Questions for Paul Doiron?

[Vermontcozy]

Peppermill wrote:

I guess I do see the initial novels as falling under the coming of age genre—although I've never had that term in my head until you used it.

Paul -- It was actually another reader (I'm too lazy to find her/his post right now) who mentioned the "coming of age genre" when suggesting the bear seemed more relevant to that development than to the mystery storyline.

Since my first thought for "coming of age" books is teenage based stories, I had to stop for a few minutes.  Then, for some reason, John Fowles's book came to mind.   I presume you probably know it.  The last time someone suggested reading it for our book group, I adamantly said "no."  I wasn't ready to re-read it.  Maybe by now, I've mellowed enough that it is time to revisit.  Two different worlds ....

The Magus   

Another two books I'll ask if you have read are Steig Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire . They each have a character that is developed over multiple books, in this case a female computer wonk.  Larsson's work also apparently made him comfortable at portraying corporate moguls, albeit many of them rather nasty. His novels span Sweden.

I was initially quite unhappy with the female game warden supervisor.  I was afraid she was going to be that gratuitous character urged upon the new generation of writers in toney writers' workshops, along with the disabled, et al.  But, she grew on me as the story progressed and seemed to take on a justifiable role. 

Vtcozy wrote..Pepper.I never thought of "The Magus" as a coming of age Book..It has always been one of my favorite "Novels"  I have re-read it and still think its one of the best books ever written..I wonder if  YA readers would agree with you,I certainly think,now that you mentioned it here,it can be considered "A Cominng of Age book" and one that all should read..Vtc  Susan

[Vermontcozy]

Good Morning Paul,I just spent about a half hr.online reading your Magazine  Down East: The Magazine of Maine. Its Wonderful..I did sign up for newsletters,and encourage others to do the same..So much valuable information..and user friendly...Still reading ,TPS,and  I am trying to stay on schedule....:  )..Susan Vtc

[Paul-Doiron]

Peppermill wrote:

I was initially quite unhappy with the female game warden supervisor.  I was afraid she was going to be that gratuitous character urged upon the new generation of writers in toney writers' workshops, along with the disabled, et al.  But, she grew on me as the story progressed and seemed to take on a justifiable role. 

Hi Pepper:

I'm glad Mike's supervisor, Kathy Frost, grew on you as a character. My hope was that readers would appreciate her rough humor and the irony (not lost on Mike) that as an adult, he is learning woodcraft from a woman instead of his father, the quintessential mountain man. The need for mentors—and the many forms they come in—is one of the principal themes of the book. To me, Mike's supervisor simply had to be a woman. 

Paul 

[Paul-Doiron]

Peppermill wrote:

 Since my first thought for "coming of age" books is teenage based stories, I had to stop for a few minutes.  Then, for some reason, John Fowles's book came to mind.   I presume you probably know it.  The last time someone suggested reading it for our book group, I adamantly said "no."  I wasn't ready to re-read it.  Maybe by now, I've mellowed enough that it is time to revisit.  Two different worlds ....

The Magus   

Another two books I'll ask if you have read are Steig Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire . They each have a character that is developed over multiple books, in this case a female computer wonk.  Larsson's work also apparently made him comfortable at portraying corporate moguls, albeit many of them rather nasty. His novels span Sweden.

Hi Pepper:

I'm abashed to admit that the works of John Fowles have long been on my to-read list.  But I have discovered the amazing Stieg Larsson (as has the world seemingly) since completing The Poacher's Son. I don't think I'm giving anything away to say that you will see even more shading to Kathy Frost's character in my next book.

Paul 

[Paul-Doiron]

Vermontcozy wrote:

Good Morning Paul,I just spent about a half hr.online reading your Magazine  Down East: The Magazine of Maine. Its Wonderful..I did sign up for newsletters,and encourage others to do the same..So much valuable information..and user friendly...Still reading ,TPS,and  I am trying to stay on schedule....:  )..Susan Vtc

Susan,

My boss at Down East will be delighted to hear this!

Paul

[Paul-Doiron]

ReadingPatti wrote:

Paul, Hi, ReadingPatti here, I just wanted to thank you for such a gread book. I love the way you developed your characters and the mystery just adds to the story.

I was glad to see that there will be more books about Mike. He seems like a really nice guy who is finding himself and his way in life.

Please keep up the great work.

ReadingPatti

Thank you so much, Patti. I really appreciate your encouragement.

Paul

[Paul-Doiron]

Temolly wrote:

Aloha, Paul!

First of all, thank you for sharing your book with the rest of us.  I didn't know how this was all going to work or that there was a schedule, so I read it through right away.  No regrets... I will look forward to the rest of the Mike Bowditch series.  I'd love to watch him "grow up." 

I'm interested in your comment about the culture of the Maine's wilderness and how it differs from the West Coast.  How would you describe their respective cultures?  Having lived in the west coast more than other areas, I'd like to hear about their differences.  Without a doubt, I'd love to take my family to Maine one summer.  It sounds extraordinary!

By the way, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who missed that Sarah was his girlfriend.

Again, thanks, or as we say here in Hawaii, mahalo, Paul.

Aloha, Temolly,

I've only visited northern California and the Pacific Northwest on several occasions (although I lived in Los Angeles for a year when I was twenty-three, but that's a long story). I hesitate to describe the cultural of the West except to say that it doesn't feel like that of Maine.

It would probably be wiser for me to describe Maine instead since it's the place I know best. Maine is the most forested state in the nation, which might come as a surprise to many people, and our entire population is less than that of Seattle. We are also the oldest state, demographically speaking, meaning the media age here is higher than in any other state. Young people often have to leave Maine to find pursue their careers (Mike Bowditch is an anomaly; as am I) and many never return, so you don't see the youth culture or entrepreneurial energy that you do even in Boston. Maine is also America's second-home capital, meaning that we have more seasonal homes, per capita, than any other state. During the summer and fall the population swells with visitors (who are typically better off financially than the locals), and then in the winter many of our snowbound communities become near ghost towns. Lastly, Maine is the least racially diverse state in the country. We have small populations of Somali and Vietnamese immigrants, as well as several soverign Native American nations within our boundaries, but most of the people you would meet here are Caucasian.

Politically, I've noticed similarities in the way the Northwest and the Northeast vote (Maine recently approved medical marijuana for instance), and I am sure there are all sorts of other things we have in common.

Paul

[bookowlie]

Hi Paul,

I am glad to hear that you will be writing more books about Mike.  He is an interesting character and it will be nice to read more about him.

I like your crisp writing style.  Did you find that being an editor of a magazine was very valuable in writing a mystery?  In my opinion, it helps to have a crisp writing style in order to keep the plot moving along in a mystery vs. getting bogged down in the weeds of a dense writing style.

Carolyn

[Paul-Doiron]

bookowlie wrote:

Hi Paul,

I am glad to hear that you will be writing more books about Mike.  He is an interesting character and it will be nice to read more about him.

I like your crisp writing style.  Did you find that being an editor of a magazine was very valuable in writing a mystery?  In my opinion, it helps to have a crisp writing style in order to keep the plot moving along in a mystery vs. getting bogged down in the weeds of a dense writing style.

Carolyn

Hi Carolyn:

I'm so glad you like Mike and the book.

I've found writing and editing magazines to be excellent preparation for writing a novel. Before I started my journalism career, I was one of those writers who sat around waiting for the muse to arrive and as a result never finished anything. But when I came to work at Down East, I found that suddenly I had real deadlines that forced me to finish articles whether I was in the mood to write or not. In terms of style, Mike's "voice" is a bit different from my own. I've tried to make him more immediate and sensual (in a non-erotic sense, except for one notorious chapter) than is usual for me. As a counterpoint, I write a column each month for Down East Magazine that is stylistically different. But there too, I am writing in the role of editor in chief of the brand. Sometimes I can be quite personal in my Editor's Note, but more often I need to present myself in my official capacity here. So the answer is that I have several writing styles that I currently use, and like most fiction writers, I have other styles that I'd like to take for a spin someday.

Paul

[Vermontcozy]

Hi Paul..Now that we know you,this is one question I haven;t seen asked yet.How much of Mike.is like Paul..What makes you able to get inside his head.so beautifully..take your time ...Best  VTC  Susan..

[Paul-Doiron]

Vermontcozy wrote:

Hi Paul..Now that we know you,this is one question I haven;t seen asked yet.How much of Mike.is like Paul..What makes you able to get inside his head.so beautifully..take your time ...Best  VTC  Susan..

Hi Susan,

I promise to answer this question, but I'm going to do so in a week or so when everyone's done reading the novel. I think my answer needs the context of the entire book. I will admit that my wife would have a very different response from the one I'm likely to give.

Paul

[Vermontcozy]

Paul-Doiron wrote:

Vermontcozy wrote:

Hi Paul..Now that we know you,this is one question I haven;t seen asked yet.How much of Mike.is like Paul..What makes you able to get inside his head.so beautifully..take your time ...Best  VTC  Susan..

Hi Susan,

I promise to answer this question, but I'm going to do so in a week or so when everyone's done reading the novel. I think my answer needs the context of the entire book. I will admit that my wife would have a very different response from the one I'm likely to give.

Paul

Well,ok;;That's understandable...We are patient..sort of..I was also wondering,because I like her books,,Linda Greenlaw..have you read her books?She has visited here inVt and also with her Mom and their Cookbook..Also had a few book signings,which were fun..I love where she lives..So beautiful..See you on Board   Susan

[MSaff]

Hi Paul and Welcome to our little family of book lovers. 

  We are a friendly group, as you have probably figured out by now, but I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you that you are amongst friends.  We love to read and discuss books and you will see many different views. 

  I for one am thoroughly enjoying the novel and I hope you will do well with it.  I also enjoy your writing style.  Your written word come alive in the pages and gives us a vivid picture of the scenery and story line. 

  Thank you so much for allowing us the pleasure of reading your first novel, and I believe that you will be writing more. 

[Marcella87]

HI Paul,

I really enjoyed the book. I'm not known for my patience in reading books. If I get sucked in, I'll stay up till the next morning just to see how it ends.  I was curious about Mike's devotion to his father and I just couldn't wait to see how everything worked out. 

I'm thrilled to find out you'll be writing two additional books about Mike; I'm really looking forward to seeing his character and his relationships evolve and mature. 

I'm also interested in reading your description in the coming weeks about where Mike got his character traits.  

Marcella

[Paul-Doiron]

MSaff wrote:

Hi Paul and Welcome to our little family of book lovers. 

  We are a friendly group, as you have probably figured out by now, but I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you that you are amongst friends.  We love to read and discuss books and you will see many different views. 

  I for one am thoroughly enjoying the novel and I hope you will do well with it.  I also enjoy your writing style.  Your written word come alive in the pages and gives us a vivid picture of the scenery and story line. 

  Thank you so much for allowing us the pleasure of reading your first novel, and I believe that you will be writing more. 

Mike,

Your little family of book lovers is a warm and gracious one. I'm really enjoying my conversation with you all. Thank you for reading my book.

Paul

[Paul-Doiron]

Marcella87 wrote:

HI Paul,

I really enjoyed the book. I'm not known for my patience in reading books. If I get sucked in, I'll stay up till the next morning just to see how it ends.  I was curious about Mike's devotion to his father and I just couldn't wait to see how everything worked out. 

I'm thrilled to find out you'll be writing two additional books about Mike; I'm really looking forward to seeing his character and his relationships evolve and mature. 

I'm also interested in reading your description in the coming weeks about where Mike got his character traits.  

Marcella

Hi Marcella:

My wife is a stay-up-all-night reader, too. I tend more to read in binges. Especially if I discover an author I really like, I can put in many hours reading. I recently breezed my way through the great books of the Swedish author Henning Mankell.

I'm glad that you'd like to read more about Mike Bowditch. Let's hope lots of people feel the same way because writing these novels is one of my favorite things in life.

Paul

[LaX_book_lover]

I have to say I've really enjoyed the fact that Mike's boss is a woman. Because the line of work Mike is in (Game Warden), the stereotype would be that Wardens are "manly men". Combined with the fact that Mike's dad is such an outdoorsman, I find humor in the fact that Mike's now working under the supervision of a woman. That is something his dad would probably find amusing.

Just my two cents.

Loving the book - and can't wait for more...

LaX_book_lover

[VeraC]

Hi Paul!

In your introductory post, you mentioned that your original goal in writing this book was to write a book that you yourself would like to read but that you couldn't find anywhere else.  My question is - what is it that you were looking for in other books that you wanting to see but couldn't find?

VeraC

[Peppermill]

Paul-Doiron wrote (bold added):

Hi Pepper:

I'm abashed to admit that the works of John Fowles have long been on my to-read list.  But I have discovered the amazing Stieg Larsson (as has the world seemingly) since completing The Poacher's Son. I don't think I'm giving anything away to say that you will see even more shading to Kathy Frost's character in my next book.

Paul 

LOL!  A nice enticement to be on the watch for your next novel!

I would also like to know more about Mike's parents -- especially the motivations that kept them in contact without Mike's knowledge and who was Jack, that he was so attractive to women, yet apparently deeply wounded by Vietnam and unable or unwilling to create legit sustainable employment.

Like some others, I am deeply interested in the unique Maine environment -- when is "trailer trash" ignorantly applied to poverty versus irresponsibility?  What will happen at the local cafe (ala  Richard Russo's Empire Falls)?   To what extent is there unity across the state (such as the police officer's funeral) versus community isolation?  More about the "summer folk" and locals interactions?  And those environmental/ big business/ locals  skirmishes?  What is changing?  What has been just that way for years upon years?

Keep writing!

[Bonnie824]

Paul-Doiron wrote:

Bonnie, thank you for powering your way through my novel!

Your question is actually one I get a lot. From the beginning I envisioned The Poacher's Son as the first in a series of novels, and I wanted to follow my protagonist over time as he grew into the man he was destined to become. At Mike's age, almost every decision becomes a kind of identity-defining test. He's young enough where he is facing many moral challenges for the first time, and yet he is old enough that he can no longer blame his problems on his upbringing. Mike's struggle in The Poacher's Son is to determine what he truly believes and where his loyalties lie. He's self-aware enough to recognize that these choices are defining him, but he's not as self-aware as he thinks he is. 

Very interesting. so I guess his wife/true love?/relationships will go through a lot of changes.

Bonnie