Paul Wagner 

Author of All Rise, the Criminal Trial of 4 Teens

Interview by Jillian Leslie

JL: What type of reading captured your interest as a young child and as a teenager?

PW: As memory serves me, I progressed from dog stories (Lassie, Lad, etc.) to My Friend Flicka and other horses, to Tarzan, to Sherlock Holmes, then Edgar Allen Poe. Along the way, poetry by Steven Vincent Benet, Longfellow, and Omar Kayam enthralled me with their choice of words.  

JL: What do you read today? Do you read the classics or contemporary literature?

PW: I enjoy contemporary suspense novels—detective, courtroom, conspiracy, et al. Humor (always). And, from time to time, I am drawn back to Dante’s Inferno, The Rubaiyat, and Evangeline to marvel at the language.  

JL: Which books have made a lasting impression on you and why?

PW: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is my model for a perfect American novel. Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead clarified ideals of freedom, independence, and human potential. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry and the works of James Mitchner (Centennial, etc.) gave meaning to the word saga.

JL: What motivates you to write?

PW: Feedback from young readers. I get e-mail once in a while that makes me glow all over. (And when you gotta glow, you gotta glow.)

JL. Do you write mainly to please yourself or do you write to please your audience?

PW: I write to entertain (as opposed to educate, inform, or inspire)--first to entertain myself, secondarily my readers.

JL: Let’s discuss your book All Rise, the Criminal Trial of 4 Teens. This thriller has a compelling plot: Teenager Francis Kelly is living a nightmare. Kelly and three of his acquaintances stand trial for a horrific hate crime. The dilemma? Kelly, did not commit the crime but the prosecutor thinks otherwise. Kelly, confident that he can beat the charges because he is innocent, quickly learns that his innocence isn’t as easy to prove as he’d like to think. Chilling stuff! Where did you get the idea for this plot? Have you ever personally known someone who has lived through this sort of nightmare?

PW: I’ve had no personal acquaintance with anyone in such a situation. The idea for All Rise came to me when I sat on a jury in a criminal trial. The evidence I heard was convincing, but 'What if?' kept popping into my mind.

JL: How long did it take you to write this book?  

PW: Almost three years.

JL: Do you have any personal background in criminal law? If not, how did you approach your research? Did you use the Internet for research?

PW: I have no formal schooling in law. The Internet was useful in verifying several points of the law; and interviews with qualified “experts” were invaluable. Speaking generally, the daily newspaper has been a rich source for me. I have dozens of files full of clippings on many subjects. (And work at least three crossword puzzles every day, which, I tell my wife, helps enlarge my vocabulary.)

JL: Did you do any outlining before you began?  

PW: Yes, I outlined the plot--roughly.  

JL: Character, plot, setting: Which do you feel is the most important and why?

PW: I believe the reader wants a “story.” To capture and hold his/her interest, you must raise a question about what happened or is going to happen. For this reason I rate plot over character….but only slightly.

JL: Do you become emotionally attached to your characters or to their problems?

PW: Oh, yes. And I giggle, snort, shout, and weep as I write, which my youngest grandchild finds highly entertaining.

JL: Are you a disciplined writer with a set schedule or do you write when the mood strikes?

PW: I am shamefully undisciplined (as a writer) but highly moral, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.  

JL: Do you have an agent? Why or why not?

PW: I have no agent. Initially I wrote only short stories--not the fodder for most agents. Also, my output is neither voluminous nor constant.  

JL: How did you choose your particular publishing route?

PW: It was a question of time. Time flies (I know: You can’t. They’re too fast.) The process of submitting, waiting, finally getting a rejection, submitting somewhere else, waiting, etc., etc. consumes months and months. Internet publishing came along and made it quickly and easily possible to follow in the footsteps of Mark Twain and Edgar Allen Poe--i.e. self-publish.

JL: Did you have any rejections from agents or publishers before you became published?

PW: Certainly. (Do ducks have lips?) I’ve had thousands--literally--of rejections. In the early years, I pinned them to the wall above my work station; then I realized this might be more discouraging than “challenging” so I took them down and displayed only acceptances and framed copies of published stories (as they slowly began to come). This positive approach is not only much neater, but when I show visitors through my house I can brag while pretending to be humble. 

JL: You have some Web sites for teens. Would you care to tell us about them?

PW: They are my passion. The input I receive from young readers--and writers--all over the world brightens my life (and occasionally breaks my heart.) When I receive a story from a boy in Japan, or an e-mail begging me to write another ghost story from a girl in Australia, or a request to reprint a "Funny Foto" from a teen in Israel, the effect is exhilarating and awe inspiring.  

JL: How did you decide to concentrate on writing for and working with teenagers?

PW: This is a particularly good question. My aim and desire is to nurture the reader’s imagination. The ability to picture in your mind people and events spelled out on a printed page is a step toward the ability to think creatively, be inventive, dream of new “things” and better “ways.” Imagination is what advances our species. And it sure makes life more fun.

JL: Since you started writing professionally, what are some important lessons you’ve learned about your craft?

PW: I've learned that there is always something more to learn, and that nearly everything has been done before.

JL: What advice would you give to an adult who would like to write a novel for teens?

PW: Write ABOUT teens, not FOR teens. That mindset is important.

JL: What advice would you give to a teenager who would like to write fiction?

PW: Pay attention in English class. Learn grammar and spelling. (Too many stories submitted to my webzine “About Teens” are not useable because of basic spelling and grammar errors.) Read as often as you write--and write a lot. Get critical opinion from others about what you write, and rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.

JL: Is there anything else you’d like to add about your books or projects past, present or future?

PW: I think the Internet is the best thing to come along for a writer since Guttenberg. I only hope I can keep up with its growth and development.

 Related Links

• About Teens online magazine: Entertainment for teens.
• Author's e-mail: aboutteens@att.net
• All Rise, the Criminal Trial of 4 Teens

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