?
For reading, I prefer
a good, old-fashioned hardbound book every time. It’s just one of the ways I
show my age and my hippie roots. Because I like the idea of being able to share
a book without it taking up more resources every time you read it. While paper
takes trees, ebooks take electricity every time you read them. Paper books use
the resource just once.
But for
publishing, I’m far more open. I’ll take any format that gets my work out
there. As I mentioned, all my work is in ebook format, with Climbing Maya coming in paperback very
soon! I’m also going to try and release my next book, The Worth of Dreams/The Value of Dreamers, as an audio book, so I’m
open to whatever gets my work in front of an audience.
What is your favourite book and Why? Have you read it more than once?
When I first
started writing, I read far more than I wrote. This is important, I think, for
any writer. It’s like going to school. During this time, I read and reread
anything I could get by Kurt Vonnegut, John Irving, Tom Robbins, Douglas Adams,
and fantasy authors like Christopher Stasheff, Stephen R. Donaldson, Terry
Brooks, and on and on. Then, as I began to learn the craft of fiction writing,
I switched to non-fiction and found that even more interesting, reading and
rereading Carl Sagan, Stephen Ambrose, Joseph Campbell, and many others.
So… short answer?
I think there’s just too many to mention.
Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is
you favourite/worst book to movie
transfer?
I think books
transfer very well as long as you keep in mind that a book is no more a movie
than a movie is a book. They can’t be the same animal so you can’t expect a
seamless transfer. You almost have to expect the outcome to be very different.
Again, there are
so many excellent movies from books, especially comic books. (I recently saw The Avengers on its opening night and
that was a big, old serving of awesome.) But if I was too pick a really good
one off the top of my head, I’d say it would have to be Cronenberg’s The Naked Lunch. The book is such a different
trip from the movie and, yet, the movie holds up excellently as its own being.
What are you currently reading? Are you enjoying it?
What format is it?(ebook, hardback or paperback)
I’m currently
reading I, Azimov, Isaac Azimov’s
fantastic and final autobiography. I’m reading it in hardback, in a lovingly
worn copy I found at a used book store.
Side note: Used
book stores – really good ones – are like churches. You should attend them
regularly.
Do you think ebooks will ever totally replace printed
books?
I’m sure somewhere
down the line, maybe as early as fifty years from now, they will. But I don’t
know if they should. As I mentioned, my printed books will last beyond my
lifetime. They can be, have been, and will be shared. You just can’t say that
about an ebook.
Do you think children at schools these days are
encouraged enough to read? and/or do Imaginative writing?
Are kids
encouraged to read? Sure, but are they given the time? Are they allowed to do
it in their own way? I don’t know. When I began to read in earnest, back in
high school, I read pulp fantasy. Others read comic books (which I found my way
to as well, by and by). And we caught hell from adults for that. My mom was
good about letting me read what I wanted to read but I saw the other side as
well, those who only wanted you to read what they thought was good for you. So,
maybe kids growing up these days have to find their own way just like we did.
Maybe it isn’t pulp fantasy or comics. Maybe it’s shitty ebooks or something
else entirely. Kids should be encouraged to read whatever they want, as long as
they work that muscle.
As for anything
imaginative, I think grown-ups have done a terrific and abominable job at
eliminating that from children’s lives. Now, it’s all about rote learning and
structure and approved play, it makes me sick. I am all for George Carlin’s
call for more daydreaming. We should encourage kids to daydream – hell, we
should encourage adults to do it as well. It’s good for the soul!
Did you read a lot at school and write lots of stories
or is being a writer something newer in your life?
My story as a
writer begins in the least auspicious manner: I wrote fake commercial sketches
that I would perform in front of my fifth-grade class. I had a terrific teacher
who encouraged us to do our own thing. She knew it would turn on our minds. I
remember my first commercial was for a weight-gain gas called “Fatrical”… it
only went on from there.
But I only did
this to perform, thinking my story would end as an actor and not as a writer.
As I got older, though, I found more and more ways to get the spotlight as a
writer until my big-mouthed braggadocio made writing inevitable.
Do you have a favourite genre of book?
I have a soft spot
for fantasy novels. My first was The
Elves and The Otterskin by Elizabeth Boyer. I can’t say what it is, maybe
it’s just part of my generation since that’s when fantasy kind of grew up, but
if there’s a dragon or wizards, I’m ready for the ride.
Is there a book you know you will never read? Or one
you tried to read but just couldn't finish?
You know, my first
impulse is to say there’s no book I wouldn’t at least try to read but then I
get to thinking about all the books churned out by the right-wing hate machine
these days, saying the most hurtful things about people who are doing their
best to make the world a better place… I think it’s fair to say I’d definitely
never read those.
Is there anything in your book/books you would change
now if you could and what would it be?
I’ve actually been
spending a bit of time recently rewriting some of my older books, books I liked
when I wrote them but just didn’t catch on. One of the startling things about
my writing career, and this may sound familiar to some people, is that I never
run out of lessons to learn. I’ve been very fortunate to work with some people
who have given me a bit of mentoring. I should single out JW Shnarr, of
Northern Frights Publishing, as one of these people. Now, diving back into some
of my older work, I realize where some huge errors were made and I’m able to
fix them.
What’s at the top
of last list, to answer your point more directly? Point of View. I’ve always
been a fan of third-person omniscient and I think it sometimes mirrors what
we’re used to seeing in movies and on television. But I’ve since learned that I
took that a bit too far and I had a habit of losing control of the vehicle, so
to speak. Going back now, I’m tightening my hand on the wheel so the POV steers
straighter and clearer.
What do you think about book trailers?
I love them! I
didn’t even know about them until Climbing
Maya was due to be published. When I realized I should have one, I decided
to make it myself. It seemed like the right thing to do; Climbing Maya was such a personal book, I knew the trailer should
be personal too. The feedback I got was so positive, I plan to put together
more trailers in the future. I think it’s just another great way to connect to
make a connection with your audience.
What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?
My standard advice
to anyone who wants to be an artist of any kind is simple: Don’t do it. If
you’re lucky enough to get out, GET OUT! Life is already hard enough without
asking for more suffering, rejection, hurt, anguish, and just plain
frustration.
If, however, you
realize you’re stuck, don’t do it half-assed. Surrender yourself to your fate.
Persevere! Hang in there! Give it your all!
You’re going to
make mistakes. You may even suck. That happens. It’s not a bad thing; it’s
necessary in order to learn. Keep at it! Give it your all!
And don’t let
anyone tell you otherwise. You don’t need those people. If someone talks shit
about you, you don’t want that person in your life under any circumstance.
Oh, and buy my
books. I think that’s the best advice of all… well, it’s good for me, at least…
Do you or would you ever use a pen name?
Yes, indeed. Ken
La Salle is a pseudonym. I like to think I don’t even exist. In my previous
life, when I worked in the corporate world, I had to use my pseudonym because
being a writer while employed to be a writer was frowned upon. So, like any
good superhero, I’d switch identities.
But I have to say
that grew tiresome. I didn’t want to live two lives. I wanted to be Ken La
Salle. And so, today I am. In fact, these days, my other (real) name feels more
like a pseudonym. Funny, that.
I’m a big fan of
recreating yourself that way. I think everyone should do it. It’s very
liberating.
Where can readers follow you?
Well, aside from
the blog, twitter, Facebook, and web details below, you can look for me at
theaters around the country. Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Most of my
stuff is performed in California, where I hope some smart TV or movie exec will
want to hire me one day. Mostly, you can see my work in theaters in Southern
California.
I’m also happy to
make personal appearances, hold signings, and do readings anywhere in the SoCal
area. Just drop me a line! (I’ll go elsewhere if you pay the trainfare – I hate
flying.)
Your blog details?
You
can find me on the following blogs and sites of e-lightenment:
Your web site ?
The world-famous www.kenlasalle.com
has everything you might want to know about me. From my plays to my books, from
appearances to publications, from media to bios, it’s the place to be and I
welcome you to stop by if you’re so interested.
Your facebook page?
You can find me on
Facebook by my pen name: Ken La Salle.
Your Goodreads author page?
Yes, you can check
out Ken La Salle on Goodreads as well.
Your Twitter details?
On Twitter, I am
@KenLaSalle. I’m always looking for more followers. So, please, stop by,
follow, have a cookie. (Twitters major weakness: No cookies…)
And any other information you wish to supply?
One thing I’ve
learned over the years that becomes more true all the time is that a writer’s
career is not determined by the writer but by the reader. I know this is the
case with my career. And so I am grateful to anyone who buys my books or enjoys
my work. My career, my life, would not be possible if not for your support and
I want to thank each and every person who buys my work, enjoys my work, lends
their support, and acts as my friend. You are the best.
