Wayne is a fellow BRW author, who is originally from Canada. He changes corners of the continent every 15 years. He currently lives and writes in Las Vegas. Out of high school in Mission, BC, Wayne began an eighteen-year career as a professional standup comic, which eventually brought him to L.A. where he met his wife, the Duchess. Eventually, he ran away from that circus to begin a long career in business training and consulting.
Wayne is the author of sixteen books, both fiction and nonfiction. In 1922, his flash fiction was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
During our conversation, two tidbits that stuck with me were, “A man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?” and “Typing is solitary, writing is social.” Something to think about …
What was it that made you decide you had a story to tell and to become an author?
I have wanted to be a writer ever since I was a kid. We were lied to. I was told writers were respected and famous, took long fancy book tours and lived in great country houses with terrific libraries. By the time I realized that was all nonsense, it was too late. I have written most of my life, starting with standup for my comedy act, then tried writing scripts, then writing business-oriented articles and books and finally coming full circle and writing novels once I turned 50.
As an author or writer, what sets you apart from others?
I can’t help but see humor in even the darkest situations. Also, because I write most of my novels in the first person, I find it easy to get into the “voice” of my characters.
How do ideas for your stories present themselves? How do you know what story lines to follow and which to ignore?
This is a tough question to answer. Sometimes the origins of a story come to me in lucid dreams (and yes, I know how pretentious and arty that sounds) Once I’ve started the work, I usually just play scenarios cinematically in my head until something sounds right.
What genre do you write, and why?
That’s the question I hate most. I have written 16 books: ten are business-oriented nonfiction. My first three novels were historical fiction, because nothing fascinates me like why the world is as it is, and history helps answer the question, and my last three novels (the Johnny Lycan: Werewolf PI Series) are urban fantasy thrillers, because why the hell not? My short fiction is all over the board.
Besides writing and telling a good story, do you have any other talents?
I can’t sing, draw or play an instrument to save my life. I grill a mean hamburger, though.
If you were to name one or two books that you deem unforgettable and that had a major impact on you, what would they be, and why?
That’s easy, actually. The Three Musketeers, because it’s a swashbuckling adventure about a young man finding his way. The other one is The Great White Shark Hunt by Hunter S. Thompson, which I read far too young but told me it was okay to be suspicious of authority and just say what you feel.
What authors do you read regularly? Why?
You literally don’t have space for this list. I’m bibliographically promiscuous (meaning, I’ll read anything. I’m a book slut.) For literary works of art, I’ll read anything by Mark Helprin. His work is so good it makes me want to quit in shame. I really enjoy R.F. Kuang, Sylvia Morena-Garcia and Sebastian de Castell, among so many others.
If you were to have dinner with 5 individuals living or dead, who would they be and why?
The evening would wind up in tears and possibly gunfire, but I would say Sir Richard Francis Burton (renowned explorer, linguist and pornographer); Byron De Prorok (charming fake, the subject of my novel The Count of the Sahara); Mae West, Rosanne Cash, and Kris Kristofferson. (My wife would be there, of course)
What is your writing routine? When you write, do you plan or outline ahead or are you a “pantser”?
I usually write in white-hot spurts, so I plan beginning, middle and end points, and then pants my way from A to B. I’ll decide I have two chapters to get from this point to this point, then sit and noodle and nap and not write until I suddenly sit down and crank out thousands of words at a time. Don’t try this at home, kids.
When writing, how much do you read? Do you read in or out of your genre?
As I said, I am quite shameless and read everything from indie fantasy and genre stuff to high art, with some nonfiction set in between. I usually read while pretending to watch TV with my wife, then totter off to write in silence.
Is there something you set out to do, but somehow, it didn’t work out for you? (In writing, or something else you felt was important to you at the time?)
I have a long list of failures to choose from. I was a standup comic from the age of 18 to 35, making a full time living, but never became anything close to a star. Then I had several screenplays optioned that never got made. I firmly believe “a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?”
What tips would you give to new or even experienced writers?
Join a critique group, in person if possible, online if it’s not. Read other people’s stuff and offer feedback. Read outside your genre and build friendships with other writers. Nobody else knows what you’re going through. I always say, “typing is solitary, writing is social.”
How did you “teach” yourself to write or did it just come naturally? What lessons would you pass on to others?
I went to journalism school, but really learned to write by reading widely, seeing what worked and what didn’t. Then I cranked out everything from blog posts to articles, and then moved on to short stories and finally novels. Lots of critique and cringe-worthy attempts along the way.
How do you handle a negative critique?
I’ve been a performer my whole life, so I learned really early on not to live or die by reviews. My rules for feedback are: shut up, and listen to the feedback. Then you can decide whether to act on it. There are 3 buckets of critiques: brilliant things you never thought of that will solve all your problems (a very small bucket), a larger bucket of ideas that you really have to think about, or get you pondering other options, and finally stupid feedback that’s just plain wrong. Thank them for reading and move on. Criticisms of your writing are not attacks on your person. They just feel like it.
Is there a type of writing/genre that you find difficult to write? Why?
Given my background, you’d think that comedy would come easily to me. Nope. The minute you tell the audience, “This is funny!” you’ve set yourself up for them to tell you otherwise. I’d rather tell a story and allow the humor to emerge naturally than set out to create a flat-out comedy and fall flat. And romance is a mystery. Being assigned a rom-com would be a death sentence.
How important are the elements of character, setting, and atmosphere to a story, and why?
Is this a trick question? They are the things that make us decide if we care about the story or not. I read so many of my fellow writers who are all about the plot, making sure that A leads to B leads to C, but bore the heck out of me along the way.
Do you see yourself in any of the characters you create? How/Why?
Because most of my novels and stories are written in first person, there’s a lot of me in all my main characters. I didn’t see it at first, but most of my protagonists are men who are told they’re not good enough, smart enough, or capable enough, and set out to prove the world wrong. If I had a therapist, she’d probably have a ball with that.
Is there an unforgettable or memorable character that will not leave your head, either of your own creation or from a book you’ve read?
I was obsessed with Byron de Prorok for years, which is why my first novel was his story. The character I’m not the writer enough to tackle, but have been fascinated by for years, is Sir Richard Francis Burton. A brilliant, complicated, hot mess of a person with an amazing life.
Tell us about your most recent book. How did you come up with the concept and the title? And from your book, who is your favorite character? Who is your least favorite character? Why?
My newest novel (coming out in May 2024) is Johnny Lycan & the Last Witchfinder. It caps off the three books in the Johnny Lycan: Werewolf PI series. The others are Johnny Lycan & the Anubis Disk, and Johnny Lycan & the Vegas Berserker.
I got the idea by playing the “what if” game with myself. What if there was a young detective in Chicago? What if he was not very bright, but had cool people around him? And WHAT IF HE WAS A WEREWOLF? The opening scene of the first book literally came to me in a dream where I was a werewolf fighting Russian Gangsters.
I patterned the titles after various book series I read as a kid. Tom Swift and his Electronic Thingamajig, or The Executioner: Manhattan Massacre and the like. This was always intended to be a series, and I wanted it to read like one of those old pulp novels and take the readers along for the ride.
I love the character of Johnny Lupul. Johnny is a truly nice guy, way smarter than he thinks (or has been told) he is, and trying to navigate a world he doesn’t understand. He’s big, brawny, hairy (why do book covers always have men with waxed chests?) and unabashedly blue collar. He also attracts funny, charming characters.
In the Vegas Berserker (Book 2), his love interest is a fascinating creature named Cree Jensen: a hedge witch with a chemistry degree who studies MMA. She’s not conventionally beautiful, but every bit his match. My readers’ group, male and female, developed big crushes on her. I think I did too, but don’t tell my wife.
Contact Information for Wayne Turmel:
Twitter: @Wturmel
Facebook: Wayne Turmel Author
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14980039.Wayne_Turmel
Amazon:
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/johnny-lycan-the-anubis-disk-wayne-turmel/1137330104?ean=9781684335763
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