Introducing Ben Ditmars, & enter to win a copy of Ten Minutes in Heaven!

I am discovering some new favourite authors by downloading the free books onto my Kindle these days. That's how I discovered Ben Ditmars not too long ago. These days, I have less and less time for reading, having a full time job and also trying to fit in some writing/promoting.

Ben Ditmars's book of short plays Ten Minutes in Heaven sounded like the sort of thing I could read quickly. I have found that I am more drawn to short works these days, just because I have to balance my time between reading, writing, working, and promotion.

I am so glad I picked up this little book. I thoroughly enjoyed the plays. It was a refreshing read, not only because I don't usually read plays, but because the writing was so skilled and entertaining. Ben Ditmars is a gifted writer, in my opinion, and I am looking forward to reading more of his work.

After reading his book, I invited Ben here to talk about his writing. He has generously offered to give away a print copy of "Ten Minutes in Heaven" to one lucky reader of my blog!

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment below, or simply 'Like' this blog post. A winner will be picked on 16th November 2012.

Here's the interview:

I've just read and enjoyed your book of short plays "Ten Minutes in Heaven". Did you write the plays specifically for this collection or were they written at different times and just put together in a collection?



It was an interesting process. I wrote some specifically for the collection but others such as Train Rob I converted to the format of ten minute plays after writing them. Bank Rob was the Ah-ha moment where I said I want to keep doing this and make something of it.

I imagine that you would like to see the plays acted in a theatre? If you had the chance to produce one of the plays, which one would you choose and who would you cast in each of the roles?

If I could see any of them produced I would definitely go with Jumper. Seeing Vincent Van Gogh and Edgar Allen Poe portrayed together would be righteous. I think Sean Penn would make the best Poe. As for Van Gogh, I would go with the actor who portrayed him in Doctor Who.



There is a lot of humour in Ten Minutes in Heaven. Who are your favourite comedians?

I like a wide range of comedians. It was something I grew up watching a lot of. Mitch Hedburg was a genius; the way he saw things, the unique observations but also the younger George Carlin was a favorite. Of those still living I would list Harland Williams, Louis C.K. and Dane Cook as favorites.

You have a few well known historical and famous figures appearing in your short plays, Vincent van Gogh, Edgar Allan Poe, Judy Garland, and Noah, to name just a few. What gave you the idea to use these famous characters, and do you think that made it easier or harder than creating your own characters for the plays? Did you have to research things about those personalities before writing the plays?

Most of them were favorite artists of mine. I adore Van Gogh’s painting and his life story touches me deeply. To think that something so beautiful can come from such incredible sadness is astounding. But, Poe too was a troubled artist and I liked the idea of them putting little problems into big perspectives. I used quite a bit of their actual quotes in the dialogue. I thought it made things seem more authentic and humorous to anyone who had read the things they’ve said on painting or writing.



Judy Garland, I’ve learned more about since I wrote the play. But at the time, I focused on her death and how sad I imagined her to be. I mainly had an image of her, worn out by the constant pressures and drugs used to keep up with the entertainment business. The other characters I did quite a bit more research on. I used their history to play into the dialogue.

For the most part I think it made it easier than creating my own characters. I felt very familiar with all of them already.

You have other published works as well as Ten Minutes in Heaven, can you tell us a bit about each of your other books

Gnomes of Coyul: The Crystal Staff is my novel. It’s about a dissatisfied gnome who meets a human and eventually goes on an adventure to save his tree from an evil Elf Queen. There’s a lot of different characters, battles and creatures too. It’s a lot of fun, but like my book of plays, tries to get across a lot of deeper points.

Witherspork is my Kindle short. I’ve always had a really different sort of last name than most other kids. It was kind of my inspiration, writing a story about a man finding others that share his name and trying to solve a galactic mystery before the universe gets destroyed.

Night Poems is my collection of poetry. I waited a while before doing this because I wanted a really special idea. I think I found it with Night Poems. Each poem has its own time and takes you through the night in all its malaise and energy.

Are you working on any other projects at the moment?

I’m actually working on quite a bit. I’m doing another poetry book, this time on haiku and still themed on the night. There’s a children’s short too, that’s fantasy and I’m doing a zombie story for NaNoWriMo.

As you write in many different styles, poetry, plays, and prose, which would you say is your preferred style of writing?

My most natural style is poetry. I can sit down and write a poem just about any time of the day. But it’s harder to get complex ideas across. If I have something intricate I want to say it will often need to be in the form of a play or story.

You have a blog called 'Old Spice is Nice'. What inspired that title?

The deodorant. I started the blog in High School and never thought I’d go anywhere with blogging so I just named it after the closest thing to me.

I understand that you have started a podcast with author Amber Jerome~Norrgard. Who came up with the idea for that? And can you tell us a bit about what you do on the podcast.

It’s called The Lyrical Versification Podcast and I think we both came up with the idea. I know I’ve been trying to get a writing podcast going for a while and she mentioned doing one on poetry. We usually read different poems we’ve come across or each other’s and have a guest we interview. They usually read a couple of what they’ve wrote or talk about an upcoming book.

Do you have any tips for anyone thinking of self-publishing a book?

Many. Do it to get your story out there and don’t expect huge financial gains. It will take a long time and several books. But don’t be afraid either. The indie community is a very generous one and they will help you a lot; whether it’s with covers, formatting advice or just a quick pep talk.

Who are your favourite writers, and what is it about their writing that you like?

I really like Baum, Tolkien and Rowling for the worlds and characters they created. They’re the kinds that grow with you as you read. I also like a good deal of modern indie authors. I’ve read everything by Amber Norrgard and mostly everything by Charity Parkerson. Cinta García de la Rosa is also fantastic. She has one of the strongest characters I’ve read in her book The Funny Adventures of Little Nani. You just can’t get her out of your head. Or heart, for that matter.

What was the first thing you ever wrote?

In Middle and High School I did a lot of comics. They weren’t drawn very well but they were fun and people seemed to enjoy them. I also wrote stories featuring my friends doing different things like saving the day.

What are your aspirations for your writing?

I’ve always wanted to do a book of short fantasy stories. But I’m working on another poetry book at the moment. I’m hoping to come to come back to the stories eventually.

What's the nicest thing a reader has said about your work?

That it has helped them through a tough time they were going through. I think that’s really the most profound and encouraging thing for an author to hear. It’s great to get our story out there, get great reviews, but when it really makes a difference, that’s the best feeling.

As one of your short stories in Ten Minutes in Heaven is about The Wizard of Oz, if there was to be a new version of the Wizard of Oz and you could choose to play any character, who would you want to be, and why?

I would be the scarecrow or the lion. It’s hard to say. I’m looking for more courage at times and others more knowledge. Then again, the Wicked Witch is pretty bad ass. I guess I’d have to be the Wicked Warlock though.



Which one of the characters in Ten Minutes in Heaven is most like you?

Probably the Bastard. I have a dry sense of humor that’s very similar to his. I also share some of his philosophy on selfishness.

Do you have any news or events you want to share with your readers?

Of course. My novel Gnomes of Coyul will be free December 1st on Amazon Kindle. I hope you all get a chance to download it.



Thank you so much, Maria for giving me the opportunity to answer these questions. They’re the best, most in depth ones I’ve seen.

Thank you, Ben, and you're welcome! I am looking forward to reading more of your work.

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Remember, if you'd like a chance to win a copy of Ten Minutes in Heaven, leave a comment below, or simply 'like' the blog post. Good luck!