Questions for Paul Doiron?

[Paul-Doiron]

VeraC wrote:

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

Hi Vera,

That's a great question. I am a huge fan of Ernest Hemingway's Nick Adams stories. In those stories I see both Hemingway's deep affection for the Michigan woods and his attempt to render a subject that rarely gets treated in contemporary fiction, which is the difficulty males face making the transition from boyhood to manhood. Hemingway is remembered today for his late-Papa phase of macho posturing, but in his early career he wrote about vulnerable and deeply wounded men. As a writer, I felt a similar love of the Maine wilderness (which is rapidly disappearing) and a desire to translate my emotions for the place into prose. And like Hemingway, I wanted to offer my take on what it feels like to be a confused young man trying to put up a brave front as you make mistake after mistake; you know what you want to become, you just don't know how to get there.

I also wanted to write a mystery. More often than not these days I find that the books that keep me up late, turning page after page, are suspense novels. There's just something satisfying about getting swept up in a story and being pulled along by it as if it were a tide. When you read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, for instance, you sense the joy Robert Louis Stevenson took in keeping his readers on the edge of their seats. I like telling stories; I like hearing someone say, "And then what happened?"

I don't know if The Poacher's Son ended up being the book I intended it to be: a combination of my literary preoccupations, interest in the outdoors, and addiction to well-told stories. But I took my best shot.

Paul

[Paul-Doiron]

Peppermill wrote:

Keep writing!

I intend to! This weekend is going to be a marathon.

Paul

[Paul-Doiron]

LaX_book_lover wrote:

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

I really appreciate this. I hope you enjoy the grand finale.

Paul

[historygirl200…]

I know people have ask about the setting already but I was wondering way you chose Maine as well but I have to say even though I was wondering that I think the setting really does work, but then I was looking at the cover again and I was wondering if you picked Maine as your setting why does the cover make me feel like Im looking at a place in Africa or some place like that? Or do parts of Maine really look like what we see on the cover? 

[Paul-Doiron]

historygirl2008AS wrote:

I know people have ask about the setting already but I was wondering way you chose Maine as well but I have to say even though I was wondering that I think the setting really does work, but then I was looking at the cover again and I was wondering if you picked Maine as your setting why does the cover make me feel like Im looking at a place in Africa or some place like that? Or do parts of Maine really look like what we see on the cover? 

Hi,

Thanks for the question. For people who haven't been to Maine, I think there are sometimes misconceptions. The coast is a place of rocky cliffs and lighthouses and fishing villages (I live in one of those villages, in fact), but the inland is heavily forested, especially the northern half of the state. Maine is actually the most heavily forested state in the nation and there are expanses, larger than Connecticut and Rhode Island together, where hardly anyone lives. The Appalachian Mountains run through the western part of Maine, and there you will see vistas very similar to the one on the cover, with the sun sparkling off a river and trees as far as the eye can see. One reason I set the book in western Maine is that I rarely read a novel that captures the beauty of the place.

I love the cover of The Poacher's Son, but as the author I didn't have a role in the design, so you might ask Charlie Spicer about this too.

Paul

[pen21]

Paul,

I have never been to Maine. But the your feelings of the Maine outdoors, really came alive to me.

I am from Minnesota and all the elements about the outdoors in the book are something I can clearly visualize from your writing. So many elements in the book, hunting, poaching, game wardens, lodges, remote areas, etc are things I know. So I can see what you are writing and then how it would look in Minnesota. The pictures in my mind of Maine and Minnesota have similarities and stark differences. Those differences probably stick out in my mind since I have not been in Maine. I will check out your other publications. Some day maybe I will get there.

My question would be, did you realize how in describing Maine, that a reader like myself would relate the story to things that I know and have done?

pen21

P.S. Loved the scenes with DeSalle. I have seen those altercations happening.

[Deltadawn]

Paul,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful answer! I'm looking forward to reading more of your posts about the book.... it's such a privilege to all of us here to be able to converse with you about your terrific novel

All the best,

Dawn

[Paul-Doiron]

pen21 wrote:

Paul,

I have never been to Maine. But the your feelings of the Maine outdoors, really came alive to me.

I am from Minnesota and all the elements about the outdoors in the book are something I can clearly visualize from your writing. So many elements in the book, hunting, poaching, game wardens, lodges, remote areas, etc are things I know. So I can see what you are writing and then how it would look in Minnesota. The pictures in my mind of Maine and Minnesota have similarities and stark differences. Those differences probably stick out in my mind since I have not been in Maine. I will check out your other publications. Some day maybe I will get there.

My question would be, did you realize how in describing Maine, that a reader like myself would relate the story to things that I know and have done?

pen21

P.S. Loved the scenes with DeSalle. I have seen those altercations happening.

Hi Pen,

I am glad that the setting resonated with you as a Minnesotan (is that an acceptable term?). One thing I didn't want to do is write a "regional" book, not for artistic purposes but for commercial purposes. Eudora Welty has this great quote: "One place understood helps us understand all other places better.” She was a fierce defender of her art against critics who accused it of being too parochial because her themes were universal. My concerns, frankly, were about selling the novel to a publisher. The larger houses appropriately want their books to appeal to a national (or even international) readership, and it's not in their interest to take on a title that's aimed at a very small audience.

Paul

[maxcat]

I'm interested in how you came up with Jack's profile. Is he portrayed after someone you knew or read about?

[Paul-Doiron]

Deltadawn wrote:

Paul,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful answer! I'm looking forward to reading more of your posts about the book.... it's such a privilege to all of us here to be able to converse with you about your terrific novel

All the best,

Dawn

Hi Dawn,

It's a privilege for me too. I've written for publication for many years now as a journalist, and I recognize the importance of really listening to one's readers. Writers can be thin-skinned and not want to hear that they made a mistake or didn't accomplish what they set out to accomplish. But I think it's better to expose yourself to those comments because how else can you improve? That said, I prefer it when people enjoy my work.

Paul

[Paul-Doiron]

maxcat wrote:

I'm interested in how you came up with Jack's profile. Is he portrayed after someone you knew or read about?

Hi Max,

Given Jack's personality, I'm not sure it's wise from a legal standpoint to say he was based on a real person. But I promise to talk more about where some of these characters came from next week after most of the First Look readers have finished the book.

Paul

[mattzay]

Hi Paul,

 I would like to thank you for writing such a wonderful book. I have only been to Maine once but I loved it so much that I intend to visit there again.

I think that Mike is struggling with the child he was and the man he wants to be. I also wonder if he became a game warden so he could make up for the sins of his father.

One particular scene that stood out for me was when Mike was sixteen and he went to stay with Jack. I thought the part where he meets Charley Stevens is important. Mike seems to struggle with wanting to hide what his father is doing or share what he knows. Will Charley become a character that continues in the series as well? He appears to be a major influence on Mike.

[Paul-Doiron]

mattzay wrote:

Hi Paul,

 I would like to thank you for writing such a wonderful book. I have only been to Maine once but I loved it so much that I intend to visit there again.

I think that Mike is struggling with the child he was and the man he wants to be. I also wonder if he became a game warden so he could make up for the sins of his father.

One particular scene that stood out for me was when Mike was sixteen and he went to stay with Jack. I thought the part where he meets Charley Stevens is important. Mike seems to struggle with wanting to hide what his father is doing or share what he knows. Will Charley become a character that continues in the series as well? He appears to be a major influence on Mike.

Hi,

Thank you in return for the kind words. You're right that the scene where Charley and Mike meet at Rum Pond is a pivotal point in the novel—it's the first time Mike is asked to side for or against his father. At the time, he thinks he chooses his father. He tells Charley a lie. But his conscience gives him away to the old warden pilot who realizes he'd better leave before blood is shed.

Paul

[ginger2010]

Your book is compelling and hard to put down. 

I was just wondering if you considered Kathy Frost as a possible love interest for Mike when writing this book?

Thanks for the opportunity to read your great book.

[Peppermill]

ginger2010 wrote:

Your book is compelling and hard to put down. 

I was just wondering if you considered Kathy Frost as a possible love interest for Mike when writing this book?

Thanks for the opportunity to read your great book.

Please, no.  Yes, that is often part of real life.  But, if the answer is, or becomes "yes", please make it complicated enough not to jeopardize future female warden aspirants.

[Paul-Doiron]

ginger2010 wrote:

Your book is compelling and hard to put down. 

I was just wondering if you considered Kathy Frost as a possible love interest for Mike when writing this book?

Thanks for the opportunity to read your great book.

Hi Ginger:

Someone predicted that Mike's romantic life is destined to take some twists and turns until he can grow up a little more. I won't comment on that, but I will say that Mike views Kathy more like the big sister he never had. Kathy cares for Mike (and understands him better in some ways than he does himself) but she is also his supervisor who understands her responsibility to the Maine Warden Service. And she, too, is more complicated than she seems, as you'll discover in the next book.

Paul 

[nbmars]

First I would like to say that I also could not stick to the reading schedule as I loved this book and was unable to put it down.  I have a question about the meta process of writing.  When you are writing a flawed character like Mike, are you tempted to have him grow out of his flaws to appeal more to readers?  How do you stay true to his character without "fixing" him?

[librarysusie]

Paul,

I was not able to stick to the reading schedule and can't wait till next weeks discussion.

I just wanted to say I see a huge future for you, your writing is wonderful and I was unable to put this book down.You have a fan here who will recommend your book to anyone and everyone I can!

Susie

[Paul-Doiron]

librarysusie wrote:

Paul,

I was not able to stick to the reading schedule and can't wait till next weeks discussion.

I just wanted to say I see a huge future for you, your writing is wonderful and I was unable to put this book down.You have a fan here who will recommend your book to anyone and everyone I can!

Susie

Susie,

Where should I send your bouquet of flowers?

Paul

[Paul-Doiron]

nbmars wrote:

First I would like to say that I also could not stick to the reading schedule as I loved this book and was unable to put it down.  I have a question about the meta process of writing.  When you are writing a flawed character like Mike, are you tempted to have him grow out of his flaws to appeal more to readers?  How do you stay true to his character without "fixing" him?

Hi,

First of all, thank you. I've been thrilled to get this reaction from others here since it's the first time "actual readers," as opposed to publishing promotionals and critics, have engaged with the book.

Your question is an excellent one, and this issue is at the center of the next novel. If you've read all the way to the end of The Poacher's Son, you know that Mike emerges from this story with some reasons for hope, but he's been intensely damaged by what's he gone through. The challenge for me in the first book was making Mike likable despite his immature impulsiveness; the challenge in the second book is depicting a haunted, hurting man in a way that makes him relatable. He can't be self-pitying or the reader will run for the hills. Instead I have to find ways of making his flaws understandable and show growth in his character throughout the story (as I hope I did in The Poacher's Son). Readers needs to root for Mike—because they know his heart is good and they feel compassion for him—even if they sometimes become frustrated by his actions.

So it's definitely a tall order I've set for myself. But the challenge is really what excites me about writing this character.

Paul