IndieView with Seeley James, author of The Rembrandt Decision

I waited until I felt my writing skills were up to the task because it’s a subject that’s near and dear to me. You see, I was expelled from my family at thirteen, homeless at fifteen, and was adopted by a three-year-old girl when I was nineteen.

Seely James – 15 April 2022

The Back Flap

Hours after a man discovers a secret destined to tear his family apart, Pia Sabel discovers his corpse.

When she arrives at the small, rusting town of Deeping, Maine, young industrialist Pia Sabel reports a murder. She quickly uncovers clues that might reveal the killer, only to realize the town’s authorities are obsessed with the original reason for her visit: They want to win the site of her company’s next research center and its lucrative jobs. Solving the murder can wait. Apparently.

As charming and compelling as the townspeople are, her heavy schedule is filled with European leaders and international business meetings she cannot reschedule. She tactfully redirects the investigators before she leaves. But resourceful town elders employ social media to coerce her into helping the inexperienced Police Chief. Complicating her problems, she can spare no more than two days to untangle decades-old family mysteries, decipher a Sophocles-spouting witness, find a stolen masterpiece, and deal with local mobsters.

But when she uncovers the murderer’s motive, she faces a larger issue: Is it right to solve a crime if the answer unravels a secret certain to roil entire families and outrage the town?

About the book

What is the book about?

Family, identity, and generational secrets wrapped in up in a smalltown murder.

When did you start writing the book?

June 27, 2021 according to my book journal (I keep a journal for each book I write). On that day, I started analyzing great books and movies to glean ideas and concepts. None of them fit the spot until I re-read some Euripides on July 16th, which led me to Sophocles, and by July 27th, I had a concept and outline for all three acts.

How long did it take you to write it?

My journal says I sent my third draft to my three most trusted editors for a first look on November 3rd, so it was three and a half months before I was proud of it. They quickly disabused me of that idea. I then incorporated their ideas and corrections creating a finished version (except for grammar and typo editing) by December 19th, so it was “done” in five months.

Where did you get the idea from?

This one has been percolating in my brain for twenty years. I waited until I felt my writing skills were up to the task because it’s a subject that’s near and dear to me. You see, I was expelled from my family at thirteen, homeless at fifteen, and was adopted by a three-year-old girl when I was nineteen. Raising her over the years since has given me a unique perspective on the topics of family, mother/fatherhood, inclusion, rejection, and many other facets of interpersonal relationships. Putting them into a story is a task fraught with pitfalls and dangers, which is why I put off writing it until I felt I had the right framework and writing skills to make it work.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Yeah, pretty much all of it. My previous thirteen books were a good deal easier. Getting the interactions that demonstrate meanness, love, rejection, inclusion without being pedantic takes a lot of thought, followed by trial and error. Several scenes were designed, written, deleted, re-written, and re-designed to hit the right notes.

What came easily?

The mystery that forms the backbone of the story was easy. I just stole it from the ancients. Tucking interpersonal interactions between clues was tough. (Which explains why Agatha Christie left those parts out.)

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

The central character in this is Pia Sabel who I originally patterned on my first daughter (the adopted). Being a teenage, single dad, I made a lot of mistakes as a parent, and my daughter’s resilience, ability to keep smiling, and forge ahead inspired me. I fashioned my literary heroine to be as adaptable. But over the series, Pia has evolved into someone else entirely. A little less resilient and a little more pissed off. Maybe all those close scrapes and near-death scenarios are wearing on her. Oh well.

The other characters were designed from the ground up to fill specific roles. Some were designed to look like people you would know from the bakery on the corner. And others were designed to surprise you with their unexpected heroism or treachery.

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?

So many. I read a LOT. And I read a diverse number of genres, subjects, and authors. For example, I’m not a romantic (It’s OK, I married a woman who forgot our first anniversary), so I read romance novels from Sandra Brown to Nora Roberts. I’m also a self-studied economist and historian, so I read non-fiction on those subjects. The bestseller list is another area I watch like a hawk and read anything that has buzz. Recently that has been Alex Finlay, Lucy Foley, SA Cosby, and Laura Dunn. Elements of their work has crept into corners of mine.

But my real influences are classic writers of various eras: from Plutarch and Plato (you do NOT want to read Plato’s Republic … unless you’re a nerd like me); to Jane Austen, Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie; and winding up in the near-present with Ken Follett, Zora Neale Hurston, and John le Carre.

Do you have a target reader?

I love anyone who reads. Even the ones who don’t like my works (although, we all know those people are HERETICS). The people who fall for my work love books you can sink your teeth into and still have a sense of humor. I find them to be a diverse bunch who are hard to “target.”

About Writing

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

I spent years confused by studying  various methods such as Robert McKee’s Story, Shawn Coyne’s Story Grid, Joseph Campbell’s multitude of writings on Monomyth; and of course, Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat. So I created a system of my own that draws from all those brilliant teachers. I call it Storytecture.

I call it that because writing has many parallels to architecture. Your story must have a solid foundation, it must be structurally sound, it must thrill its inhabitants, and it must be beautiful.

To build that story, my Storytecture method is a spreadsheet with a few tabs. The first one I fill out before I write anything is a simple 500-word outline of eighteen story elements, loosely corresponding to the fifteen critical monomyth scenes, ordered the way Shawn Coyne illustrates in his book. When I’m stuck, I look to Blake Snyder for ideas. Once I have that, I make a list of the characters I’ll need to populate those scenes, hero and villain, mentor, trickster, ally, etc. Then I start writing.

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

Yes and no, sort of. As noted above, I start with a minimalist outline. From there, I have a spreadsheet that has pre-filled common story elements such as Inciting Incident, Ordinary World, and Main Character Wants ___ scattered over sixty slots for scenes. I then jot a one-sentence description of the scene as I write it. From time to time, I look back at the original global outline to see if I’m on or off track.

Doing that shows me if I’ve revealed too much too soon or gone off-script. For most of my books, I’ve come up with better twists from the original plan, so I can tell whether it’s going to be better or worse, then adjust.

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

When I started, it was: write, fix, edit, re-write, delete it all, repeat – on a morning-afternoon basis. A tortured method if there ever was one. Since improving my Storytecture method, I’ve spent more time designing a scene to get it right the first time. Now I only edit on a draft basis. Although sometimes I pretend to edit yesterday’s work just to admire my brilliance.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Yes, in a way. I formed a circle of editor/writers (which are rare). We no longer exchange money, but edit each other. For others, I recommend professional editors because most writers edit with a jealous, not helpful, eye. But I’ve been lucky enough to find three people with different backgrounds who do a better job than any of the seven professionals (three of whom were moonlighting from trad pubs) I’ve employed in the past.

A good editor is the most critical and underrated person in publishing.

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

Depends on what I’m writing. I cannot listen to anything when writing important dialogue—I have to hear the characters’ voices, and they must have their own beat, melody, rage, and tempo.

When working on a complex scene, an outline, or a scene design, I’ll listen to classical pieces, like Handel’s Water Music or a Haydn symphony. (Not Beethoven, his stuff will yank your concentration and make you listen to him, nothing else.)

But when I’m driving through an action scene, I have a playlist veering from Jimi Hendrix to Trombone Shorty to Stevie Ray Vaughn. Fast-paced, urgent stuff.

For writing character introductions, I listen to specific pieces. EG: for bad guys, it’s Holst’s Planets, Mars (John Williams used it for the basis of Darth Vader’s theme, so I’m in good company); for a mystic character, it’s Sonny Landreth’s Congo Square; for mentors it’s JJ Grey’s Ol’ Glory; and so on. I’ve published a play list for each book for my fans.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I did, but I did it LONG before I should have. My writing wasn’t professional (I’ve burned all evidence of those forgotten manuscripts).

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

I read a story called Wool by Hugh Howey, then read how there was a whole indie movement. Fascinated, I thought, that’s for me! I hired professional editors, cover artists, copy writers, marketers, etc. I still wasn’t ready for the NYT front page, but my books were good enough to put out there. I planned to get feedback, improve, and see what developed. I loved the process so much, I kept going.

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

Always professional. Having a solid ego and something of a graphic eye, I designed one myself and went to market with it. A few weeks later I sobered up (figuratively) and hired a pro. Sales went up 30%. I never looked back. It’s a distinct art form.

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

Yes. I keep planning a great marketing strategy (god knows I’ve read all the freaking books and group posts), then I make last minute edits and changes in the book, and never leave myself enough time to execute. Right now, because The Rembrandt Decision is so good, I’m executing my marketing strategy post-publication. Bad idea, I know, but needs must.

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

Anyone can tell a story. Telling one so fascinating that strangers will pay money to hear it is hard. The biggest mistake I see new authors make is spending more time, effort, and research hours on marketing than craft. Neither will succeed without the other.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up on the grounds of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture school where my parents worked and lived for sixty years. (My mother is 98 and still there.) Then, as noted earlier, I was sent away.

Where do you live now?

Scottsdale, Arizona with my wife and dog. I write on the back patio where I wait for the authorities to arrive at any moment.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I gave that away earlier when talking about adopting a three-year-old when I was nineteen. Adding to that, I later married and raised two children the old-fashioned way. Much easier. Now all three of my kids are launched and I do things like hike the Grand Canyon for fun.

What are you working on now?

I’m just forming the concepts for Death and Lies. In it, factions will claw, scratch, and kill each other for the formula to a new green-energy technology that will dominate the next century and create new billionaires if not trillionaires. Lots of treachery and fluctuating alliances.

End of Interview:

For more from Seeley James, visit his website. (Be sure to read the story about how he ended up adopting (or being adopted by) a little three-year-old girl on this page). You can also follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Get your copy of The Rembrandt Decision from Amazon US or Amazon UK.