Fiction Scribe

Today I welcome author Stephen V. Masse to Fiction Scribe. I hope you’ll join me in welcoming him to the site. If you would like to purchase his book, you can click on the cover graphic. If you’d like to know more about Mr. Masse, you can visit his website.

Hello and welcome to Fiction Scribe, Mr. Masse. Let’s start with getting to know you a little better. List five things you feel define you as a person.

I see myself as strongly social, a people-person. I’m amused, enriched and endlessly fascinated by people, and I take pride in my deep and long-lasting friendships. I also have a lifelong passion for writing, and wrote seven novels (most still unpublished) by the time I was 30 years old. All writing is about relationships, so the two go hand-in-hand.

I also have a passion for getting things right. Not quite a perfectionist, I do have confidence in my craftsmanship – which carries over into my writing.

Something I don’t dwell on too much, but upon reflection I realize I want to keep learning new things, trying different ways, to keep my mind and soul active as long as I’m alive. If a writing project isn’t working, change it around. Learn to play piano, even if it’s just for learning. Read more, try a new game, meet new people, keep on growing.

And of course my relationship with my family defines me as well, since it is the garden in which I was grown (weeds and all). I’m very fortunate to be part of a close and loving family, and could not imagine how life might be without that gift.

What inspired the initial idea for A Jolly Good Fellow?

This is tough to answer, because I wrote the first draft so many years ago. As I remember, this story just came to me in a wave, and I wrote it day after day over a six week period. There was no plot outline, I just saw it happen and wrote it down.

Perhaps the kidnapping gave voice to my darker side, and setting it during the holiday season gave a softer human side to that potential danger. At the time I was unaware of the immense burden of lost love that weighed me down. After many years and many rewrites, I was able to give form to those deeper details that ultimately brought the book to life.

Tell us about Duncan and Gabriel.

In short, both Duncan and Gabriel represent personalities drawn from my inner self. Duncan is down-and-out, but he strives to be the good guy, and eventually makes it. Gabriel has no patience with his parents’ failings, and as a runaway he gets an opportunity to grow beyond his anger.

What do you hope your readers will take away from this book?

I’d hope for readers to really get a sense of experience, a sense that this story actually happened right here in Boston. If I’ve created a trustworthy reality, then readers will share in the growth of both Duncan and Gabriel. They will perhaps gain compassion for those in love pain, and they may even find new resources within themselves to create warmth, love and anticipation during the holidays and in their lives. That, and try using a candy cane to stir hot chocolate.

What are you working on now?

I’m in the process of a final revision of a children’s book, Short Circus. Also started many years ago, it’s a book about a twelve year old boy and his adventures with his Big Brother, who may be forced to move away.

What are your dreams for your writing? Where do you see yourself in five years both as a writer and as a person?

I’ve learned not to spin too many dreams about my writing; it’s too much like dreaming of winning the lottery. Mostly it doesn’t happen. In five years I’ll be pretty much where I am now, living in relative comfort and most likely still remodeling homes to support that income, except I’ll have two or three more books published, God willing.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you have been given/learned in your life as a writer?

Being a writer isn’t a choice, it’s a vocation that is either born into a person or develops from within. Being an excellent writer is a choice, and that’s what to strive for.

Is there anything else you would like to share with the readers here?

Mostly I would like to share my book, A Jolly Good Fellow, since it’s a part of me that’s polished, dressed up and ready-for-company any time of the day or night.

Thank you very much for coming by this blog. I wish you great successes with A Jolly Good Fellow.