Soundtrack in My Mind: Interview with Tom Pratt
Tom Pratt loves all things that have to do with baseball, gardening, writing, reading, and watching movies that have intrigue as the central theme. He has been elected three times to his local school board in two different communities in California and actively participates and volunteers in community activities. Tom has a keen interest in national politics, is active in local politics, and has run for statewide office. His professional experience as an art insurance broker has helped him hone critical skills of investigation and communication. This career has provided many intriguing stories. He lives with his wife--my cousin Kimberly!--and their two sons in the foothills of Northern California.
Tom’s forthcoming novel, One Mad Apple, tells the story of a man being pulled out of his everyday life, reinventing himself, and moving to a small town to care for his dying mother. He finds himself up against an unlikely foe who is out to destroy him and everything he holds dear, one who threatens the peaceful town and its innocent children.
What lights your imagination?
I dream a lot about the little person taking on the big, bad entity, whether it is a corrupt governmental entity or a bully, and the process of how the protagonist arrived at this moment in their life. All my stories are historical fiction based on my life’s journey and what I’ve learned.
How do you overcome challenges as a writer?
Trying to juggle my love of writing into a hectic schedule is difficult. I find that waking up early or traveling on a plane are the best times for me to put my inspirations down on paper. So I won’t be distracted or bombarded with emails that whisper in my ear to grab my attention.
Who inspires you?
The late Tom Clancy inspires me. His career before being an author was an insurance agent, which is my occupation now. I remember reading an article about Clancy on how he made the transition from what he does to what he wanted to be. He disciplined himself to write one chapter a day, and I use this advice as motivation into my evolution of becoming a full-time storyteller.
Learned anything good lately?
As a beginning author, I have learned a lot about the writing process. My first drafts are always defining the protagonist and antagonist and what is the confrontation and result of their interaction. Developing characters is my favorite part of writing. I love to make them realistic yet rich with flaws and other human frailties. I believe this enables the reader to identify, care about, and root for them. The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell taught me to define the characters and the role they play in the protagonist’s development.
I attended a writing workshop facilitated by a Hollywood producer, and the theme was “Write Like Your Story Is a Movie.” This opened my eyes to the visual aspects and character development of telling a story. I write with a cinematic vision and a soundtrack in my mind as I put the story on paper. My writing style is very much like how I prepare and deliver a speech, which is to paint a picture with my words and express them as if I’m speaking rather than writing.
Where are you in the process with One Mad Apple?
I just finished my twelfth revision of One Mad Apple. It has taken two years of back and forth with the publisher to finally finish the book. In this process, I have learned that content is more important than the fundamentals of grammar and spell checking a document. I’m very excited to release the book so I can share my story with the world.
How would you describe your process?
I often visualize Hal Holbrook playing my inner editor because of the wonderful richness and texture he provided to all the characters he portrayed. His portrayals bring to life storytelling and “spinning the yarn.”
I find writing to be like having a baby:
conception of the idea or story
development of the characters
protection of the words and ideas
seeking professional advice to assist the creative process
researching and digesting good ideas to make a stronger story
release the words to the world.
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