Q & A With Red Haircrow discussion

The story of Night Shift is a very personal one for me in a variety of ways. The setting itself and some of the events I experienced while working the night shift at a large chain department store. Can you guess which of the main characters was me?

Jamie was living at home with his parents, coming to understand his sexuality and dreaming of traveling the world. Derrik was a mysterious guy who became a co-employee where he worked. I won't give any spoilers about the end of the story, but Derrik was a European transplanted to the USA, and his unique views, appearance and personality attract young Jamie.

Both characters have parts of my personality as I matured through time. At one point in my life I was that young Jamie, and later I became something similar to Derrik. But Derrik did have a direct inspiration for which I based the physical aspects of his character.

There was a man I dubbed "Herr Zug" (Mr. Train, in German) whom I met in Berlin. The original post is at my blog http://redhaircrow.com/2010/09/10/her... but here also is a quote:

"It was my first time in Berlin, I was riding the S-bahn having pulled out of Zoologischer Garten bahnhof a couple of stations before. I then noticed a man looking at me. In the way of most Germans, he was not shy or surreptitious in his glance. Even seated I could tell he was tall and long-limbed. He was no more than 25 or 26, but that could be hard to tell for he had a classically handsome face which would age well: very clean, strong lines, a firm mouth, and those kind of blue eyes also common in a certain ethnicity of Germans, deep and dark. You will think them dark brown or black even, until you’re close up. (I learned that later passionately attentive). From his hairstyle, slicked back except for a few long strands loose around his cleanly shaven cheeks, I could tell it was long even before, while still watching me, he reached up, unfastened then refastened it tighter. Near to black was his hair, very straight.

By that time I couldn’t help but smile a bit, because of his intentness, and he gave a small smile also, finally looking back down at the textbook which was across his lap. Now it was my turn to look at him all I wanted. I pulled out a sketch book to make a drawing of his shoes (I still have it). They particularly caught my eye. Although his clothing was all dark: fatigue trousers of a kind you can zip the bottom pant legs off in warmer weather and a matching coat, ironically his socks were short and white showing a measure of black haired leg, and those shoes with big loopy bows.

Gleaned: A student who shopped in second hand clothing stores, was perhaps on his way to class, and despite his outfit had a whimsical twist to his personality exhibited in his footwear.

The calm automated female voice announced the next stop, and with a practiced motion he closed his book and slipped it into his rucksack and stood, glancing at me boldly again as he walked past and turned towards the soon-to-open door giving me an excellent view of his well-muscled rear end. He must have felt the gaze. He turned just before the little bell sounded, looked down at me and asked, “Ein tasse kaffee?” in a dark, melodious voice. That means in German: “a cup of coffee?”, and in the evening, it might have been “ein bier?” (a beer) or if he were particularly direct, “ein fick?” (A fuck?). Yes, Berlin can be as easy as that.

“Ja, warum nicht?” I replied, standing, though this was no where near my own stop and I’d never been in the area, yet I had nothing to do anyway and he was infinitely interesting. This man I met on the train and got to know to the full extent I desired, I titled “Herr Zug”. (Mr. Train).

I created “Night Shift” around Herr Zug, named him Derrik and settled him into a past work experience I had. A romantic interest had developed between myself and another employee, but not as nearly satisfying as the one shared by Derrik and the other main character, little Jamie Holloway."

I drove to the airport on Friday to pick up my husband. Because of the heavy rain and rush-hour traffic, I decided to leave work an hour earlier so I wouldn't be delayed. For some odd reason, there was hardly any traffic going into Boston and I got there way too early. So I went to buy a large coffee and blueberry muffin, settled down and made myself comfortable while deciding what to read. After perusing the many unread titles on my Kindle, I decided to revisit Derrik and Jamie.

Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed the natural pace of their relationship, the depth of their feelings, and the job difficulties they encountered. This was really a perfect little story that swept me away from the crowded airport and reminded me of some of the things that attracted me to my husband 16 years ago.

While I could easily spend more time with Jamie and Derrik, their story ended well and didn't leave me feeling frustrated as I've felt when reading stories with a cliffhanger ending.

I regularly reread, edit or revise projects that I'm working on, but I also occasionally go back and read stories of mine that are published. Including Night Shift, I continue to be quite pleased and satisfied with them, even looking at them objectively as if I am not the author, and simply picked them up someplace.

One thing for me is, I never submit any work that I am not 100% confident with, in every way imaginable. In some ways, that is why even when I receive a poor review such as when someone said recently, "The romance type was too dramatic for me," it doesn't bother me in the slightest. I know I've done my best. I also realize people have different tastes, though I always advocate readers to consider the possibility that a work is good even if they didn't personally like it. As a reviewer myself, that is one of my main aims.

Especially my contemporary stories, and specifically Night Shift, as I said in the intro, are written directly from events in my life and the people I've known...and loved. So if someone says "it's too dramatic or not believable"...I know very well, because I experienced it, that it was simply life and reality. It happened. Just because their life wasn't emotionally powerful in that way, I can't do anything about that, nor their review. It's their opinion. Other people's lives are different. If they are a female reader, even if they've read m/m fiction, sometimes it's not taken into account that not all gay men's lives and loves are the same or similar, or as presented by some authors. This can happen with male readers also, so it's not exclusive or a slight.

I think some don't take that into consideration, but I believe that's one of the idiosyncrasies of "fiction" writing. It was a famous author who said (I can't remember the name now) that all "fiction writing is based on real life, therefore, in a way, it too can be a kind of reality, just from another's perspective."

Some have the view that if it doesn't fit their own personal tastes it's not any good or they believe it is "just fiction", a made up story, and my Derrik and Jamie's life and love, very much is not made up. In fact, every single work I write that is contemporary is based on actual events as I experienced them, basically their dramatizations of events that have happened to me, relationships, people, etc.

Even in my fantasy work, there is usually one main event that has happened that I build around. It's taken directly from my life and memories. Come to think of it, that may be another reason to include why m/m fiction is different than gay fiction, and one doesn't automatically equate to the other. I've found that people who are expecting or label Night Shift m/m, are more likely to not care for it. Their expectations appear to be different. My writing style tends towards literary fiction as well, as I enjoy creating the settings, symbolism and elements that go beyond basic fiction writing.

Thanks Nancy, and glad you continue to enjoy Derrik and Jamie. I very much hope to finish their sequel, "The Berlin Shift" no later than the end of summer. In any case, an excerpt of the first chapter is up at my GLBT Bookshelf page http://bookworld.editme.com/The-Berli... I think you've seen it, but I forgot to post it above.