Planner, Pantser, or Plantser (in the middle)?
I started out as a planner for the first two-and-a-half books, and then, for whatever reason, lost the ability to do that, so I turned into a “pantser.” That means, after I finish a chapter, I have to sit and think for a while about what would REASONABLY happen next. Generally, it comes to me either as I’m falling asleep at night or when I’m watching a good British mystery on BritBox or Acorn.
What are five things you need in order to write (like a laptop, music, notebook and pen, coffee, etc.)?
Desktop computer, Diet Coke, a large supply of Hershey’s miniatures (Mr. Goodbars are the best), no telephone and complete silence. As it is, I have a short attention span, and frequently find myself bouncing back and forth between writing and wasting time on the Internet.
Where is your favorite place to write?
I have an office space in the basement of my home. The cats are not allowed to come down.
What is your favorite outlet for creativity outside of writing?
I have a very large model railroad. Visitors expect to see a sheet of plywood, but it’s 30×32 feet with more than 100 passenger cars, and it takes six people to operate it.
Where is your favorite place to set a story? Have you ever been there?
Present-day Nashville, Tennessee. I lived there for five years and find it a fascinating locale. Plus, it hasn’t been done to death, like, say, New York, Los Angeles and Boston. If and when I start a new series, I think I’m going to move it to Kansas City and set it in the mid-1960s.
Who is your favorite fictional hero?
Harry Bosch and Kurt Wallander
Who is your favorite fictional villain?
Captain Dudley Smith, from the Ellroy books
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame. It’s a wonderful story that can appeal to readers of all ages. I still revisit it at least once a year.
What’s the weirdest thing in your writing space?
Probably a photo of me, dressed in a tuxedo, acting as a ring announcer at a boxing match.
Did you have any other jobs before becoming a writer?
I was vice-president of a billion-dollar company and then a middle school teacher. I also worked for a railroad for a short time selling locomotives.
If you weren’t a writer, what job would you hold?
Well, I’m past the usual retirement age, and I have no interest in being a greeter in a big-box store. If I could be a philosopher-king, that would be great. I’m very happy dispensing (mostly ignored) advice.
Which book was the biggest struggle for you to write, and why? Which book was the easiest, and why?
One of my nonfiction titles (a railroad history) took 19 years from the time I submitted the manuscript until the book was published. For my fiction, the fifth book in the Jackson Gamble series, Goodbye is Forever (to be released this fall), gave me a lot of trouble. Looking back, I think it was because I was trying very hard not to repeat any of the tropes I’d used in the earlier books.
Did you face any rejection when you began to write?
I have 22 nonfiction titles, none of which were rejected. My first YA/middle grade novel was rejected 16 times. My first PI mystery was rejected six times and accepted by four traditional publishers. I went with the one which offered a three-book (now six) deal.
Writing group or book club?
I belong to three groups. I am a member of the Heartland Writers Guild and President of the Southeast Missouri Writers Guild and a member of the Board of Directors of the Missouri Writers Guild.
How do you like to connect with readers?
I have a website (www.GregoryStoutAuthor.com), a Facebook author page (www.facebook.com/greg.stout.560) and I send out a quarterly newsletter. I am a reviewer for Strand magazine. I also speak at other author group meetings and occasionally appear as a co-host of a St. Louis-based radio show called Authors Edge.
Brief Bio
Greg Stout is the author of Gideon’s Ghost, and Connor’s War, both young adult novels set in small-town America in the mid-1960s, (so far) five PI mysteries, including Lost Little Girl, which received the 2022 Shamus Award for best first PI novel. A complete listing of Greg Stout’s other mystery titles and nonfiction works can be found at www.GregoryStoutAuthor.com. Greg resides with his wife, Carol, and two cats, Wallace and Gromit, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
