I began to wonder what the next few months would look like and trying to come up with a fictional story in the midst of sensational real-world events seemed frivolous. I had to keep myself from obsessing over the news. I had difficulty processing the emotions of what was still unknown at the same time I was concocting a story that needed to make sense.
Chris DiCroce – 16 September 2020
About the Book
What is the book about?
The Quiet Goings On is a collection of 13 poems and 13 short stories written during my five months in Baja as the pandemic hit. Whether it’s an unexpected rescue in the Mexican desert, the son who comes to terms with his irreverent father, or the massage therapist who has to reconcile with herself, one thing remains constant – the characters simply refuse to give up. Instead, they experience transformative epiphanies both great and small; existing within the restraints of loneliness, acceptance, guilt, contemplation, and hope.
When did you start writing the book?
I began writing the book in November of 2019. I decided to drive to Mexico for the winter. I had just scrapped my second novel after 25 chapters and I needed something to keep me writing and focused forward. I challenged myself to write a short story per week. Come up with the idea, flush it out, research it and have a second draft by Friday of that particular week.
How long did it take you to write it?
I began writing the week after Thanksgiving and being that we wanted a summer release, I decided to have the final stories done by the 1st of May. Once the pandemic hit and grew serious where we were in mid-March, it became harder and harder to focus on the longer stories. That’s when the poetry started to come.
Where did you get the idea from?
Well, as I mentioned earlier, It was basically an act of desperation. After realizing that I hated what I’d written for my second novel, I had no idea where to turn. I had reworked that book several times and finally just decided to hit the delete button to keep me from wasting anymore time. After that, I was a bit freaked out about what to do next. I decided to challenge myself in a space that I was unfamiliar with, the short story.
I decided to write one story per week. Come up with idea on Monday, flush it out, write it and have a second draft finished by 5 pm on Friday of that week. I was not to obsess about it or be overly critical. It was merely an exercise to get me writing and keep me focused on finishing. I fell in love with the process. As I got deeper into it, and the stories changed with the seriousness of the pandemic, it took on a new weight, perspective and I decided to release it as a book.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
I wouldn’t say I struggled with the book, per se but I did struggle with staying focused once the news of the pandemic hit. It seemed that each day, the world would change and the situation in Mexico changed. They closed the border and shut down the beaches and restricted movement in our little town. I began to wonder what the next few months would look like and trying to come up with a fictional story in the midst of sensational real-world events seemed frivolous. I had to keep myself from obsessing over the news. I had difficulty processing the emotions of what was still unknown at the same time I was concocting a story that needed to make sense.
What came easily?
I find that once I’m in the zone, the dialogue comes easily. It’s as if the characters are right there in front of me and I’m just transcribing the conversation. I really love to write dialogue.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or do you borrow from real people you know?
I always borrow from real people. I mean, the characters I create are (at the beginning) total figments of my imagination, but once I get going on them, I realize that I’ve got a picture of that person in my head. I may have eaten in a restaurant and overheard a conversation or observed a person’s mannerisms at a coffee shop. That stuff sticks with me and I use it all the time. No one is safe! LOL.
Do you have a target reader for this book?
Sure, those who enjoy literary fiction that’s a little off color and not so cut and dry. We’ve made things so vanilla these days that our villain needs a mustache and black hat and people need to be hit over the head with genre norms. This book is for anyone who likes to see people make their way through a situation and come out on the other side.
It was mostly a challenge to myself. Publish your personal poetry and expose some people to it gently with only 13 of them up front. Then, publish the short stories and send it out into the universe. I never go into a project looking at a target. I get the work going and then decide who it might work for and refine it from there.
How was writing this book different from what you experienced writing previous books?
This book was way more emotional and personal than my previous three books. I felt like I was in possession of my friend’s journal entries and it was my job to change the names and write the stories. The humorous ones like, A Gathering of Lawyers, was complete frivolity and fun, but some of the others were intense. I think being unable to leave Mexico and the uncertainty in America at the time lended itself to the intensity.
At the time I was finishing, cities in the U.S. were erupting in protest and violence over the killing of George Floyd, the pandemic was being called a hoax, people were dying, and the world economy was on the brink of collapse. Everything made its way into the book. I will always remember that about this book.
What new things did you learn about writing, publishing, and/or yourself while writing and preparing this book for publication?
I learned that I really enjoy the challenge that comes with writing a short story. I enjoy not having 300 pages to develop the idea and maybe get to fluffy with description and settings. I love the quick prose and rhythmic writing that came as I attempted to get better with each story.
Each time I publish something, I try to push myself outside my comfort zone. This time I published my short stories and poetry, something I’ve never done. I try never to concern myself with what the critics will say, only with how I feel about what I did. If I can read the fifth and sixth draft and still get a kick out of it or get emotional over it, I’m fine to release it.
I believe you have to release the work and let it fly on its own if you want to grow. You have to follow the entire process. I designed the cover and I’m responsible for the outreach. As an indie, it lives or dies with me. That’s why guys like you are so important to guys like me. You give the work legs and that enables me to see what worked and what didn’t. And for that, I am grateful.
Thanks so much for the opportunity.
End of Inteview:
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Get your copy of The Quiet Goings On from Amazon US or Amazon UK.
