Author Q&A

Q&A with John Shors By Michael Causey, WIW Board Member

Behind a relatively “regular guy” façade, there’s something of the wild adventurer in John Shors. An avid traveler in Asia and around the globe, his resume includes being an award-winning journalist in Des Moines, Iowa; marketing manager for an English language school for business people in Kyoto, Japan; and his current “day job” as Vice President of the Public Relations firm GroundFloor Media in Denver, Colo. But Shors also has struck gold with his novel, Beneath a Marble Sky (McPherson & Company) published in 2004. Look for a major trade paperback edition from Penguin in June 2006. Movie rights were also purchased. Shors is “cautiously optimistic” the book will someday make it to the local Cineplex.

Publishers Weekly said of Beneath a Marble Sky: “Shors's spirited debut novel tells the story of the eldest daughter of the 17th-century emperor who built the Taj Mahal. From her self-imposed exile, Jahanara recalls growing up in the Red Fort; the devotion her parents, Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, had for each other; and the events that took place during the construction of the fabulous monument to their love.”

He recently shared his thoughts and experiences with WIW and offered words of encouragement—and reality—to aspiring fiction writers.

M.C.: What drove you to write Beneath a Marble Sky?

J.S.: I’ve been lucky enough to spend a great deal of time in Asia, and have been powerfully influenced by its history, as well as the sights, sounds, smells and customs found today in that part of the world. For a decade I’ve wanted to write a novel set somewhere in Asia, but waited to find the right story—or rather to have the right story find me.

In 1999, my wife and I were traveling in India, and of course, made it a point to visit the Taj Mahal. We arrived at the mausoleum as soon as it opened to the public, and, in fact, were the first people there that day. Walking within its chambers, hearing our voices echo in the same manner as voices did hundreds of years ago and touching its sculpted walls was an overwhelming experience.  Seeing the wonder of the Taj Mahal, and understanding that a man built it for his wife—a woman he cherished above all else in life—was uniquely inspiring. Indian poets have been writing about this love story for centuries. And yet, not many people in the West know the tale. I realized that I had to tell it. Quite honestly, I was amazed and delighted to discover upon my return to America that no one in the West had ever fictionalized the story.

M.C.: Let’s talk more about the nitty-gritty of the actual writing. How do you work each day? How long did you work on the first draft and then revision? 

J.S.: I wrote a few hours every day over the course of five years. I would set various goals. At first, I was to write two pages per day. Then, during the editing process, I edited five pages a day, and then ten pages a day. I edited my novel 54 times, so the number of pages was always increasing as the text became cleaner. Anyway, my point is that it's important to set goals. 

M.C.: How do you work with editors or other sounding boards? 

J.S.: I think it's very important to listen to what people have to say. I will always take the time to listen to my editor or publisher or a casual reader. I don't have to necessarily do what people think I should do. However, sometimes such readers raise excellent points. And such advice is extremely valuable.

M.C.: How do you do your research?

J.S.: I researched my novel for a year. I traveled to India. I read everything I could on the subject. I looked at hundreds of period paintings. I Googled a variety of subjects to death. 

M.C.: How did you get started as a published author? How did you connect with an agent, for example?

J.S.: I queried about 30 agents and had several who wanted to represent me. I was lucky in this regard. A good agent is a key part of the publishing equation. Spend some time pursuing the good ones. And try not to be desperate (I have made this mistake!).

M.C.: You sold the movie rights to Beneath a Marble Sky, which is quite an achievement. Can you tell how that happened? How did you connect with a Hollywood agent? 

J.S.: Actually, a production company in Hollywood contacted us out of the blue. A famous actor had read my novel, and had immediately booked a three-week trip to India. His group bought the film rights, and is very serious about making Beneath a Marble Sky into a major movie. They are making great progress and I'm cautiously optimistic that they'll pull it off.

M.C.: What lessons do you think others trying to break in fiction writing today can take from your example? 

J.S.: The publishing industry is a brutal industry to break into. It took me about seven years to do so. If you want to enter into this industry, you must be prepared to slug it out for a long time. This is a tough business. Having said that, breaks do happen and good things are possible. 

M.C.: What advice do you have for someone in another career—say an attorney or government official here in Washington, D.C., who is considering breaking out on his own as a novelist? How should they get started? How to keep from getting frustrated?

J.S.: I wrote Beneath a Marble Sky at the same time that I had a full-time job. My point is that one doesn't have to quit a day job to write a book. Just write an hour a day. In three years you'll have a good book, something that you can be proud of and something that you might be able to sell.

M.C.: What’s next on your writing plate? 

J.S.: Well, I need to continue to promote Beneath a Marble Sky for the time being. My hardcover was created by a wonderful publishing house called McPherson & Company, and has done well. In June, Penguin is producing a trade paperback version of Beneath a Marble Sky. I will continue to promote both versions of the novel for the next 18 months or so. A writer's job is much more than just creating a book. If you don't market a book as much as possible, it will quickly disappear.

I do have another novel in mind and am going to start working on it this winter. I'm excited to do so. 

M.C.: Any final thoughts for WIW members slogging away on a book? 

J.S.: I wish all of you the best of luck in your endeavors. Again, this is a tough business. But if you have talent, a good idea and are willing to work hard, anything is possible. 

WIW Board Member Michael Causey is a fulltime freelancer. Information about his work is available at http://hometown.aol.com/jmcauseyj/myhomepage/profile.html.