I’ve been looking forward to this one. Shawn Smucker (follow him on Twitter) is one of the good guys, a fellow author, Pennsylvanian, and Choose Your Own Adventure enthusiast.
He’s also just released his latest book, and I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read so far. We had some fun back and forth earlier this week and made the world a better place. Here’s a sampling.
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1. Let’s start with the basics. What are 3 of your favorite movies.
I am a huge movie fan, so it’s tough to narrow it to three. I do love Michael Mann films, and Heat is right at the top of my list. I love the retelling of myths and fairy tales: Pan’s Labyrinth comes to mind. I have a love/mostly hate relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio, but The Departed was fantastic.
2. Tell us about your immediate family.
My wife is awesome. She puts up with my utter lack of concern regarding money or the future, which takes a special kind of person. She has gone with me to Jacksonville, Florida, then to England, then Virginia, and even a few dark and depressing months living in my parent’s basement after my painting business went to pot in 2009. She believes in me, which is really more than I can ask for or deserve.
We have four kids, ages 8, 7, 3 and 2. I spend most of my parenting life either laughing hysterically at the things they say or weeping at how much what I say sounds like my parents.
3. We’re both Pennsylvanians, but you rock the East side and I’m a SouthWestie. What’s the best thing about living in Eastern PA?
Eastern PA is awesome because I’m a Steelers fan and I get to make fun of my many Eagles-fan relatives. Their petty boasting is always hushed when I hold up six fingers (not on one hand).
4. Okay, let’s talk writing. I like how you pull writing lessons from different movies. Which of those movie breakdowns is your personal favorite?
I need to start doing this more often. My personal favorite is “Five Writing Lessons I Learned From Dumb and Dumber,” if only because it includes the classic line, “We got no food, no jobs…our PETS’ HEADS ARE FALLING OFF!”
5. We share a love for Choose Your Own Adventure books, and you even used that concept for a sweet blog series that your readers were able to complete. So here are two options for you.
a. You can have a time machine to jump all around the past for 100 years, but the day you return to your current life you’ll die or…
b. You live a healthy life from now on until the age of 100, but the time machine goes to someone else.
What do you choose?
Your questions are so much fun that I could do this every day. I definitely choose “B”, because I’m excited about the writing life I get to live, and I can’t wait to see my kids grow up. I think I’m looking forward to too many things to live the rest of my life in the past (although those 24-hour college marathons of Sega NHL Hockey and Golden Eye are sorely missed).
6. Tell us about your new book.
I took the passing of my great-grandmother and my return to Lancaster (after having lived away from here for fifteen years) and used it as a framework through which to view my family history from 1624 to the present. I’m beginning to think of it more as a family mythology or a family fiction, because much of what I wrote was based on generations-worth of hearsay and legend. The skeleton is all based on history, but I added to it.
7. Have you always been into history or did it have to become personal like this for you to really go deep into the subject?
On a scale of 1-10, I’d give history a 6.373. I’m not a huge history buff, but personalizing the past does add some interest, especially when you find out that your Amish great-grandfather went to prison for not sending his children to public school, or that the communist Rosenbergs actually visited his house a year before they were executed for treason.
8. How has writing this book changed your perspective of your family and how you all fit into the bigger historical picture?
They are human now. Just like me. My ancestors, for the last 300 years were almost all Amish, so I used to think of them as boring and stoic and kind of uninteresting. But it turns out my great-great-grandfather loved to write, and my great(x10) grandfather Nicholas left the Lutheran religion to marry an Amish girl, even though it meant he waived all his rights as a citizen of Germany and would no longer be able to own land or move wherever he wanted. He sacrificed a lot of things.
As far as the bigger picture, I’ve realized my life isn’t confined to the dates between my birth and death. So much of what my ancestors did or who they were defines who I am today. What I do and who I am will live on for hundreds of years after I’m gone.
9. This isn’t the first book you’ve written is it?
My first book was “Twist of Faith,” the biography of Anne Beiler, founder of Auntie Anne’s Soft Pretzels. Then I wrote “Think No Evil,” retelling the Amish schoolhouse shooting from the perspectives of the first-responders and exploring the concept of forgiveness. Most of the books I’m currently writing are co-writes or ghost-writes (that’s how I pay the bills). [Ed. note: You can order Shawn's books here].
10. Any hints about your next writing project?
I have a few projects in the works, but there are two I’m doing for me (and not for clients). One is a retelling of my first 18-months making a living as a writer. I think there are a lot of folks out there who love to write, and I think my experience could be beneficial for them to hear about.
The second project is a novel, the subject of which I can’t yet reveal. But I’ll tell you this: it’s such a good idea that I wake up in a fit every morning, paranoid that someone else has had the same idea and is going to get the book out there before I do. Also, it’s not an Amish-Vampire-Romance.
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Shawn lives in Paradise, Pennsylvania with his wife, four children, four chickens, and a rabbit named Rosie. HIs most recent book, My Amish Roots, explores the roles of family, death, life, tradition, and legacy against the backdrop of his Amish ancestry. He blogs daily at shawnsmucker.com about writing, the strange things his children say, and postmodern Christianity.
YOUR TURN! How would you answer question #5 dear reader?
Shawn, you got my hopes up for Amish-Vampire Romance the other day. I’m devastated to learn that it’s not to be. Oh well. I guess I’ll give your novel a try whenever it comes out.
Proud of you and love seeing all the different places you’ve landed at this week.
I guess never say never, right? Thanks, Leigh!
Hi Shawn! This was a great interview. You had me at Smucker, I started crushing at your Dumb & Dumber reference, and you landed me with the fact that you are now ghost-writing! How do you do you do that? That is a whole other interview.
Anyway, Clay has never led me astray, so I’m off to check you out. if you know what I mean. #IYKWIM. And if you hang out here for a while, you might see that a bit. Nice to meet you.
I’d love to talk more with you about the ghost-writing thing – if you have any questions, shoot them my way.
Great interview and questions!
I am still on my first cup of coffee and didn’t realize at first that these were questions for Shawn. I thought, “Man, how am I going to answer all of those in the comment section?” Hahaha!
Never skip over the italicized section of Clay’s blog.
Now that would be interesting…quick, everyone answer the questions above! Thanks for reading, Susie.
Great interview. The book sounds interesting. I love historical fiction. I recently read Fall of Giants by Follett and couldn’t put it down. I will have to head over and check out your book.
Thanks, Annie!
I can see why you two get along so well. Man, Choose Your Own Adventure books are where it’s at! Great interview, and congrats on your new book, Shawn!
Yeah, I grew up on those books. I was also a big time cheater, sometimes marking my pages and following the threads. I think my favorite one took place in Scotland, involved twins, and most threads ended in some kind of grisly death.
Great interview, Clay! Thanks for introducing us to Shawn’s work!
I’m interested in reading Shawn’s latest book! My paternal family roots are also in Pennsylvania (they came from Germany in the 1750′s, but moved to Ohio in the early 19th century). That stoic German personality (I also have German on my mom’s side) continues to be very much a part of who I am today…”Work hard, and don’t ask anyone for help!”
Wendy
Yes, I understand those sentiments. We probably have very similar family histories. What’s the German last name, if you don’t mind me asking?
The name became “Shoots” but I think it was probably something like “Schutz” originally. According to the information I have, our first known ancestor in the U.S. was a nine-year-old boy named Benjamin. I’m wondering if he may have come over as an indentured servant, since info about his parents is lacking…
Wendy
Sounds like the beginnings of a fascinating story: “The Life and Times of Benjamin Shoots”
“My wife is awesome. She puts up with my utter lack of concern regarding money or the future” ~ probably one of the best lines I’ve ever heard another human being say. There is so much honesty…love it! Also, it’s hilarious.
Great interview, Clay! And Congratulations to Shawn on his new book!
Thanks very much for reading.
Thanks for introducing me to Shawn. It was interesting to learn about his Amish roots, and I’m sure his book is equally interesting. As he says, personalizing the past goes a long way to appreciating how history has brought us to where we are today.
Thanks for stopping by today.
I enjoyed the interview Shawn. Thanks for hanging out today!
Okay, Clay, where have you been keeping Shawn? I thought I stole all of your friends last spring.
And hello Shawn. I’m waving from Canada. I have mitts on. And skates. And a tuque.
I still have a few peeps stashed away that you don’t know about
And yes, I’m laughing at you waving. In your mitts. And skates. And tuque.