Ask the Author: Rick Verde
Answered Questions (9)
Rick Verde
I found a beautiful black and white photo of my mother and father on their wedding day. The wedding took place on Christmas Day 1969. In the photo, my mother and father are in the backseat holding hands, looking at each other lovingly.
But if you look past them, out the back window of the car there seems to be a shadowy figure of a boy. I've asked many family members if they could identify this boy.
Nobody recognized or remembered him. My question has always been, is a real boy caught in the wedding photo, or a ghost?
But if you look past them, out the back window of the car there seems to be a shadowy figure of a boy. I've asked many family members if they could identify this boy.
Nobody recognized or remembered him. My question has always been, is a real boy caught in the wedding photo, or a ghost?
Rick Verde
Actually, I tried to recycle a short story I wrote in high school. It was a horror story about a man gambling his soul in a game of three-card monte with the devil to win the life he always dreamed of.
After reading it and thinking it over, I decided that instead of making it supernatural, and some dumb horror story I base it on reality. Give a man an issue like sexual addiction. Have him try to fight his addiction to save his family.
Sometimes looking back gives you great ideas for the future.
After reading it and thinking it over, I decided that instead of making it supernatural, and some dumb horror story I base it on reality. Give a man an issue like sexual addiction. Have him try to fight his addiction to save his family.
Sometimes looking back gives you great ideas for the future.
Rick Verde
Harlan Coben spoke at my college graduation at Kean University, in Union, NJ. I remember he came on after Spike Lee. I was so excited to hear Spike speak, unfortunately, he put the crowd to sleep.
Up to this moment, I had never heard of Harlan Coben. I knew from the graduation booklet they gave us that he was a graduate from the university but other than that I knew nothing.
Then he began to speak. First, he made fun of how Spike had put everyone to bed for the night. He got the crowd laughing. Then he started in on his speech. It was 40 minutes of pure comedy and wisdom. After that, I had to find one of his books.
Two days later I found myself at Barnes & Noble. I found a section where his books were located. I bought four of his novels. I was instantly hooked. I decided that's the type of writer I want to be like.
I thank Harlan for my writing career.
Up to this moment, I had never heard of Harlan Coben. I knew from the graduation booklet they gave us that he was a graduate from the university but other than that I knew nothing.
Then he began to speak. First, he made fun of how Spike had put everyone to bed for the night. He got the crowd laughing. Then he started in on his speech. It was 40 minutes of pure comedy and wisdom. After that, I had to find one of his books.
Two days later I found myself at Barnes & Noble. I found a section where his books were located. I bought four of his novels. I was instantly hooked. I decided that's the type of writer I want to be like.
I thank Harlan for my writing career.
Rick Verde
What ain't I working on.
I'm currently working on two novels. My YouTube channel. My blog. And I'm trying to get a podcast off the ground.
One novel deals with sex addiction. The other is based on a real-life high school foot tragedy.
I'm currently working on two novels. My YouTube channel. My blog. And I'm trying to get a podcast off the ground.
One novel deals with sex addiction. The other is based on a real-life high school foot tragedy.
Rick Verde
Don't let anyone tell you that your not talented enough to do it. Also, don't try to be the next Stephen King or Dan Brown. Just be the best version of yourself.
You don't write to be famous, you write because there is a story inside you that needs to get out.
You don't write to be famous, you write because there is a story inside you that needs to get out.
Rick Verde
The best thing about being a writer is that you can be a child again. You can use your imagination and nobody thinks your weird or insane. If you're not a writer or an artist, and you are using your imagination everyone looks at you like you need to grow up.
Using your imagination and creating characters to me is the greatest accomplishment anyone can do in their life.
Using your imagination and creating characters to me is the greatest accomplishment anyone can do in their life.
Rick Verde
I keep writing, even if it's garbage. You just sometimes need to put word to paper to get out of your funk. I think of it like basketball. You'll never get out of a shooting funk until you hit a few baskets, but that won't happen until you shoot the ball. So just write. You can always edit, or throw out what you wrote, but you'll eventually get out of your rut.
Rick Verde
I would have to go to Mid-World and join Roland on his journey. The Dark Tower is one of my favorite sagas ever written.
Rick Verde
Currently on my reading list is Stephen King's Doctor Sleep, The Escape Room by Megan Goldin, Paranoid by Lisa Jackson, Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell, and Backlash by Brad Thor.
Granted by list grows weekly as I finish books.
Granted by list grows weekly as I finish books.
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