Interview with Michael Snyder, Author of Return Policy

---Today I am posting the first half of an interview that I conducted with Michael Snyder, whose second novel, Return Policy, was released a few months ago. I've written about Michael in a previous post.

RH: Let’s start with the most important question first: At what point after you married my lovely niece, Alicia, did you realize the incredible bonus of having me as your aunt? Describe your feelings in as many words needed. Take your time...no rush...

MS:-Oh, I realized the benefits immediately, if not before.

The actual sensation is difficult to describe, but not terribly unlike an early onset bout of the giggles, followed close behind with that funny bone feeling that began in my toenails and swirled upward until my spine was practically dancing with joy (or possibly shimmying…a close call), ending with euphoric hangover that included (but was in no way limited to) whooping cough, slight gas pains, and a small patch of acne behind my left knee.

But I’m sure you get that answer all the time.

RH: Return Policy is your second novel, following the equally enjoyable My Name is Russell Fink. How did you grow as a writer from one to the next?

MS: -Definitely not taller.

I think more than anything it’s getting a little easier to discern what to leave out of my stories. There are a lot of details and anecdotes that an author needs to know that don’t necessarily need to make it onto the page. This is especially true with character-driven stories (as opposed to plot-driven).

I heard a great musician comment once that he liked to think of the notes he played as stepping-stones to the next silence. Sometimes, what’s implied is as powerful as what makes it into print. So it’s difficult sometimes to leave things out, to “kill my darlings.” But if it makes the book better, it must be done.

RH: The three main characters in Return Policy are Willy, Ozena and Shaq. The story alternates between these characters, all speaking in the first person. What do you do to make sure that their voices are distinct one from the other?

MS: -That’s a great question. And I just hope, on some level, that I actually did make their voices unique. There are lots of ways to accomplish this, some more subtle than others. It really has to do with knowing your characters well...and frankly, loving them well.

The real difficulty in this book was Shaq. He was an educated homeless man. He’s also a bit delusional. So saddling him with specific speech patterns or jargon was all but impossible. It was very important for Shaq to feel credible, no matter who he was talking to. As such, his speech patterns tended to change based on the conversation he was having at the time.

For Willy and Ozena, I just had to spend time getting to know them. Then it’s just a matter of staying true to their character.

RH: It is evident in your writing that you are one funny guy. How do you come up with those witty descriptions and scenarios?

MS: -Wow, thanks! And I don’t really have a very good answer for this question. I’m just glad you asked it. So I’m providing this non-answer to ensure that the question stays in the interview!

RH: What is your process when you begin to write a book?

MS: -Procrastinate, panic, pray, repeat. Eventually I sit down and actually start typing. Then back to my three P’s above.

I’m not much of a plotter, more of a seat-of-the-pants writer. In fact, my favorite part of the process is the actual composing. I love it when something completely unplanned and/or unscripted comes flying into my brain and out of my fingers onto the page.

It’s been said that good story endings need to feel both surprising and inevitable. When the writing is going well, it all feels like that, not just the ending.

The first order of business is getting to know the characters. If there’s a reliable or consistent way to do this however, I haven’t figured it out yet. Eventually, if I plant my butt in the chair and keep typing, it all works out.

RH: Describe your workspace to us.

MS: -I wrote My Name Is Russell Fink in the bonus room or our first house. I started it on a clunky PC and finished it on a sleek Mac laptop. (And yes, that makes me a Mac snob!)

Return Policy was written at our dining room table, which just happened to be parked for nineteen months at my brother/sister-in-law’s house.

Now, I write tucked away in an odd rectangle just off the rec room in our new house. I did eventually wear the old Mac out and have “new” one. Most nights I sit on a rickety office chair, bellied up to Alicia’s grandfather’s old desk.

Sometimes, just for the sake of variety, I will rearrange all the clutter.

RH: What were your favorite picture books as a child? What are your children’s favorite picture books?

MS: -Are You My Mother?

Legend has it, that I used to read this book upside down. RH: (Why am I not surprised?)

As for my kids, they LOVE books. And we have tons of them. I really don’t know if they have favorites, per se. But they too love the Dr. Seuss books, as well as Silverstein and Milne. And I’m not sure these qualify as picture books, but we’re all huge fans of Patricia Polacco books.

RH: What books or authors influenced you most as a writer?

MS: -The easy (and true) answer is: Every writer I’ve ever read.

Specifically though, I credit Richard Russo’s Straight Man as the book that finally convinced me to try my hand at writing. I’m a pretty big fan of Nick Hornby, Douglas Coupland, Flannery O’Connor, John Irving, and Lorrie Moore as well.

RH: What is one thing most people don’t know about you?

MS: -To quote one of my least favorite songwriters ever: “I’m a sexy man trapped in an ugly man’s body.”

---Well, that's it for now. I'll post Part 2 tomorrow...or the next day...or the day after that. There will be a give-away, too. And no, it's not a pair of goofy glasses.