Talk about an eclectic background! Dale Ward is another Black Rose Writing author, and I’ve not met him before this interview. What I found was an interesting person, besides being talented in a number of areas.
Dale is a lifelong video producer, working on everything from narrative fiction, a talk show, documentaries, music videos, short films, and his current responsibility, producing riveting lectures on deep theological topics at a Lutheran seminary (He added, “Depending on who you ask, of course!”).
He has been dabbling in telling stories for as long as he can remember, all the way back to when he was five or six, and it helped him deal with growing up and high school. He could make up a good story to get himself out of trouble quickly and as needed.
Dale is a married father of two sons and a lifelong St. Louis resident, with a second location in New Port Richey, Florida when he needs to get away.
I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did putting it together for you.
What was it that made you decide you had a story to tell and to become an author?
Killing the Butterfly has been a part of my life for several years, beginning with a short story (and short film) that evolved into something bigger when I ask questions about the various characters: Where did they come from? What have they been dealing with? Why do they do what they do? As I fleshed out the characters and their backgrounds, a bigger, better story developed.
As an author or writer, what sets you apart from others?
As a video producer, I can easily envision the words on the page as a visual, complete with sights and sounds. As an actor, I can put myself into the lives of my characters and feel and react to the instances that come at them. I am also a pastor, and it puts me in touch with people and their dark sides – how do they react to life’s struggles? Fact is indeed stranger than fiction, and more real, and more challenging.
Besides writing and telling a good story, do you have any other talents?
I am a lifelong guitar player and songwriter. My history finds me playing in local venues, mainly classic rock/folk songs, sprinkled with an original or even a CCR song. I also spent fifteen years as a union carpenter, and so you will most likely find a character or two in my stories who have a history or interest in the construction field. I know it, and can write about it truthfully.
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?
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Flowers for Algernon are two books that quickly come to mind. (They also both were adapted into great films!) I especially like how both books could enter the minds of their storytellers, people who had quirks and instabilities, and the author pulled these off with great aplomb. That said, I’ve read everything written by Elmore Leonard. I love how he looks at the guy or girl next door and throws them into crazy and unusual criminal instances. The same could be said of Carl Hiaasen. And I am also a great fan of the old Ian Fleming James Bond books. Not so much the latest attempts. I also read everything by John Grisham, Nelson DeMille, Robert Dugoni, and Thomas McGuane.
If you were to have dinner with 5 individuals living or dead, who would they be and why?
I would not like to have dinner with strangers. Are you kidding? I’d rather eat alone with a book and quiet music; not have to deal with interactions with other humans! Wait! Dinner with Jimi Hendrix would have to be quite an experience. (Are you experienced?)
When writing, how much do you read? Do you read in or out of your genre?
I try to read and write daily. I usually have a biography I am working through, a novel (usually in my genre), and then what I call a “workbook:” something that deals with my career, like How to Write; Making Films; or Working with Music.
What tips would you give to new or even experienced writers?
Plow through and get to the end. This is the most important. Do not rewrite as you work. You will never reach the end if you do this. Yes, I know this from experience. Plow through, get to the end, and then go back and rewrite and finesse it, flesh it out.
How do you handle a negative critique?
I’ll track down these people, stalk them, and look for ways to disrupt their lives. So do not critique me negatively. (Of course, I am kidding!) In reality, I like to read critiques from books and authors that I really respect, and see that they too have their detractors – even though misguided. Knowing that they have misguided detractors means I can have misguided detractors as well. There is comfort there. You can never please everyone. Please yourself and be true to yourself.
Do you see yourself in any of the characters you create? How/Why?
I think there is an element of myself in all of my characters because they are coming from within in. That said, I also make stuff up: I am NOT a messed-up teen-age girl. I am NOT a psychotic, two-bit criminal. I am NOT an unhinged husband driven to unthinkable things (well, maybe at times …)
Tell us about your most recent book. How did you come up with the concept? How did you come up with the title?
The title of my book is Killing the Butterfly, which plays into Patty and how she is an innocent butterfly caught into the web of a spider. Freeing the butterfly is the goal of what she needs and what she seeks. It also references the tattoo she inks on her bikini line, which represents her relationship with her psychotic boyfriend, Roy, who has a tattoo of an eagle. Free the butterfly!
As I said, I hope you enjoyed the interview and I hope you check out his new book, Killing the Butterfly.
Author Contact Information:
juward@sbcglobal.net
Link to book on Amazon:
jrlewis85's Blog 
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