Willie Handler Interview

I am so excited to welcome back Willie Handler on the blog! Willie is an author from Canada and a very funny, and nice guy! You definitely need to read his interview and connect with him on twitter!

Welcome back to the blog Willie, tell me what you've been up to lately?
Thank you for having me back. Last year, I was still working away on my second novel, LOVED MARS, HATED THE FOOD. Well, last week I finally finished it. It took a longer than I expected, but life has a way of sidetracking you. I've already got it in with a few publishers after some great feedback in several Twitter pitch events. Now I'm busy looking for agents to query. As many people know, when I'm not writing,I'm traveling. In the spring I did a cruise with my wife through the Panama Canal. It was breathtaking. I'm also helping a friend who is running for political office. I figure it may provide me with more material for a future political satire.

How is Canada?
At this moment. Warm. You know in Canada we only have two seasons - 2 months of summer and 10 months of bad weather. Did  you know that Canadians use the trunk of their car as an extra freezer in winter? I remember the time I forgot about the frozen turkey in the trunk, then we experienced a thaw. I came out of the house to find five raccoons on the trunk, salivating.

Tell me what you love most about writing comedy?
When you write comedy or say something funny, you get immediate feedback. People will laugh or snicker.I can do a reading and look around the room and know right away if people liked it. I'll try out material on Twitter and I'll know by the number of LOLs and whether it was any good. Although writing humor isn't difficult for me, writing a humor novel is. So these novels are huge accomplishments for me.

Where is your favorite writing spot?

I can really only write at my desk in my office. I've traveled and taken along my WIP, but only if I'm editing. During my last cruise, I would spend a couple of hours each day, editing in a lounge overlooking the ocean. It was spectacular.

What genres do you write?I've never written anything other than humor. My favorite is political satire. Even in my second novel, a sci-fi humor story, there's a little bit of political satire snuck in. My next project is going to touch on a number of different genres - crime, thriller and humor.

What genre have you considered writing but haven't done yet?
I would consider writing a dystopian novel. I love Orwell's 1984 and would be interested in doing a tribute to that amazing book. It might happen one day.

What author has most influenced your writing?
That's difficult to say. I feel my style has evolved independent of outside influences. That being said, there are elements of Woody Allen in my writing. Some Mordechai Richler.

Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
Yes. My first novel, THE ROAD AHEAD, is inspired by my 20 years working in the Ontario government. There are tons of little tidbits from my past in the book, but very few would be able to pick them out. The main character, Rick Tompkins, is a compilation of a number of politicians I've met. Although people seem to think that Donald Trump inspired that character. I began the book well before Trump decided to run for office.

Any website or resources that have been helpful to you as a writer?

A couple of books have been very helpful - THE EMOTIONAL THESAURUS by Angela Ackerman and THE 12 KEY PILLARS TO NOVEL CONSTRUCTION by C. S. Lakin. Although, I probably learned more about writing from my editor, Mica Kole than any other resource.

Are villains/antagonists important to a story? Tell me why or why not?
They are critical even in a humor book. Readers enjoy conflict and tension. That's how you draw them in. You can never have too much tension in a story. Villains and antagonists create tons of tension. Antagonists have been one of my weak spots.My stories are flat until I get the antagonist right.

If you could spend a day with one of your characters, who would it be and why?
My favorite character is a bot in LOVED MARS, HATED THE FOOD. He's opinionated, snarky, whiny and funny. It would be a blast to spend a day listening to him go on about what ever pops into his artificial brain.

What do you believe every writer needs in order to be successful?
Anyone can learn to write. I was a crappy writer in school and taught myself to write when working. The jobs that were intellectually challenging involved lots of writing and that's what I gravitated to. When it comes to creative writing, anyone can learn the key elements of a novel. But two things are critical to being successful. You need to be creative and be able transform your creativeness into written words. And you need to have self-disciplined. I can only imagine the number of books that have never been completed by writers. Writing is hard and you have to be able to get yourself through the rough spots.

What are your top five tips for aspiring authors?

1. Read read read! Make sure you read different genres and styles.
2. Read one of the many excellent books on how to write a novel. It will shorten the learning curve.
3. Network with other writers. You can learn from their experiences. Try to find a mentor.
4. An online presence is important, but don't let social media eat into your writing time. And avoid the online drama.
5. Don't expect to make money. If that's your motivation to write, you need to find another vocation.

Can you share an excerpt of something you have written or are currently working on?
Here is something from THE ROAD AHEAD:

"It's your mother calling."

"Hi Mom." He resists the urge to yawn into the phone. "It's 6:05 a.m. Why are you calling this early? Is something wrong?"

"Everything is fine. I just wanted to make sure I caught you in."

"Catch me in? I have a cell phone. You can reach me any time of the day."

"You're so busy that I can never get a hold of you. So, I decided to call while you're still home."

"You mean while I'm still sleeping." He can't resist anymore as he yawns into the phone.

"If I don't hear from you, how will I know you're still alive?"

"Spoken like a true Jewish mother. Imagine the worst so that you can always have plenty to worry about. Sorry to disappoint you but everything is fine."

"When will we see you again? Your father and I barely remember what you look like. We have to pull out old photographs to remind us."

"It hasn't been that long. I'll come by for dinner on Friday."

"Will you be bringing someone with you?"

"No Mom, I'm not seeing anyone. I told you I have no time for a social life right now."

"You're thirty-four years old. It's not normal to be single at thirty-four. People will think there's something wrong with you. Like you're a sociopath or retarded."

"You don't call people retarded today. They're called developmentally handicapped."

"Okay, so people will think my Jerry is developmentally handicapped."

"Enough already. Thanks for calling Mom. I have to get ready for work. I'll see you on Friday."

And before you go again, is there anything you would like to share with our readers?

First, I just made a fresh pot of espresso. I know many writers are coffee addicts.The first 100 addicts that knock on my door get a shot of coffee that will make their toes curl.
Second, this is where you can pick up THE ROAD AHEAD (yeah, I have to plug it).  Amazon Link

Rick Tompkins, a suburban Toronto insurance broker, never considered a career in politics until a good friend, who happens to be the leader of the Conservative party, asks him to run for office. He accepts the offer, with the understanding that he would probably not win, but can use the opportunity to gain some visibility for himself and his business. Jerry Switzer, a veteran party worker, is sent in to guide Rick through a campaign in a riding that hasn’t elected a Conservative in years. 

Rick fumbles his way through the election campaign and manages a surprise win but at the expense of saddling his party with an impossible commitment. What makes matters worse, Rick is anything but politically correct. He offends everyone in his path and stumbles from one political scandal to another. Still, Rick has one saving asset: a political party machine that is able to spin scandals to its advantage.
More About Willie Handler:

Willie Handler grew up in Toronto and did his undergraduate work at the University of Toronto. He also has graduate degrees from the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto and the Fox School of Business at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He spent over thirty years in various positions in the Ontario public service. before leaving in 2011. He has a number of humorous short stories published online on CommuterLit and Show Me the Funny, as well as many articles published in professional trade journals. THE ROAD AHEAD is his first novel. Willie is currently working on funny story about a chef stranded on Mars who is rescued by two Martians

Author Links:
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