Flux Friday with Ryan Potter

Ryan Potter’s EXIT STRATEGY will be published by Flux on March 1, 2010. Only days away!! Lucky for me (and you), I was able to interview him before all the mayhem started. To find out more about Ryan and EXIT STRATEGY, visit www.exitstrategy17.com.

1. Your first novel, EXIT STRATEGY, is coming out next week. First word that comes to your mind. No thinking allowed.

Finally! (I say ‘finally’ because I wrote the first draft nearly five years ago!)

2. What are your book launch plans? Any cool online or live parties or shenanigans planned?

Nothing major planned as of now. We’re still waiting to hear from some big chain stores in the area about upcoming signings, but there is a 5-book giveaway in process over at Goodreads that is going very well. I can’t believe how many people have entered to win a copy of the book. I love the Goodreads community! By the way, the giveaway runs through March 1. If anybody is interested, here’s the link: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/2826-exit-strategy

3. How did the idea for EXIT STRATEGY come to you?

As I’ve said, I wrote the first draft almost five years ago. It was my first attempt at a novel, and I had no clue if I could pull it off. I followed the old cliché of “write what you know.” For example, the main character is seventeen and works as a stock boy at the neighborhood party store, a job I held on and off during my own high school career. There are dozens of other examples I could give from the book. Anyway, I think that’s great advice for beginning authors. Take something you know and go from there. It worked for me.

In terms of the idea for the novel, all I knew in the beginning was that I wanted to write a story that would appeal to reluctant high school readers, especially average guys from blue-collar backgrounds. I also knew my main character would fall in love with his psycho best friend’s twin sister. That was my central plot conflict. How would Zach Ramsey (main character) deal with his love for Sarah Foster, and how would it impact his relationship with Tank Foster? I made everything else up as I went along.

4. What is your writing strategy (e.g are you a plotter, a winger, outliner, etc.)?

I’d say I’m a diehard winger with occasional spurts of plotting. I’ll start with a basic idea and go from there. Usually, I’ll have lots of ideas for scenes, but I won’t know until later exactly where to place them. That’s where my notebook comes in handy. I can jot the scene ideas down and come back to them when necessary.

As for outlines, I’ve decided they’re my worst enemy. I know many writers love them, but all they do is bog me down and smother my creative process. In fact, I just realized something. I’ve never used an outline on a published piece. In fact, the last work I tried to outline was a dismal failure that I ended up abandoning. So, yeah, I’m very anti-outline. Sorry, no offense, outline fans!

5. Which character in your book do you relate to the most and why?

That would have to be Zach Ramsey, the main character. Although he’s very unlike me in many ways, I do remember being disappointed as a teenager when I found out certain things about adults. I can also relate to Zach’s sense of wanting something more than what his hometown offers. Don’t get me wrong. I had a great time growing up where I did, but I knew I wanted something fresh and different as an adult. That’s why I knew I had to go to college.

On the other hand, in the novel Zach despises his football coach, but my own high school football coach is an amazing person and was a great role model for me back then.

6. What has been the most surprising thing about the publication process?

I’ve been most surprised at what a team effort the publication process is. I blogged about this last summer, but I highly suggest that new writers face the fact that the days of the recluse author are history. Yes, the actual first-draft process can be lonely, but once a professional agent offers you representation, and, later, a publisher offers you money for your work, it’s time to prepare for some brutally honest feedback and, usually, some major changes to your work.

I’ve lost count of how many drafts EXIT STRATEGY went through, but every suggestion from my agent and editors made it a better book. I’ve worked with so many wonderful people on this novel—two agents, two editors, a cover designer, publicist, copy editor, etc.—and I tried to do everything possible as a writer to make their jobs easier. They know what sells. I don’t. There’s a lot of collaboration on a novel. That part surprised me, but I like to think I embraced it from day one.

7. Sometimes when I’m stuck on a book, I work on something totally unrelated like house cleaning or take a walk. What works best for you?

When I’m stuck on a story, I’ll usually take a coffee or food break, but during that time I’m constantly feeling guilty for not staying in the writing chair and dealing with the problem. It’s a vicious cycle that way! As a result, I tend to take very short breaks.

8. If there’s one thing you want people to take away from your book, what would it be?

That I used my sense of humor to address some sensitive issues teen guys face but often have trouble talking about. Did I succeed in that? I’ll let readers decide. Having said that, if even one reluctant teen reader finishes EXIT STRATEGY and says something along the lines of, “Yeah, that was my kind of book,” then I’ll consider all of my hard work a smashing success!

9. Can you tell us a little about the next project you’re working on?

I’m working on a YA novel told from four different viewpoints. I like to challenge myself as a writer, and this is definitely something new for me. In terms of story, I have four suburban high school seniors (two males, two females) who embark on a very unique challenge as they near graduation. I’m afraid that’s all I can give you for now! However, I will say that this is the first time I’ve tried writing first-person female voices. Talk about a challenge!

10. This question is all yours: Anything you wish I had asked? Favorite song? The food you can’t live without? How you became a brilliant writer? All you!

How about a list of ten favorites?

• Guilty pleasure: American Idol (but I do miss Paula)

• Music genre: Heavy metal

• Sport: Baseball

• Exercise: yoga

• City: New York

• Food: pizza

• Film: Out of Sight (1998) – Easily George Clooney’s greatest role.

• Publisher: Flux 

• Literary agency: Andrea Brown Literary Agency 

• Other things I’d like to plug for free: Gibson Les Paul guitars, Elmore Leonard novels, and Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs. 