BookView Review

Welcome to BookView Interview, a conversation series where BookView talks to authors.

Recently, we interviewed Bryan Foreman about his writing and his latest novel, Discovering Mom, an engaging tale of friendship and self-discovery. (Read the review here.)

Do you find writing therapeutic?

Yes. For me, writing is very therapeutic and cathartic—and also quite gratifying since it’s the one thing I’m fairly good at. Suddenly my life has purpose when I put pen to paper. It gives me confidence and strength, and I feel like I’m on top of the world as a story comes together.

How often do you base your characters on real people?

Most of the characters in my last book, “Heaven Is a Gay Bar,” were real people. But that story was semi-autobiographical, based on my experiences in the ’90s club scene. “Discovering Mom,” on the other hand, is pure fiction. There’s a little bit of me in my main character, Daniel, but all the other characters were completely made up. Even Jasmine (Daniel’s sidekick) was a figment of my imagination, sadly enough. I never had such a loyal and devoted friend growing up.

What’s the most difficult thing about writing a novel?

All the rewrites you end up doing on the darn thing. You think you’re done, but then you look at it again a couple weeks later and realize you’re not. Also, building scenes can be quite challenging, trying to get the dialogue or narration just right. I think most writers are perfectionists, at least I am, and attempting to write the great American novel is like trying to solve a massive jigsaw puzzle. It’s always a huge relief when I’ve finally put all the pieces together and type “The End.” But it’s also very rewarding.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

“Hey man, thanks for not giving up after all our failures and rejections. We’re in it for the long haul, you and me.”

What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?

Cable news.

Who or what ultimately inspired you to become a writer?

Jack Nicholson in the movie “Reds.” I saw him playing Eugene O’Neill when I was like sixteen or seventeen and right away, I thought, Man, writers are cool! I want to be one! His character was also alone and miserable, but those details eluded me at the time.

What authors do you like to read? What book or books have had a strong influence on you or your writing?

I’ve read about a dozen Elmore Leonard books, two of my favorites being “Swag” and “Freaky Deaky.” Whenever I read one of his stories, I feel like I’m getting a crash course on how to write top-notch fiction. His plots are amusing; his characters seem real, and he writes the best dialogue in my opinion. Other books that have had a strong influence on me are “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” “Frankenstein,” “Wuthering Heights,” A Clockwork Orange,” One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” and “The Remains of the Day.”

What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

I finally broke down and purchased Atticus book formatting software for $147 and it turned out to be a really good investment. It’s a must for self-published authors who want to create their own books and make them look totally professional—without having to spend thousands of dollars on a vanity publisher.

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

I try to do both simultaneously. I’m sure there’s a lot of readers who want fresh, unique stories, and I strive for originality in all my works. I wouldn’t feel at home trying to improve on the tried-and-true vampire genre—or zombie genre. Nor would I attempt to write a sequel to “The Great Gatsby.” I want to create my own worlds and mythologies and bring something new to the table.

If asked, what would your friends and family say about you?

I’m pretty sure my nieces and nephews think of me as that weird uncle who wrote a strange book with a silly title, “Heaven Is a Gay Bar.” To all my friends and family members, that book was just me “coming out” and announcing to the world that I’m gay (not that there’s anything wrong with that). If they bothered to read the book, they’d see that I’m as straight as they come. But I don’t think anyone read it—and by that, I mean ANYONE!

What inspired you to write your latest book, “Discovering Mom?”

Like my main character, Daniel, I too was adopted at birth- though I was part Italian instead of Native American- and I wanted to write about what it’s like to grow up being different than your brother and sisters and all your schoolmates.

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