10 Questions with Ian Doescher, Best-Selling Author of William Shakespeare's Star Wars

Ian Doescher, photo by Shan Applegate

Ten Question with Ian Doescher,  
Author of William Shakespeare's Star Wars


Today I am honored to host Ian Doescher, friend and New York Times Best-Selling Author (!) of William Shakespeare's Star Wars. My friendship with Ian pre-dates his writing career, and it has been quite the whirlwind adventure watching his burgeoning writing career! He still maintains a nine to five day job, but he and his family are enjoying quite the voyage around the country this summer to launch his book.

William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher

Please welcome Ian and feel free to leave a question or comment for him in the comments section! I'm sure he'd love to connect with fans and future readers, as well as all of you aspiring writers and authors who read this blog.







Here goes!

1. First things first, let's get something out of the way. My mom taught you in elementary school, I'm featuring you on my blog, you're married to my childhood best friend, and you now own my grandparents' house. Let's call a spade a spade. To me, this all means - my family is directly responsible for your genius. Thoughts?




ID: Definitely.  In fact, the idea didn't come to me until al of those events had happened, so it must be due to the perfect alignment of the Garrigues planets.(Ha! Thanks for indulging me.)

2. Kidding! Seriously, you were already a genius. I think. We just get the honor of knowing the man who married the literary titan of William Shakespeare with the film titan of George Lucas' Star Wars in person. Lucky us. :)... So, how the heck did you come up with the idea to marry the two? Did you just see potential dollar signs dancing in front of your eyes with the realization that you are taking the world's two most popular franchises and meshing them into one? This is like real-life literary Frankenstein.

ID: There was a lot of serendipity involved.  I watched the Star Wars trilogy with some friends from high school in April last year, then read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (published by Quirk Books), and right after that went to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival with my family.  It was this mix of things swirling around in my subconscious -- mashup-literature, Star Wars and Shakespeare -- that put the idea in my head.  And of course I knew I was picking two hugely popular cultural icons, so though I can't claim to have had visions of dollar signs, I will admit to thinking there was a good chance it would be successful.

3. Would you say that conjuring up Shakespeare and Han Solo was more inspirational or frightening? Big shoes to fill. Did you ever find yourself crying, "I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!"

ID: There were definitely moments when I thought to myself, "I'm having a hard enough time even getting this line into iambic pentameter, to say nothing of being clever or witty or metaphorical or whatever."  I really have no idea how Shakespeare did it.  And I knew I would be watched closely by every Star Wars fan everywhere for how I handled a few scenes.  So far, so good.  I haven't been accosted on the street.  Yet.

4. This is your first book. (Congrats!!) What surprised you about the publishing industry?

ID: First of all I have to admit to incredible luck in getting this book published.  I emailed Quirk Books with the idea, they responded and said they would read a sample, I wrote a sample, and they wrote back and said, essentially, "let's do it."  All just under a year ago today.  It's not supposed to happen like that, and I don't take my luck for granted.  The big surprises along the way are little things I've learned -- things like how complex a literary contract can be, how early a final manuscript is needed to hit a certain publication date, and just how many copies a book sells when it becomes a bestseller (fewer than you probably think).  I was surprised on all three of those, and others.

5. What advice would you have to unpublished writers?

ID: Keep trying.  Don't be afraid to email people out of the blue with your samples.  Find an agent.  Do it because it gives you joy, not because you think it will be a career.

6. What's your next project? Walt Whitman's Avatar? Herman Melville's Titanic? George Carlin's Simpsons? F. Scott Fitzgerald's ET?

ID: I love the idea of Herman Melville's Titanic -- wish I'd thought of that one.  It would have 400 pages of intense details about glacial formations, the Atlantic ocean and the ship itself, and then 25 pages of Kate and Leo's romance.  For my next project, I think it would be great fun to do the rest of the original Star Wars trilogy -- there's more I can do there, I think.  I'm developing a children's book with a friend of mine, too.  So we'll see!  I will say that for the last several months, knowing my first book was coming out, I have felt an intense pressure to figure out what the next one will be.

7. Who are your literary heroes? (Clearly, we already know one of them.)

ID: Alphabetically -- since I wouldn't dare rank them -- and ranging from long dead to still writing: Jane Austen, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, David James Duncan, Tana French, Theodor Geisel (better known as Dr. Seuss), Alex Haley, Ann-Marie MacDonald, Herman Melville, Sena Jeter Naslund, William Shakespeare (indeed!), Zadie Smith.

8. Please share your bio in iambic pentameter.





ID:

Meet Ian Doescher, now age thirty-six,

Who all his life has loved the Star Wars flicks.

In eighth grade he discovered Startford's Bard,

And for that gentle poet he fell hard.

A Portland native, Ian travelled east,

And spent twelve years in higher ed (at least!).

Now back in Portland, he enjoys his life

With two great kids and world's most awesome wife.

This William Shakespeare's Star Wars, his first book,

Is something that he hopes you'll give a look!

9. Please tell me why everyone should buy your book in iambic pentameter.


ID:  
‘Tis said that William Shakespeare, all his days,
Hath written only thirty-seven plays.
‘Tis said, as well, George Lucas never slipp’d
To Stratford, so to write his famous script.
But what if those two souls had been as one,
Their works combin’d as not to be outdone?
What if, long time ago in days of yore,
The bard hath written Star Wars, Ep’sode Four?
What if A New Hope were young Shakespeare’s work?
Would not such an event be thought a quirk—
An accident of time and history,
And sign of a galactic mystery?
Good souls, to thee my news I do rehearse:
Of th’Star Wars story penn’d in Shakespeare’s verse.
Hast thou e’er wondered how Luke’s thoughts did run,
When he saw Tatooine’s great double sun?
Or hast thou heard the dirge that Leia sang
Once Alderaan hath gone out with a bang?
How did the knave Han Solo understand
His transformation unto hero grand?
Upon these answers thou shalt have thy looks
In William Shakespeare’s Star Wars from Quirk Books.
The book is at a bookstore near to thee,
And always, friends, the Force with you shall be.

10. Any last words for William Shakespeare, George Lucas or Quirk Books?

ID: Thank you, thank you, and thank you.  All three have have been huge and very kind to me (in different ways) throughout this process.

BONUS Question - This interview is coming out just after you learned your book debuted at #12 on the New York Times Hardcover Fiction best selling list. WOW! Share your giddy joy with the world in a sentence.

ID: The news about the Times list has been unbelievable for me because I'm just a normal guy who had an idea; I am beyond honored to be on the list.  (I cheated and separated two sentences by a semicolon!)

Ian - Thanks for taking this interview. May The (Sales) Force Be With You!

And for all you writercizers out there, may this interview inspire a writercize! Pick an author and match it to a seemingly unrelated film, song or play. See what magic transpires! I always love to see your work, so please share as you are willing in the comments section!

Comments welcome directed at Ian or in response to the suggested writercize.

Boomerang: A Mirrored Beginning and Ending - writercize #AtoZChallenge 3.2

Please note: writercize (a portmanteau of write and exercise with a z for ... a twist? fun? street cred?) is participating in the A to Z Challenge through the month of April with alphabetical writing prompts. I'm skipping the stories behind the prompts so you can spend more time practicing and less time reading! Please participate, and enjoy!

writercize: Challenge yourself to a little creative flash fiction or poetry. Throw out the traditional concept of beginning, middle and end and merge beginning with end. How? 

Begin and end a sentence, paragraph, short story or poem with the same word. 

Hence, the boomerang - send out a single word and bring it back to round out the story or poem.

I love reading your comments and especially your writercize results, so please, drop me a line to let me know if this worked for you! Better yet, share it with the world. 

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response - a poem beginning and ending with moon.

Seussercize 1: Create a Creature - writercize #194

As promised, post one of a three part Seussercize series in honor of Theodore Geisel's birthday!

Frequent readers of Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, his preferred pseudonym, know that his imagination ran wider than the English language. He often created creatures out of nonsense words. Ever meet the Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz? How about the Fiffer-Feffer-Feff? Some of his characters have become so well-known in English that they require no illustration. Think of the Lorax or the Grinch, even the Sneetches. Prior to Seuss, none of these animals existed, but thanks to his creativity and vision, we accept them as a part of our modern-day lexicon.

Today, I invite you to create a creature of your own. You may introduce your creature in literary form with a poem or short story, or you may choose to name your character and illustrate it instead. Please leave me a comment or a link to your own page so that I can see your fabulous imagination at work!

writercize: Create a brand new creature out of a non-sensical word. Think about what you want your character to look like, what it likes and dislikes, how it behaves!

Click "read more" for a character named the Hiccurpeeze that's been living in your writercizer's brain since her early days as a babysitter. This is but a small snippet of who he is. Poor guy has been lying dormant for about 20 years, but one day, the writercizer hopes to get to know him better and give him a story worthy of sales and illustrations.

Writercize #FlashbackFriday - Naming Babies

Last weekend I attended a baby naming party. For those who want input from friends and family leading up to baby's birth, it was truly genius. 

Mom and Dad collected names, and plugged 14 choices into brackets that both agreed were good names. The night of the party, attendees chose their top choices among several additional "pre-vetted" names - the top two were entered into the brackets, making a total of eight pair-ups of two names each. Think of it as the "Sweet 16" of baby names.

From there, friends and family compared and contrasted sets of names - there were debates galore about famous people, personal experiences with certain names, nicknames good and bad, positive and negative associations, rhymes, considerations of the last name. Aspects of pairs like Dexter vs. Pierce and Grant vs. George were picked over with a fine-toothed comb. 

"Presidential!" "Mass-murderer!" "Screams cowboy!" "Rough elocution!"

Lots of fun, but could be rough for sensitive parents-to-be with a true preference or affinity for a particular name.

Once the discussion for each pair wound down, they went to vote, with the majority vote moving on to the next round. The names were whittled down from "Sweet 16" to "Elite 8" - then the semi-finals and finalist.

Before anything went to vote, attendees filled out brackets and threw in five bucks to add intensity to the challenge. Winner took all - one point per winner in the first round, two points per winner in the second round, three points per winner in the third round, and four points for the overall winner - 26 points total up for grabs.

Throw in balloons, pink or blue chocolates, champagne, pizza and cupcakes, and you have a co-ed baby shower (or in this case, just plain old party) to remember.

I have to admit, when it came down to finals, I was torn between voting for a name that I liked a bit more than I was expecting and the name that I had put down as the winning ticket. Certainly added a bit of a twist. Vote for a potential payout with my original pick or vote for a name I was digging in the moment? The intensity! The drama! The FUN!

The hosts did include a clause claiming full legal authority to disregard the choice upon completion of the birth certificate. However, since they were 16 choices both liked, that would be highly unlikely. They also held onto the full right to pick a middle name all on their own.

When it came to naming my own girls, my husband and I immediately agreed on the names, and didn't share them with another soul until after they were born. Our families kept perking up their ears, hoping for us to slip and use real names rather than Baby A or Baby B, but we never did. And which name belonged to who was not chosen until after they were born, and the NICU staff wanted something to put on their beds. My husband randomly assigned the two names we'd selected while I recovered in Labor and Delivery immediately post-birth.

This was night and day from our selection process, and I loved being a part of it.

I also felt like it was time to do a flashback to an old writercize from several months ago, about playing with names. Read on! The sample is my original sample, but I have eliminated the lead-up. To see the entire post, click on "Inspired by a Phone Book."

Have fun with it! Look for #FlashbackFriday posts this fall, as well as a return to the #WeekendWritercize coming soon. Guest posts will also make a comeback and original writercizes are on the way! The girls are back in school, and this Mama is ready to WRITE!

writercize:  Grab a phone book (or name generator ... or name shake app).  Close your eyes and open to any random page.  Point to anywhere on the page.  Create a completely fictional character based on that name.  

(I would recommend against disclosing the location of your phone book for this exercise - make up a fake location, or leave it out.  It is legal to create a fictional story about a real name, provided you state it is fiction, but the less you reveal about a person's true identity, the better for everyone.)

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response about a Cecilia Guerra.

 

Just Joking Around - writercize #179 #AtoZChallenge

Why'd the guitarist cross the park? To get to the other slide!

One day a rope walked into a bar. He moseyed on up to the bar and took a seat.

"Bartender, I'd like a drink."

"I'm sorry sir, but we don't serve rope at this here bar."

The rope slid off his chair and slithered right back out of the bar.

He turned the corner and tied himself in a bow, scraping up his ends in the process, then marched right back into the bar.

He sidled on up to the bar and and took that seat."

"Bartender, I'd like a drink."

Irritated now, the bartender replies, "I'm sorry, sir, but aren't you that string I just talked to a couple minutes ago?"

"Why no, sir, I'm a frayed knot!"

(a frayed knot = afraid not ... get it??)

Q: What's the difference between ignorance and apathy?

A: I don't know ... and I don't care. 

I wrote one of these and borrowed the others. Can you tell which is which? Mine is definitely the most amateur of the three, in my opinion, but if you are tricked I am honored!

Writing a joke is really hard stuff. I applaud comedic writers and stand-up comedians. Subtle humor sprinkled into a story is a little easier, but a joke is like linguistic slap-stick. It's all about the timing and connection to the audience, and introducing unexpected twists. 

from morguefile.com free images

I googled "how to write a joke" in preparing for this post and discovered there are as many techniques as there are comedians. Probably more, since a few tutorials didn't look very funny. ;) There were, however, a few rules of thumb that popped up across stand up sites.

• Pick a topic.
• Write everything funny you could possibly say about that topic to brainstorm.
• When you start writing the joke, keep it as short as possible. Set up your story in the first two lines.
• Expose truth: what is weird, scary, stupid or hard about a topic? (from Kelly Swanson)
• Make the punchline a surprise.
• Don't try to hard to be funny in the set up. Keep the humor for the punchline.
• When starting out, use tried and true techniques such as blonde jokes, "difference between" jokes, knock knock jokes, chickens who cross roads, three people walk into a bar jokes, crossing unrelated objects, etc.
• Accept that it will need a lot of tweaking to get it right.

Got it? Ok, let's get writercizing!

writercize: Tell me a joke (or two or three). Please be original. 

Extra bonus happy dance points if I laugh out loud!

Good luck! Leave your writercize as a comment, and be sure to leave your URL so I can come visit you!

Click "read more" for a writercizer sample response ... and to reveal the joke above that is indeed a writercize original.

Wrinkling in Time - writercize #157

Whenever I hear or think about the concept of time, the book A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle pops into my head. I read it in sixth grade and honestly can't remember much of the story at all, but I know that I loved it, despite my otherwise lukewarm feelings towards Sci Fi, and should probably read it again very soon. I think of it when I watch movies in which perfect dads open the front door to a freshly manicured lawn and walk along a pathway to collect the morning paper, amid sprinklers. There is a scene in the book that has been permanently etched into my brain about this very scene, in a neighborhood where everyone walks out to get the paper together. The story may have vanished, but the images are strong and sound.

Moving on ... this post is inspired by the title, but as I can't remember the tale it's a different take on wrinkling time. (I think!) 

I want to spark your creative juices and give you the ability to travel into any period of time, past, present or future. Why present? Because you have full control over the topic and can give your younger or older self the possibility to visit your current self. Basically, you can wrinkle time any which way you like.

writercize: You can travel through time, either in your present day body to any point in history past or future, or in your younger or older body to current time. It is only a wrinkled effect, so you still exist in the present as yourself while you are simultaneously projected elsewhere, as though two points in time are touching briefly. 

Where do you go and what is the effect of the time travel? Do you relive a memory by watching it again, experience a period in history that you are intrigued by, look at future generations, observe or attempt to alter?

Leave your time wrinkled experience as a comment or link to your blog to share!

(Post inspired by GBE 2 prompt "Time." GBE 2, aka the Group Blogging Experience, is a Facebook blogging group that provides weekly prompts. There is always room and a welcoming vibe!)

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response.