Are there any books or authors that inspired you to be a writer?
Yes! My first inspiration was Mark Twain. As a child I read Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn and enjoyed Twain’s brilliance in description, the mysteries and the characterizations of the children in his stories. Although I write far from Hemingway’s style, he inspired me by his history as a first-time writer. He too attempted to publish a collection of short stories first and was rejected by other publishing companies. After his “Farewell to Arms” was a hit, his publisher then published his collection of short stories entitled, “In Our Time”, published in 1925.
At what point do you think that someone should call themselves a writer?
I believe that we are all writers as we develop the manuscripts that cover our thoughts and creative story telling. Some may ask, “What is the difference between a writer and an author?” In my opinion, we all are writers as we get our creative ideas down into manuscript form; however, an author goes one step further and develops writings that become published stories for others to read. All people can pen a story, however it’s an author who pens the story and publishes their work (whether good or bad) for any or all readers to enjoy. The publishing, including all the editing formats, is the defining process of separating a writer from an author in my opinion.
Are your stories real?
Yes. In my new book, “WARNING: Short Stories for Middle School Boys Only, Because Girls Have Cooties!” I constructed 15 nonfiction standalone short stories for my oldest two grandsons headed into middle school. For me those years were an ever changing transition into young adulthood with many challenges. I believe these stories could be used to initiate a discussion with middle level learners for all these topics-my grandsons included. Those challenges published came from mischievous adventures, exploration of the world, discoveries, friendships, bullying events, adolescent body changes, and learning how to develop a work ethic. Every story written in this collection truly occurred.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kind of things do they say?
Yes! My readers have been an inspiration to me as a first-time author. Their reviews on Amazon Books and on Barnes & Noble have all been 5 Star Reviews! What is so fulfilling is that the enjoyment of the short story collection comes from different stories that each have a unique theme within this collection. Women are enjoying this book just as much as the men. Adolescent boys have commented positively too about the stories. Only two adolescent females have reached out with a mixed reaction between the two. What heads the collective group of positive comments is the readers enjoying the humor that is written in each of the stories. After Chapter Two, I guaranteed my readers a “Chuckle a Chapter” and it came about to be true. The readers all have humor identified as one of the top reasons to enjoy these stories. The other main conversation at book signings and comments left on my webpage supporting the book is that the readers all find the variety of themes separate in the stories very appealing to them. Adventures, exploration, bad decisions with consequences, bullying, baseball, scouting, camping and just creative thoughtful play time all connected to my readers so far.
How did you come up with a title for the book?
WOW! That’s another story. Because I grew up in South Jersey along the Delaware River about 10 miles north of Philadelphia in the 1960’s, most of the adventures are on, along, or around the river. As a writer I envisioned my adventures as a 20th century self-styled Tom Sawyer type. My first title left things pretty much wide open- “I’m no Huckleberry Finn but…Adventures Along the River.” My publisher hated the title. I was informed, “First of all, Gene, you are no Mark Twain. That’s what that title indicates and that’s wrong. Second, no 21st century middle school kid is ever going to be interested in picking up a book with that title in this day and age. They are all about the internet and computer games. Select something much catchier.” I pondered the title for days, then decided to present a provocative title, “WARNING: Short Stories for Middle School Boys Only, Because Girls Have Cooties!” Two things became ironic here-the first, girls are protagonists in some of the stories. The themes and challenges of growing up in the 1960’s in many ways is comparable to today’s boys and girls, yet many things about growing up in the age of technology in the 21st century are very, very different. The stories provide the readers a chance to reflect on the changes of adolescence today vs. over fifty years ago. I paid for an online Reedsy Discover Review a month before the book was released. I wanted to know if I should be excited with a solid book or be understanding that my first authoring attempt was suspect. Vincent G. reviewed my book and the first words out of his review were “At first glance the title seems outdated by 21st Century standards. Its proclaimed notice about girls might offend some readers…well trite but true-never judge a book by its cover.” He went on to compare my writing style to of all people, Mark Twain and Robert Louis Stevenson! That’s when I knew deep down inside that I may have truly written something special.
How do you process and deal with negative book reviews?
Oh, I received a terrible paid book review, and it crushed me in September. I was devastated. The reviewer did not connect to anything about the book including my title, my stories, my themes, my illustrations, my chapter lessons in the back of the book– nothing. I was sad for almost two weeks until my Kirkus Review came in and displayed the thumbs up, “Get It!” icon. That Kirkus Review saved me from scrapping all book marketing going forward. As I whispered to myself Meat Loaf’s words of wisdom, “Two out of three ain’t bad.”
What is your advice to a first-time writer?
No matter what, use a carefully selected editor and be prepared to pay them for their expertise. I had a developmental editor, a line editor, a copy editor and a proofread editor. Somehow, they just place a shine on all your crafted words. It’s worth every penny.
What inspired the idea of your book?
My oldest grandson was about to enter fifth grade. His brother was in third grade. I began to reflect on being in school around that time in the mid 60’s and picturing how much has changed since I was a middle schooler. That brought out the flow of old-time adventures that after it began flowing, I couldn’t end it until I got it all down on paper.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book?
The most surprising thing was that people were interested in buying my book, reading it and liking what they read! Such excitement for a senior citizen!
What would you say to an author who wanted to design their own cover?
Like NIKE advertises, “Just Do It!” If you have a creative cover design down on paper that is non-negotiable, just go with it—I did. BUT if you are unsure or not committed to your cover you should allow an art worthy individual to help you out. Covers are everything today. Mine was plain and simple but locked in my head. It had to happen; however I see so many outstanding more attractive cover designs out there, they help to sell books.
Follow Gene on:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Warning-Stories-Middle-Because-Cooties/dp/BOD721GB7L
Facebook: Gene Miller ( in a white shirt-I was hacked this is new)
Website: https://www.genemiller56.com
Instagram: genemiller193