Interview with Eric Luper

www.ericluper.com

Let’s get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve always known that I wanted to do something creative with my life, but I was brought up to believe that my career choices consisted of doctor, lawyer or accountant. Only after college and grad school and a few years in the work force did I realize that my passions couldn’t be quelled. That’s when I began writing in earnest. Fortunately, I already had that English degree under my belt!

Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?

We could have a whole interview just on that, but the “short story” version is that I met my editor at a writing conference. I had a ton of unpublishable material I had been struggling with on my hard drive, but I ran into Wes Adams from FSG when things were clicking for me as a writer. Something was different about Big Slick and I knew that as the story was making its way into my head—and onto paper. Wes and I went through some pre-contract edits and then the book went to acquisitions. I’d like to say that after that everything was easy, but really it gets harder!

Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one thing about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?

My next novel is called Jeremy Bender Vs. the Cupcake Cadets. It’s my first stab at a middle-grade book and one that was a ton of fun to write. Writing a middle-grade story is so different from YA. It took some time to refine my sense of humor, for sure! Cupcake Cadets is a funny story about two boys who masquerade as girls in order to win a contest being held by the Cupcake Cadets! Think the old sitcom Bosom Buddies meets Gordon Korman.

What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?

My greatest inspiration for my stories has been my own experience. A friend of mine once called me “The Noticer” because she said I noticed subtle things most people wouldn’t. I would take those little details and try to think of interesting ways to describe them. It was always a little game I’d play in my head. Whether it was a color or a landscape or the sweep of someone’s hair, I would challenge myself to describe it in an interesting way. When I began writing in earnest, this skill became extremely useful.

My greatest inspiration as a writer has been the other writers in my life—published and unpublished. I have the privilege to know some fantastic writers, some who I have been acquainted with for many years and others who I have met along the way. Seeing them struggle and learn and improve has challenged me to raise the bar over and over again.

Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!

When my son (then 4) found out I was going to have a book published, he asked if it had pirates in it. When I told him no, he said, “it doesn’t count then.” Now that he can find my book on the shelves at our local bookstore, my son tells everyone how famous I am. This usually leads to him running around with one of my books in his hands telling everyone they should buy it.

Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?

It’s a tie between wings and BBQ ribs. Both very sloppy foods and neither conducive to typing on a keyboard… although I’ve been known to try! My greatest comfort food while writing is something salty and sweet at the same time (i.e. chocolate covered peanuts, chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate covered salt, whatever).

What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?

I grind coffee, I brew coffee, then I drink coffee.

If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise me the most?

That I was calling the police because some strange woman was rummaging through my basement.

Actually the back of my closet is filled with books because I don’t have nearly enough shelf space, but I suppose that’s not particularly surprising. I guess it would have to be the Jack the Ripper tavern sign I got in London and the 12-point deer antlers hanging in my basement. Morbid, yes, but at least I don’t have rusty dental tools and duct tape down there too. Oh wait, I do have duct tape down there…

Everyone asks the question about “if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?” so I want to know: If you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?

First of all, I’ve never been asked what tree I would like to be. But if I had to choose a color it would have to be some very obscure color like periwinkle. Periwinkle is one of those colors that is not as popular as the traditional favorites, but when someone wants periwinkle, they know they want periwinkle. They search for it. Plus, it’s rarely worn down to a nub in the Crayola box.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

My favorite cartoon character is Peter Griffin from Family Guy. He’s so stupid but he’s so darn funny. So many people I know despise Family Guy, but Seth MacFarlane’s sense of humor just resonates with me.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

Hmmm that’s a hard one. Not Popeye, that’s for sure. Also, not Optimus Prime. I’m nothing like Optimus Prime. I’m also not particularly like Catwoman. If I had to pick a cartoon character that is most like me, I guess I’d pick Spongebob Squarepants. He’s good-natured, tolerant to a fault, manages to screw things up royally, but then everything seems to work out in the end. Also, we both sort of look like a hunk of Swiss cheese in clothing.

If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world (“Beam me up, Scotty!”), during any time in history, where and when would it be—and why?

I would really love to see the future—maybe a hundred, a thousand and ten thousand years from now. That would be cool. But that would also be dodging your question.

If I had to pick a time and place in history (assuming language was not a barrier), I would pick the height of the Renaissance. I’d take a copy of my book, put it in an air-tight box and seal it with candle wax. Then, I’d stick it behind a wall in a castle someplace just to screw with historians. Then, I would take to writing down my predictions for the future (a la Nostradamus) on parchment scrolls. But my prophesies would be far less cryptic. My final prediction would say something to the effect of: Eric Luper will win the Nobel Prize for Literature and should immediately be given a fully-restored 1959 Cadillac El Dorado with cool flames painted down the sides.

So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’re writing?

What I listen to depends on my mood. My state of mind governs what music I listen to and different music can really alter my mood. One thing I like to do is make these bizarre mix CDs that alternate between totally manic music (like Mudvayne, Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie) and more sedate stuff (like Billy Joel, Springsteen, and Simon and Garfunkel). Then I throw in some Hip Hop/Rap (Eminem, Kanye West, and 50-Cent) to really mess with my mind.

I can’t listen to music while I write. It amazes me when I see people typing away with earbuds in. I can’t even sign books while someone is talking to me or else I start writing what they are saying to me in the book. Recently I wrote “All the hills!” in one of my books instead of “All the best!” because the guy was talking about the wildfires in the hills of California. I need silence or some kind of white noise.

Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie you saw at the theater?

I’ve gotten away from TV, but I do watch Family Guy over and over as a treat. I’ve also been known to get sucked into a season or two of American Idol. I’m trying to kick that habit.

There are plenty of movies I like to watch again and again: The Matrix (x3), LOTR (x3), Star Wars (x6), Goodfellas, Princess Bride, Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller, and any superhero movie (no matter how bad). I also have a soft spot for the Evil Dead trilogy.

You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?

My advice would be not to listen to advice. What works for one person won’t necessarily work for you. Explore and learn through your own process and go where your heart takes you. That’s the most fulfilling road anyway.

One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?

I’m working on what will hopefully be my fifth novel, but that one is too young to talk about just yet. I can assure you it’s going to be a wild ride!

Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!

Thank you!