I am very excited to have Richard Mabry on the blog today. And he’s giving away a copy of his latest book, Fatal Trauma! Leave a comment by Monday evening at 7 CDT to be entered.
Richard’s webpage is http://rmabry.com and he blogs twice a week at http://rmabry.blogspot.com.
Dr. Richard Mabry is a retired physician whose writing career really began with his non-fiction book, The Tender Scar. He characterizes his novels as “medical suspense with heart.” Abingdon Press will release his ninth published novel, Miracle Drug, in September of 2016.
I asked Richard some questions.
When and why did you begin writing?
After the death of my first wife, I used journaling as a coping tool to get through the grief. Friends who read what I had written encouraged me to put what I’d said in book form, but I had no idea how to do that. Finally, an editor took pity on me and pointed me to a Christian writers’ conference. It was there that I began learning how to write what was eventually published as The Tender Scar: Life After The Death Of A Spouse.
At that same conference, Jim Bell and Alton Gansky, both excellent teachers and writers, challenged me to try my hand at fiction. After four years and four novels that garnered forty rejections, I got my first contract offer for a novel. Miracle Drug will be my ninth novel of medical suspense published.
How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to hitting send?
Ideally, I’d like to have up to a year to finish a book, but contractual obligations have taught me how to do it in six months. I find that, the closer I get to deadline, the faster and better I write. I guess Samuel Johnson was right: “When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.”
Have you ever gotten stuck in a story? What did you do to get past the “block”?
I’ve gotten stuck more times than I can count. When that happens, I put the work aside and let my subconscious mull it over. Stephen King calls this, “Putting the boys in the basement to work.” It almost always works.
Do you have a writing routine?
Each novel starts with an idea—usually asking the question Alton Gansky taught me: What if? Then I devise a start that grabs the reader’s attention and an ending that no one expects. After that I devise a cast of characters and write a one- or two-paragraph description for each one. Finally, I start writing. Often, after ten thousand words or so, I find that I need to change the direction of the story, so I go back and do it. Each day, I read and edit the preceding scene, so there’s some editing as I go along. When I finish, I let my wife, Kay, read the story. Her suggestions are always excellent. After about three or four edits, I’m ready to hit “send.”
What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?
For anyone who is seriously considering trying to write, my first word of advice is to learn the craft. This means reading books about it, going to conferences if you can afford it, joining a critique group. Read good books so you’ll learn to recognize good writing. Read bad books so you’ll know what to avoid. Pay attention to critiques of your work if they come from people who know the craft. Revise, rewrite, reshape, constantly strive to get better. And don’t give up. Persistence and a thick skin are necessary attributes for a writer.
Do you have another project in the works? If so, what is it?
After Fatal Trauma, Abingdon will publish Medical Judgment next spring. Meanwhile, I’m working on a Christmas novella I intend to self-publish, with a working title of Silent Night, Deadly Night. I’ll just say that it’s not your usual medical thriller.
How can people contact you?
My webpage is http://rmabry.com. There you can learn more about me, my books, and my writing journey. I blog twice a week at http://rmabry.blogspot.com. Tuesdays are devoted to general “stuff,” while Fridays I focus on writing subjects. I’m on Facebook (http://facebook.com/rmabrybooks) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/RichardMabry). I have a Goodreads page as well. And readers can always send me an email at Dr R L Mabry at yahoo dot com (close up the spaces and put the address in proper form, of course).
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Comments 15
Patricia, thanks for having me here. Let me correct one error (I hope your assistant will get it changed ASAP). My current book is Fatal Trauma, and that’s the one up for giveaway. Next comes Miracle Drug, out in September. Then Medical Judgment next spring.
Author
Hi Richard…and it was all my fault! I have corrected the title, after getting it wrong one more time–put Fatal Attraction instead of the correct book–Fatal Trauma. Some days it doesn’t pay to get out of bed. 🙂
Thanks for the insight on your writing discipline. Can’t wait to check out your latest books.
Author
Hi Karen,
Thanks for stopping by! And the book to be given away is Fatal Trauma. I had it wrong on the Rafflecopter! :-/
I like the advice to read bad books to see what to avoid. And the encouragement that one can write faster and better the closer a deadline approaches. I need that right now!
Author
Absolutely about needing to write faster, Johnnie! Thanks for dropping in!
This is only button I could select…to leave a reply, as rafflecopter suggested.
I love Richard’s books! Thanks for this giveaway.
When I need to finish projects?? Just press on! lol
Author
Jackie, thanks for leaving a comment. I always worry that readers won’t like the rafflecopter, but it’s the fairest way I know to choose winners. And great advice–just press on.
I first met you, Richard, at a conference the year your first novel released. It’s exciting to see how far you’ve come in such a short time. I can totally relate on the deadline focusing your attention. I’m much more productive when I have deadlines one on top of each other–not sane, but productive. 😉
Sandra, thanks for remembering me. I’m not sure how far I’ve come, but I know Who has been in charge of the journey. Thanks for your comment.
Author
Relating to the not sane but productive comment, Sandra. Thanks for stopping by!
I love Dr Mabry’s work! I am pretty sure I have read all of his books so far and look forward to the most recent one!
Author
Sonya, I love his stories, too. And if I didn’t already have this one, I’d probably enter the rafflecopter!
When I am stuck on a project I usually leave the table for a couple of day and then return. I am looking to borrow Tender Scar from the Library.
Author
Sonnetta, I used to work in numbers–not my specialty at all! Sometimes, when trying to get the numbers to total correctly I would keep going over and over the columns. That’s when I learned the value of walking away for a while. Otherwise, you keep seeing what you think you see. Thanks for stopping by!