IndieView with Clifton K. Meador MD, author of Sketches of a Small Town

 

I write every day. Stephen King’s book on writing is my favorite. He says it is like any job, just get up and do it.

Clifton K. Meador, MD – 7 September 2014

The Back Flap

In Sketches of a Small Town…circa 1940, Clifton K. Meador, MD, tells stories of his life growing up in a small cotton-farming town in the Deep South during the 1930s and ‘40s. Full of fascinating characters and entertaining tales, his memoir captures the sights and sounds, people and places, and hopes and dreams of this remarkable era.

For Meador, Greenville, Alabama, was a rich environment to grow up in. Although times were tough, segregation was strong and small-town life was simple, his memories shine with the wonderful, hilarious, and quirky aspects of that time and place and the experiences that shaped him into the person he is today.

Sketches of a Small Town…circa 1940 recalls days when boys made up their own fun and all the mad mischief that followed. It tells stories about discovering girls and how “sex education” consisted of a penny-for-a-peek in the school cloakroom. Birth control was the fear of hellfire, damnation and syphilis drummed into young boys from an early age, with Rev. Ralph Morgan’s overzealous, detailed descriptions of the titillating temptations they must resist as further confusion.

Mainstream morals and gentle manners share the stage with voodoo superstitions and elaborate pranks in Meador’s world. He charms us with tales of friendship, fast cars and fried chicken and tells of local sharecroppers and tenant farmers who purchase what they need from the general store “on account,” that is, “on account of I don’t have any money.”

Written with humor as well as with love and respect, Meador’s reminiscences are snapshots of a place and time, devoid of clichés or pining for the past, brought to life in the hands of a skilled storyteller.

“What we have here is a poignant, very funny, yet respectful look back at small-town life and characters in the Deep South in the ’30s and ’40s, pre-prosperity, before it was a recognized condition. Meador is a Mark Twain without the river and a Garrison Keillor without the snow… and Baptists instead of Lutherans. I loved this book.”

—Harold Chambliss – freelance writer, humorist, and former magazine publisher

About the book

What is the book about?

I am 83 years old and these are memories of growing up in Greenville, Alabama from 1936 to 1948, called “Sketches of a Small Town… circa 1940. A memoir” These stories occur in the setting of the great depression, racial segregation, World War II and among very horny and repressed teenage boys.

When did you start writing the book?

I began writing 20 years ago. One story at a time with no idea of making a book. My reading club kept wanting more stories and eventually I had a book of sketches.

How long did it take you to write it?

It took all 20 years, the stories end in 2001 with the death of my closest friend John, who remains a central focus in the stories. It ends as I return to Greenville this past May, 2014.

Where did you get the idea from?

2014. Not sure. I like telling stories (this is my 14^th book). I read Winesburg,Ohio by Sherwood Anderson in college in the late 40s and it evoked all sorts of small town memories. I remember saying to myself that someday I hoped I could write like him.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

My mother died when I was 13. I mention it in the stories but I have never been able to write that story in full. It was a pivotal time in my life and I hope the book captures the love I felt from the whole town after her death.

What came easily?

All of the stories flooded in, stored from telling and retelling over the passing years. I have a good memory and it was almost like taking dictation when I wrote.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

None of the characters are fictitious. They are all from real life. I changed a lot of names to protect privacy. John and Charles are real names. Obviously I took liberties with dialogue but even there they are true to the person who spoke. I think the realness of the characters gives the book its strength.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I love William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Flannery O’Connor, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, William Gay, Most are Southern and they write about real people. Write good stories and seem to be drawn to quirky people as I am.

Do you have a target reader?

Not really. I wrote these stories to read to my friends and for my own enjoyment. I can make myself laugh as I often do as I write. Even when I edit I start to laugh at the characters and the stories. I don’t intend to write funny, it just comes out that way. A lot of the world is just ridiculous.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I write every day. Stephen King’s book on writing is my favorite. He says it is like any job, just get up and do it. I can write anywhere. He says there is no muse, nothing like that. I write until I get to a really good section and I make myself stop. I do this so when I return the next day, my mind is exploding with material to write down. I often wake up a night , writing in my mind what comes next or with ideas to include. I got the idea of stopping at a good point also from King.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I do not outline. I think of a story and tell it in writing. There has to be a setting. The characters. And then the actions and then some sort of ending. Then I move on to the next story. I don’t believe I could do a novel, too long, too complicated and I do not like conflict nor do I know how to write conflict. The idea of an arc to a character’s life is beyond me. I just like to tell funny and sad stories.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I edit every day  a bit. Then I edit and re-edit and re-edit and on and on. Then I give it to my wife and she edits. Then I re-edit what she suggests. Then I give it to close friends and then I redo what they suggest if I believe in it. Finally I hire a professional editor. And then I accept or reject what she suggests. Then I spell check. Then I put the whole thing aside for several weeks to let it get cold then I read it and always find some small point to change.

Did you hire a professional editor?

I hired a professional editor for my last 4 books. I used the editor in the indie publisher for 2 books.  I like the personal editor but they cost a bit more but are worth it. Writing is my hobby and hobbies cost money.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

No, it would distract me. I cannot imagine listening and writing at the same time.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

No, not on this book. I tried on an earlier book and the frustration and rudeness of the agents turned me off. That’s when I switched to CreateSpace.  I like their methods and efficiency.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

See note above. Big publishing houses pay low royalties. They do not push sales or marketing unless you are a big time writer already. Indies pay good royalties. They have access to good markets. Marketing with either publisher is up to the author so why not have total control for more money.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

My step son Mark Cowden is a graphic designer, winner of several national Addy awards for excellence in design. He did my last three books. He is outstanding.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I do not have a plan. I like Bostick Communications for their email blasts. I am learning about book blogs and social media. Blog tours helped a great deal with my book Fascinomas-fascinating medical mysteries.  Following the 14 day blog tour, sales shot up to the #1 place in sales in doctor-patient category on Amazon and stayed there for several months.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

It’s the way to go. Kindle book versions are outselling all of my print books. I strongly suggest a personal editor if you can find one.  A large publisher could blast you onto the national scene but that’s unlikely and it will take you years to find an agent (essential if you go the big route) and then another year or more to get to print and a book. Indies can get there in 2 or 3 months. They are fast, good, and pay high royalties.

About You

Where did you grow up?

Greenville, Alabama the setting of my Sketches of a Small Town…circa 1940. A memoir. I was born in 1931.

Where do you live now?

Nashville, Tennessee. I retired from teaching medicine at Vanderbilt School of Medicine 2 years ago.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I am happily married and have 7 children, 7 grandchildren, and 1 great grand daughter. My wife is a fine portrait artist (see www.anncowden.com ) All of my children love books and reading and writing and teaching.

What are you working on now?

I am collecting another group of unusual patient stories from medical colleagues for a third such book to follow True Medical Detective Stories and Fascinomas-fascinating medical mysteries. Both are on Amazon. Both self published Indie books.

And I am debating about another Sketches book since I have many more true stories to tell about growing up in Greenville, Alabama.

End of Interview:

For more from Clifton, visit his website.

Get your copy of Sketches of a Small Town…circa 1940 from Amazon US (paper or ebook) or Amazon UK (paper or ebook).