Dave Vizard is a writer and editor who lives with his wife Barbara on Lake Huron. Vizard also is helping launch a new post-production movie and music studio while selling real estate in Caseville, MI. "A Formula for Murder" is his first novel. Four years ago, Vizard left the newspaper industry. During a 34-year journalism career, he was an award-winning reporter, editor and columnist. Vizard also edited True North Magazine.
He is a founding member of the Huron Area Writers Group. When not working on a writing project, Vizard enjoys reading, jogging, drinking beer, and sleeping, but not necessarily in that order.
Dave, I'm
so pleased that you've finally released your book, "A Formula for
Murder". Can you give us a tantalizing teaser about the story?
I didn't
realize it when I started writing it five years ago, but it is essentially the
Jerry Sandusky / Penn State saga in fiction. The only differences are my story
involves a high school instead of a college, my sexual predator is a band
director instead of a coach, the people who turned a blind eye to the abuse in
my book are a school principal, superintendent, and school board president
instead of a head football coach, athletic director, and a college president.
They all were more interested in protecting their institutions than looking out
for the students they were supposed to protect. The major difference is that
when one of the victims in my story does not get justice through the school or
local police, the parent seeks revenge by developing an elaborate plot to kill
the school officials using prescription medicine.
The book
has what might be considered a vigilante theme to it. You are such a
mild-mannered, nice guy! Was there something specific in the news or in your
area that brought this theme about?
Mild-mannered?
Why, thank you! When I started developing the storyline, I wanted the story to
be believable and connect with average people. So, I did a lot of thinking
about what would motivate average people to rise up and actually kill others.
Motive for murder usually revolves around the Three Rs - Revenge, Rage, Reward.
So, I picked revenge because I thought it would be easier for readers to
identify with a killer who seeks justice for an abused child.
Nick
Steele is a reporter who is considered washed up. Did you draw his character
from your own experiences in the news field?
Mine, and
many others in the news business. Since my book came out, I've had several
people ask if Nick is my alter ego. I answer yes and no. Nick is the reporter I
aspired to be. The difference between us is that I became a newsroom manager at
an early age and Nick dislikes and distrusts newsroom management. He thinks
they are all basically cowards and bootlickers only interested in the next
promotion, not getting the story and telling it straight. Nick is an honorable
man and a noble reporter who is driven by the idea of getting the story that no
one else has the guts to touch. He does so in his own way and does not cut
corners or violate journalism ethics. At the same time, Nick is still just a
man with flaws, which are exacerbated by the loss of key loved ones in his
iife.
I've hired and worked with a lot of really good reporters over the years,
so I drew on the best characteristics and flaws of each of them to create Nick.
By the way, the name is real. I went to high school with Nick Steele. I ran
into him about three or four years ago and I mentioned that I wanted to
"borrow" his name for my protagonist. At the time, he laughed it off
because "everybody" says they are writing a book, but few actually
do. After he thought about it for a while, he came up to me and said: "OK,
you can use my name, no problem. But if this becomes a movie, I want a cut of
the take." We both roared. Nick has read the book and loves the character
I created, so we're both happy.
Is this
the first in a series? And which characters do you plan to bring back?
When
I finally finished the book, I did not plan to do another Nick Steele story. So
many publishers and literary agents had told me that newspaper storylines with
male reporters were passe - too old school to be of interest to a broad market
in today's world of vampires, zombies, ghost hunters, super-powered weirdos,
and sexual deviants. Nevertheless, "A Formula for Murder," is a story
that I wanted to tell and I hoped (and prayed) that I could tell it in a
compelling enough way that people would enjoy it just because it's a damn good
story that addresses issues that are never passe when talking about the human
condition. So, when I finished the story I left the door open just in case it
generated enough interest for another book.
So far, almost everyone who reads
it asks me when the next one is coming out. That's really been heart warming.
Now, I'm thinking of a new murder for Nick, Tanya, and Dave to tackle as they
close the two loose ends left open at the end of "A Formula for
Murder." At the same time, I would really like to start another kind
of story, perhaps non-fiction so I can use my reporting and journalism skills.
A few
years ago, you started a writing group with great success. Tell us what you've
all been up to.
One thing I'd like to share with your readers is how terrific our writing group has become - we've helped each other publish six books in the last two years AND we sponsored a youth writing contest in Huron County last spring that attracted 300 entries from youngsters, grades 6 -12. We raised money for prizes and handed out $100 checks for our winners (every entrant received a certificate and our thanks). Our awards ceremony was an Author's Day at the local library and every winner showed up with their proud parents. It was very cool!
Do you
have any advice for writers wanting to start a critique group? And for those
who already have a group, how can they get into community projects?
We do
critiques in a couple of different ways. First, any member of the group can
have the project they are working on critiqued at any time. It can be a
chapter, or a setting, or back story, or a chunk of dialogue. We ask everyone
to weigh in with their thoughts. We want honesty and thick skin on both sides.
This is very helpful if a writer is struggling through a part of the project he
or she is working on.
The other thing we do is we try to do as writing
exercises is to write short, 1,000-word stories by using three writing prompts.
The writers who complete the exercise get the floor during our sessions and
read their work, then everyone offers their thoughts about the story, the
characters, the color, the background, anything good or bad that is offered. We
encourage all to be constructive and positive in their approach to the
critiques. At first they were a little difficult, but as we writers got to know
each other and started caring for one another, it became easier to accept the
barbs with the applause.
Your group
has had amazing success with your authors getting published. What advice do you
have for other groups to keep their goals on track and make them happen?
Our motto
is this: When one of us has success, we all have success. We help each other
through every step of the writing and editing process. We write, and re-write,
and edit, then re-write again. You have to keep at it until you get the story
to a point where you are proud of it and not afraid to shove it out in front of
the masses. That's one of the things I'm really happy with about our group and
our books. Our stories are very clean. We put our books through an extensive
editing and proof-reading process.
"A Formula for Murder" had two
main editors working with me on improving the story through the writing,
re-write and editing process, and then I asked seven competent, literate
readers to proof it for me. I went through each set of proofs and made fixes to
the story. After it was all done, I went through the story line by line. Then
our designer and formatter proofed it the last time.
When my first box of books
arrived at my door step, I was so excited I had trouble getting the box open.
After I examined the first copy of my very first book, I put it in my lap and
cried.
What's
next for you?
Right now,
I'm out trying to sell the book. I'm doing book signings and making
presentations every where I can. That's been a blast for me because I like
meeting people even if they don't want the book. I am finding that selling it
is getting easier now because word is starting to spread that the book
"is a good read." And I just love it when people tell me,
honestly, that they "could not put it down," and polished it off in
two or three days, which is music to every writer's ears.
Thanks!
Thank you, Dave! Don't forget to check out "A Formula for Murder" on Amazon. You'll be glad you did!
