You were
in IT management, when a news story about a homeless man caught your attention.
That caused you to write your first book. Had you written any fiction prior to
that?
The only
fiction I had prior to writing Shaken Awake was a fictional story in
high school (1982) and a few short stories for a composition class in college.
How long
did it take you to write your first book?
When I
started writing Shaken Awake, it went very fast. The ideas were coming
hard and fast, and I struggled to keep up with getting it written down. I was
scribbling notes on my phone during breaks and then fleshing them out at night.
I think the first manuscript was done in less than 3 months. The second and
third books in the trilogy- Awakened and Woke took much longer -
like a year each.
What sort
of research did you do for it? What were some of the most surprising details
you discovered?
I
conducted a great deal of research on the homeless statistics across the U.S.
and in Atlanta, shelter capacities vs. homeless numbers, housing costs vs.
minimum wage, and root causes of homelessness. I traveled to Austin, Texas and
spent a week at Community First! Village volunteering and listening to the
stories from the formerly homeless.
I read several
books written by the formerly homeless as well as those serving the homeless
community. I was staggered by the level of homelessness in the veteran
population as well as the overall amount of homelessness in the U.S.
Your
first book morphed into a trilogy about the homeless. How did writing these
books change your thoughts on the homeless?
The
research for these books drove me to having conversations with homeless and
formerly homeless that really changed my understanding of what events can lead to
a person being homeless. They aren't lazy, drug and alcohol addicts. They are
people who have experienced a traumatic loss of family and a sense of
belonging. Many are anxious to help others who they see struggling as well.
What do
you want people to take away from reading your books?
I would
love for the reader to have a renewed understanding of the root cause of
homelessness and the understanding that these are real people with names and
value.
Since
these were the first books you wrote, what has surprised or frustrated you
about the writing and publishing process?
I
originally approached writing with the wide-eyed, sophomoric dreams that if you
wrote a good enough book, it would sell itself. The reality is there is a great
deal of marketing and promotion required to sell books.
I also
didn't fully understand or appreciate the editing process. While writing a book
takes a great deal of time, the editing process also a very involved and
lengthy process. The editing process requires some thick skin to brush off any
unintended offenses along the way.
As
writers, we tend to hold our work pretty close to our hearts and sometimes
criticisms can be taken personally. It's very important to shrug off the
bruised ego and hurt feelings to improve the product before publication.
What do
you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
I did not
fully comprehend the whole publishing process and timeline. I am still
adjusting my expectations on the length of time from completing a manuscript
until it is available to the public.
You ran a
nonprofit food rescue organization in Georgia called Feed the Hungry
Forsyth, Inc. How did that come about?
We no
longer run Feed the Hungry Forsyth. When our jobs moved us from the
Atlanta area to Saint Petersburg, Feed the Hungry Forsyth was absorbed
by another nonprofit. It started because I read a newspaper article detailing
the struggles of nonprofits in the county to provide food to the hungry.
I began
researching solutions and discovered food rescue efforts in other parts of the
country that were collecting unsold food from local restaurants. Feed Forsyth
was launched to collect unsold food and deliver it to the organizations in the
county that distributed food to struggling families.
What
suggestions do you have for other people who might want to start a non-profit
to help others?
My
suggestion for anyone wanting to start a nonprofit is conduct a lot of
research. Don't blindly launch something that duplicates another organization's
efforts. Instead try to find a way to support what the other organizations are
doing.
At
launch, concentrate on what you can do yourself without spending thousands of
dollars. You don't need to spend thousands of dollars to file for a 501(c)3 or
to incorporate. Study up on how to do it yourself and save the organization's
money for its mission.
Actually,
there are two books in the works. The first work in progress (WIP) is a coming
of age story in the 1980s set in the rural south. It is a story of the impact
of decisions can affect us for the rest of our lives.
The
second book is a murder mystery that I am co-writing with my wife.
Any other
points you would like to add?
I would
love to encourage aspiring authors. The best way to become a better writer is
to write, read, and write some more. The more you write, the better your work
will become. Likewise, the more you read, the better your writing will become.
Lastly, don't ever throw away any of your writing, because you think it is
weak. Set it aside and return to revise it later - even years later. Just don't
throw it away!
Thank you for your time and insights. If you’d like to learn more about Allen’s writings, here are some links to get you started.
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