Ask the Author: Chip Scarinzi
Answered Questions (31)
Chip Scarinzi
What an interesting question! Aside from writing, I am a bit of a competitive runner. I could see a novel, perhaps a thriller or mystery, bubbling out of something in that space. Perhaps a runner who dives so deeply into his craft that he forsakes everything else that had once been important to him, and goes into a downward spiral. Or, with a more positive outcome, emerges from those depths as a bit of a redemption story. I will say, however, that I've already written a novel with aspects of my real life sprinkled into the story arc. When I wrote "Ghosts," I was commuting each day into San Francisco via ferry. While my life is much less dramatic than that of the protagonist, Bennett, there are elements of "what if?" in there - what if I, on another ho-hum ramble around SF, happened to stumble into something I shouldn't have? What if that experience then swallowed up my entire life and I was forced to fight back to recover the life I once had? In any case, it's a touch of real life in a decidedly fictional world. Great question! Thanks for asking.
Chip Scarinzi
Thanks, Cameren! Appreciate that. What is it like to be an author? It's hard to describe. No different than having other interests and seeing your ambitions in those fields through to the end. I enjoy writing and as it pertains to my sports titles - "Diehards" and the soon-to-be-released "Big League Life" - have enjoyed the research aspects of writing a book as well. Really just about making time for personal interests and taking it as far as you can go! Thanks for the question!
Chip Scarinzi
Hi, Brayden - thank you for your question! I'm so glad you hear you enjoyed my book. May I ask, which one did you read? Always great to hear from readers. Regarding your question - I think broadly speaking, writing has always been a personal passion of mine. Ever since I was in elementary school, in fact. When I had a little free time on my hands, I always had a pen or pencil *in* my hand! So the foundation was set early. The inspiration for the books I've written in my professional life has differed. For Diehards, my non-fiction centered on sports fandom, I can pinpoint the precise moment I was inspired to write: The evening of October 10, 2012. It was an American League Divisional Series playoff game where the Oakland A's managed to stave off elimination on an improbably walk-off win. During that game, I experienced the full spectrum of emotions that a fan can experience, ending with the euphoria of victory. It was a moment that I wanted to bottle up and hold onto forever, and I set out to explore the "why" part of it - why sports grabs ahold of us the way that it does for sports fans.
For Ghosts, my thriller, the idea struck me during one of my own commutes across San Francisco Bay and I just starting writing. At first, it was just stream of consciousness - the words just came to me and I banged away at the keyboard, pouring it all out on a blank sheet. As I continue to write, I had this odd feeling that I could "see" the story unfolding in my head as if I was watching it on TV. If you've read the book, you may have noticed that each chapter is almost like a new scene of perhaps a TV drama
- that's how I saw it in my head. One scene ends with a cliffhanger, fades to black, and a new scene emerges. Sometimes with different characters, sometimes further along in the timeline. The inspiration was really just this curiosity in my brain to see where I could take these characters: what kind of treacherous situations could I drop the protagonist into? How would he get out of it? How far was he willing to go to protect his family? How much danger could I put his family in without going off the rails? It was a fun exercise and before long, it all played out in a full length novel!
Hope that answers your question. Again, really appreciate you reading my work!
Chip
For Ghosts, my thriller, the idea struck me during one of my own commutes across San Francisco Bay and I just starting writing. At first, it was just stream of consciousness - the words just came to me and I banged away at the keyboard, pouring it all out on a blank sheet. As I continue to write, I had this odd feeling that I could "see" the story unfolding in my head as if I was watching it on TV. If you've read the book, you may have noticed that each chapter is almost like a new scene of perhaps a TV drama
- that's how I saw it in my head. One scene ends with a cliffhanger, fades to black, and a new scene emerges. Sometimes with different characters, sometimes further along in the timeline. The inspiration was really just this curiosity in my brain to see where I could take these characters: what kind of treacherous situations could I drop the protagonist into? How would he get out of it? How far was he willing to go to protect his family? How much danger could I put his family in without going off the rails? It was a fun exercise and before long, it all played out in a full length novel!
Hope that answers your question. Again, really appreciate you reading my work!
Chip
Chip Scarinzi
That's a great question. Ghosts was a story that just came to me and kept coming as I wrote. It's hard to explain, but as I wrote the story, I could "see" it unfolding. Almost like I was watching a show on TV - the cuts from scene to scene, the characters and their interactions... I had a visual of it in my head and it just poured out on the pages.
Will check out your series - thanks for letting me know about it!
Will check out your series - thanks for letting me know about it!
Chip Scarinzi
Not a bother at all! And, thank you :)
Chip Scarinzi
Which story are you referring to? And, "thank you," I think!
Chip Scarinzi
Thank you for the question, Alexis! I was an avid reader in middle school and high school - really hard to say how many books I read, but I was always reading. I think the other part of your question is about how many I've written - is that right? If so, I've had two books published - Diehards, about the root causes and impacts of sports fandom and Ghosts, a thriller. I have a third book, Big League Life, a novel about life in baseball from the perspective of those within the game, due out in Spring 2021. And finally, the last part of your question, why is it good for teens? My books weren't written for teens specifically, but I think Diehards is good for teens as it can help young sports fans better understand their passion for sport. Ghosts is suitable for teens as well, though no particular reason to state aside from the fact that the language is generally clean and the storyline should appeal to broad audiences. Hope this answers your questions!
Chip Scarinzi
Oh, wow - my magnum opus... how grand! I don't think I've ever thought of my writing in that way, but it's a great question, Chloe. I'd have to say the book I'm most proud of is "Diehards," my work of non-fiction centered on the genesis and impacts of sports fandom. It was my first, it involved a ton of research, and I'd like to think it endures. I take great pride in the fact that it's currently part of a college American Studies curriculum at a liberal arts school in Upstate N.Y. Thanks for the question!
Chip Scarinzi
Well, I do hope to continue writing books. I have a completed manuscript prepared, which, if published, would be my third release. I have also recently begun a creative exercise where I write short stories throughout the week whenever I find myself with a little downtime.
Chip Scarinzi
Hi, Alexis! Thanks for the question. Are you referring to "Ghosts" or "Diehards?" I've written two books and while there were similarities in terms of the process, the approach was quite different. Since "Diehards" is non-fiction, it required an exhaustive amount of research before I ever put pen to paper. Who should I interview? What areas of sports fandom do I want to cover? What studies have been conducted that might be pertinent? There was indeed quite a bit of prep work.
For "Ghosts," the trick was finding time and thinking about the journey of each character beyond the act of actually writing out their journey. What paths would each of them travel? How might they intersect? I made sure to write daily for a very long time and then when I wasn't writing, I was imagining all the different directions I could take the story.
Hope that answers your question! Thanks again for reaching out.
For "Ghosts," the trick was finding time and thinking about the journey of each character beyond the act of actually writing out their journey. What paths would each of them travel? How might they intersect? I made sure to write daily for a very long time and then when I wasn't writing, I was imagining all the different directions I could take the story.
Hope that answers your question! Thanks again for reaching out.
Chip Scarinzi
Thanks for reaching out, Jamaal! All the best with your work - the publishing game is a tough one and I'm sure many promising authors will benefit from your support!
Chip Scarinzi
Thanks for writing, Jeremy! It's not a bother at all. I am not sure I understand the question?
Chip Scarinzi
Hi, Ella! Thank you for the question - a tough one to answer! I've had my own unexplained experience (I struggle to define what it was, though) and I know many other people have claimed to have had encounters of their own - who am I to dismiss that, you know? I tend to think there's something to it. How about you? Do you believe?
Chip Scarinzi
Hi, Gavin - thanks for your question.
There are elements of the real world and some familiar experiences that initially led to the story. In my professional life, I often take a ferry into SF from a sleepy little island town just across the bay. As I look out the window at the bay and my immediate surroundings, the seeds of "Ghosts" came into view. What if, while amid another standard workday, something out of the ordinary happened? What if the average, everyday commuter were to stumble into something he shouldn't have - and then what if he couldn't get out? That was the initial thought... the story of the main protagonist and his relationship with the key supporting characters evolved from there. I tried to share the story from different perspectives - after all, in times of trauma and distress, there isn't just a single, linear storyline. There are reverberations that span out and impact other people in different ways. So I thought it would be interesting for the reader to see the world through other characters connected to the lead.
Did you read the book? If so, thank you! I'm grateful.
There are elements of the real world and some familiar experiences that initially led to the story. In my professional life, I often take a ferry into SF from a sleepy little island town just across the bay. As I look out the window at the bay and my immediate surroundings, the seeds of "Ghosts" came into view. What if, while amid another standard workday, something out of the ordinary happened? What if the average, everyday commuter were to stumble into something he shouldn't have - and then what if he couldn't get out? That was the initial thought... the story of the main protagonist and his relationship with the key supporting characters evolved from there. I tried to share the story from different perspectives - after all, in times of trauma and distress, there isn't just a single, linear storyline. There are reverberations that span out and impact other people in different ways. So I thought it would be interesting for the reader to see the world through other characters connected to the lead.
Did you read the book? If so, thank you! I'm grateful.
Chip Scarinzi
Hi, Lily! Thanks for the question. "Ghosts" is a work of fiction, so no, it wasn't a true story. That said, there are elements of the real world in the story. The places are real, for example. But that's where the true bits begin and end! Did you read the book? If so, hope you enjoyed!
Chip Scarinzi
That's a tough nut to crack. There's no easy answer, but I'd just encourage you to keep writing if it's something you enjoy. You can measure success in a million different ways - the shortest route to success is to simply make time in your schedule to write (anything at all) and then write some more. If you have thoughts in your head, start jotting them down somewhere. The writing process can be daunting, but 100 words become 75,000 before too long. Good luck to you!
Chip Scarinzi
Thanks for the invite! I'd be happy to take a look.
Chip Scarinzi
That’s a great question, Vinay. There are so many I love, it’s difficult to pick just one. I’ll give you a few: “Devil in the White City” by Erik Larsen, 1939: Baseball’s Pivotal Year” by Talmage Boston, and “Lantern Rouge: the Last Man in the Tour de France” all rank toward the top. I’d have to say Larsen’s book might be #1 for me.
Chip Scarinzi
Quite good, thanks! You?
Chip Scarinzi
Sadly, no, I don't have any story ideas I'm ready to give up on just yet! Thanks for the question and good luck to you.
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