We sat down with Meraki Press's newest debut author, Scott M. Harris, to ask him about work, writing, and his books!
Tell us a little about yourself:
My name is Scott Harris. I am 59 years old. I was born in Pittsburgh, PA and raised in Carnegie, Pa until I was twelve. I moved to Waynesburg, PA and graduated from Waynesburg High School. Those six years or so or living on a farm were very formative for me. I grew to love the outdoors and cherished elbow room.
What inspired you to write your book?
A lifetime love affair with reading. Books have been an integral part of every part of my life and I wanted to try to let my furtive imagination loose on paper.
What is your favorite part of writing?
Creating characters that talk to me. I don’t write stories, my characters do. I never know where the tale will take me.
Do you have a piece of advice for someone who wants to write a book?
Write! Then write some more! It’s the only way. There are so many avenues for aspiring writers to take. Loads of websites that instruct and let new writers get their material critiqued. The fear of failure is the overwhelming reason people don’t try. Failure is lesson one in writing. You’ll suck, but I guarantee you that if you keep writing, you’ll suck less.
What was the easiest and most difficult part of publishing?
For me, the editing process is tedious. I compare it to accounting and my accounting method is, close enough. Which to accountants and editors is maddening.
If you could go back to the beginning, is there anything you would’ve done differently to get this book published?
No. To me everything that I do in this process is an education.
Tell us your favorite book or give us some recommendations.
Man, that’s an impossible task. I’m a voracious reader and I am always amazed at writers that I am only now discovering. Stephen King was the first author that instilled in me the power of a simple story. In my teen years, Hunter S. Thompson blew my mind. I still find I mimic Hunter in my writing style. Steinbeck to me is the greatest American writer and I love Jim Harrison, a true bohemian and renaissance man. To the hundreds of others I didn’t mention, my apologies.
Do you think you'd ever write another book?
Absolutely. I’m working on my next one now. It has a more local flavor and is much different than Badlands. Stay tuned!
And Lastly, where can readers find your book?
Badlands is available online everywhere books are sold: Barnes & Noble & Amazon!
Thank you, Scott M. Harris, for sharing your time and insights with us!
If you would like to follow along with Scott's book and further updates, you can find him on social media.
You can order his debut book here: Badlands
Available everywhere November 8th, 2024!
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