Ask the Author: Stu Krieger
Answered Questions (6)
Stu Krieger
THAT ONE CIGARETTE began with the small germ of an idea almost eight years ago. Many of my students were talking to me about how lost and helpless they felt and that they believed too much of life was out of their control. I wanted to write a tale about regular people facing important crossroads moments in their lives -- and ultimately in the life of our country -- who make active choices that end up having a positive impact on the entire world.
Stu Krieger
I'm somebody who is inspired daily by the people I meet, the students I teach and the experiences I'm fortunate enough to have. My eyes, ears and heart are always open and that's the best way to find the stories I want to tell.
Stu Krieger
At the moment, I'm really focused on promoting my first novel, THAT ONE CIGARETTE, which will be released by Harvard Square Editions on November 24. I'm really excited about it, proud of it and hoping readers interested in the story of four ordinary families making extraordinary waves in the ocean of life -- a tale that goes from November of 1963 to January of 2009 -- will be pick up the book and give it a read.
Stu Krieger
Set up a writer's schedule and write some part of every day. Even if it's only for 20 minutes, train yourself to be proactive, productive and consistent or nothing will ever happen for you. Being a successful writer requires an incredibly delicate balance of discipline, talent and the social skills to sell your work but, first and foremost, you have to be creating material that only comes from a lot of hard work and follow-through.
Stu Krieger
What I love most about being a writer is getting feedback from fans of my film and TV work or, now, readers of my book, that say I moved them or made them think about things in their own life that the work reminded them of -- it's making an emotional connection to people that resonates for them and becomes a part of their lives. Since I've been a professor, I have had countless students come in and say, "Dude, you wrote my childhood" and that feels pretty good.
Stu Krieger
Writer's block was never anything I allowed myself to indulge in. In terms of my film and TV career, I've often said, "I didn't have writer's block; I had a mortgage" and while this may sound like a flippant answer, if writing is your JOB, how you pay your bills, you have to get in and write SOMETHING every day. Even if it's not your best work, if there's something on paper, there's something to work with and improve so I'm a firm believer in being productive and working from there.
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