Interviewed by Philip Lemos.

Q: Talk about when you first decided to write a novel. What motivated you?

The day I officially decided to try my hand at writing a novel I was walking through a bookstore, and I kept thinking how cool it would be to see a book with my name on the spine. As vain as that sounds, it wasn’t lost on me what a rare accomplishment it is to not only complete a novel, but to have it published. Ever since that day, walking by the fiction section of my local bookstore has essentially been my version of Jay Gatsby’s “green light”, serving as a constant motivation to reach my goasl.

Q: How long did it take you to write It Dies With You? What were the biggest challenges in the writing process?

It took me a little over two years to write It Dies with You, and I’d say the biggest challenge for me was keeping the middle of the novel interesting. I knew how I wanted the novel to begin and I had a pretty good idea of how I wanted to end, so making sure things like character growth and interesting subplots would keep things moving forward in that notoriously tough middle ground was quite the challenge.

Q: How did you know the novel was finished? Talk about the revision process and the long, winding road from project to publication.

I’ve heard people say “when you know, you know”, and I wouldn’t disagree with that. Personally, I got to a point where I firmly believed that if I kept writing, I was simply doing so to up my word count. I had considered adding another chapter or two until I realized that all those chapters really accomplished was prolonging the inevitable ending. That being said, the 63,000 word novel I queried my would-be agent with blossomed into a 72,000 word novel by the time it sold.

In terms of revision, I revise meticulously as I go. Many of the successful authors I know will write a really rough draft of a novel in a matter of months, then they’ll spend a year or two revising said novel until it becomes polished. Personally, my brain won’t allow me to work that way. I feel like I can’t close my laptop until I know what I write during each session is at least close to being in its final form. That’s why it takes me a while to write what some would call a first draft. With It Dies with You, it took me weeks, maybe longer, to write what used to be the opening chapter (it’s now the second chapter), but I knew when it was done that I had something I really believed in and a narrator that could carry me the rest of the way.

My road to traditional publication wasn’t easy. It Dies with You was actually the second novel I’d written that an agent tried to sell. My first novel, which I wrote as my master's thesis for Mountainview, landed me my first agent. That agent and I revised that book for months before it was shopped to publishers. In the end, the novel received over thirty rejections, including a very close call with one of the biggest publishers in the world. As soul crushing as that experience was, I didn’t spend much time licking my wounds. I knew I had to get better as a writer. Most importantly, I had to find my voice. Up until that point, I was essentially imitating writers that I loved, which is what a lot of young writers tend to do. With It Dies with You, I knew I’d found a voice that was uniquely my own, and that made all the difference. Within a few months of completing it, I landed my dream agent. After some really focused revisions, It Dies with You went out on submissions, and not long after, I got an offer of publication from Crooked Lane Books.

Q: You’ve said that your wife hasn’t yet read any part of your novel. Now that it’s about to be published, what are your thoughts about her reading it?

I once told Tiffany that she could never read my work until it was good enough for every bookstore in America. The reason why is that she was a pretty avid reader of popular fiction, and I didn’t ever want her to think that what I was pouring my heart and soul into was a cheap imitation of what she was used to, or dare I say it, a hobby. I held true to my word.

When my ARCs came in a few months ago, Tiffany was the only person close to me that got a copy. The week those books arrived, I had been expecting them to show up, but I hadn’t mentioned it to her; I wanted it to be a surprise. So, every day when I got home from work, I checked the porch for a package. As it turned out, I was cleaning up the kitchen one evening when Tiffany brought in a small box from the porch. I heard her yell “Holy shit!”, and when I walked into the living room, she was holding my novel in her hands. So much for a surprise! I guess it was only fitting since I’d tortured her for years, closing my laptop every time she tried to steal a glance at my writing.

Q: After reading It Dies with You, I’m impressed with your ear for dialogue. How did you develop that element of your writing practice?

Dialogue was probably the only thing I had a knack for as a young writer, and I honestly think it was because I was pulling words and phrases from real world conversations. Growing up in the rural South, I’ve been surrounded by smartasses and natural storytellers my entire life, and I grew up in a household where having a quick wit was an absolute must. I think those experiences lend authenticity to my characters’ dialogue.

]Q: You’ve described your planning process to “30 words on a notepad.” Talk about having a more impromptu approach to plotting, writing scenes, etc.

I do very little planning. It Dies with You probably had less than half of a page of notes in all, and most of those were on my iPhone’s notepad app. And it’s not that I endorse being a “pantser” (one who flies by the seat of his pants), but I feel like over-planning kills my creative spirit. I guess I’ve adopted the attitude of “Let’s just do the damn thing.”

With that being said, I don’t go into writing sessions blindly. I write full scenes, including a fair amount of dialogue, in my mind, for hours, sometimes days, before writing a single word on the page.

Q: Who are your influences? What is it that speaks to you about these authors’ styles/process/etc.

Stylistically, fellow North Carolinian Wiley Cash has definitely influenced my writing. In fact, A Land More Kind than Home was the first fiction novel I read, for fun, as an adult. Seeing such wonderful, yet simple prose showed me that a writer doesn’t have to be showy or use big words to be a damn good novelist. A couple of other writers that reiterate this notion are Ron Rash and Michael Farris Smith.

As far as influences on It Dies with You go, there was none bigger than Joe R. Lansdale, who wrote the Hap and Leonard series as well as a fantastic novel called Cold in July. Like Wiley Cash’s early work, Lansdale writes almost exclusively in first person, which has always been my preferred choice as a writer. Lansdale was also the first writer that gave me permission to really have fun on the page. His stuff will rip your heart out at times, but a page later, it can be absolutely hilarious. That’s the balance I’ve tried to replicate in my own work.

Q: How do you balance teaching and writing? Where do your writing and teaching practices intersect? Where do they diverge?

Teaching is mentally exhausting. There are evenings when I sit down to write and my well of creativity is completely dry. However, teaching fiction does allow me to have a greater appreciation for the written word. There are days when I’m reading a passage aloud to a class, and a beautiful line, whether it’s from Fitzgerald or O’Connor, ignites something within me. I’ve even had to step away, mid-lesson, to jot down an idea.

Q: Your novel is coming out right as things are returning to (somewhat) normal again post-COVID. Do you see that as serendipitous, being able to host in-person readings? Or would you have rather sped up the timeline?

I’m beyond grateful that I’ll be doing my readings in person because I value relationships above all else. The notion that writers are introverts just doesn’t apply to me. I love talking about books, my creative process, and I really enjoy motivating young writers.

Q: You train in boxing, Muay-thai and jiu-jitsu. Compare writing a novel to combat sports.

Boxing, like any other combat sport, is something that you learn slowly, step by step. You first begin with learning balance and footwork before you ever even think about throwing a punch. Writing is no different. I think many young writers (including myself) are ready for the final

product and for their shiny new book to be on bookstore shelves, but if they don’t start with the basics, those lofty dreams never come to fruition. I’d say the footwork of writing is doing things like reading really good literature. You really need to understand the beauty of an expertly crafted sentence or the power of a well-written paragraph before you can start doing those things yourself.

Q: Now that It Dies with You is out in the world, you’re once again staring at the blank page. How does that feel? What’s next for you?

The blank page will absolutely humble you. I’m currently writing a new standalone novel, and I don’t feel any more equipped than I did when I sat down to write It Dies with You. I know I have the ability to write a good novel, but for me, that ability has to coincide with a few lightbulb moments to successfully reach the finish line.

Q: What your best advice to other aspiring novelists/writers?

Dream big from the get-go and never give in to doubt. There will be times when your confidence is tested, but if you keep your head down, grit your teeth, and keep swinging with everything you’ve got, you’ll separate yourself from the pack. Persistence is the name of the game. It trumps talent every single time.

Also, surround yourself with likeminded, driven people who will hold you accountable. I would’ve never made it through my MFA, much less a novel, if I hadn’t had people in my corner to lean on when times got tough.

Scott Blackburn is an English instructor and a 2017 graduate of the Mountainview MFA program. He lives in High Point, North Carolina with his wife and two children. His debut novel, IT DIES WITH YOU, will release in June 2022.

Phil Lemos is an Adjunct Professor at Southern New Hampshire University who teaches in the Mountainview MFA program. A Massachusetts native, Phil’s work has been published in, among other places, Charles River Review and Assignment Magazine, and he’s an editor at Spry Literary Journal. He holds MFAs in fiction and creative nonfiction from Fairfield and Southern New Hampshire universities, respectively. Phil teaches Creative Writing at Clark University and English Composition at Franklin Pierce as well, and is working on a novel.