#WriterWednesday with Russell Little

I’d like to welcome Russell Little to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: In Murder for Me, the story of Larry Lamb is real, as insane as that answer sounds. The character goes through a book long struggle trying to determine what is real, struggling to maintain a sense of reality. I cannot reveal any more, you’ll just have to read it yourself.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: O.C. Simms, the detective in Murder By Storm that is chasing Marilyn through the hurricane, readers assume that’s a character that I base on myself, but it’s not. This created character was inspired by a close friend that has all of the features that I write in the book, I just exaggerate to make the humorous point. By the way, he doesn’t understand what’s funny about the character I write about him.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: Mountain climbing. I know that doesn’t sound ‘creative’, but for me it was. I am afraid of heights, so I forced myself to face my fears. And sitting on a ledge of a mountain, having a sandwich as you watch the sun rise, was one of the most beautiful things in my life.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: Learning to weld. I’d planned on becoming a sculpture welder and when I started lessons, I quickly learned that I wasn’t tough enough to do what I’d planned. It’s incredibly difficult. But it is also magnificent to weld. Anyway, I’m not a sculpture welder.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “Why’d you have to do that to the lawyer?” I was at a Bar function for lunch one day and an elderly attorney walked up to me upset. He’d read Murder For Me, and he wanted an answer to why I’d written what I had. I considered it an incredible compliment. I had made him think about what I had written. Feel it. Think about it long enough that when he saw me, he grabbed my arm and asked what he did. I’ll never forget that.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “Why’d you make the street thug curse so much?” I was shocked. He’s a street thug. As characters develop multi-dimensionally, their language tracks who they are. He’s a street thug.

People you’d like to invite to dinner: Travelers. I’ve traveled around the world, and I truly love having dinner with brave travelers. I get to hear tales of places I haven’t been and things I hadn’t thought to try. A conversation with one of these people years ago inspired me to start my traveling, and I’ll always be grateful.

People you’d cancel dinner on: Judgers. Can’t stand them. I’m not talking about the way we all are to some extent. I’m talking about those that put judging in overdrive. We all know those people. They’re not my people.

Favorite books: Proust. He wrote seven books, and they are all my favorite. Before I travel to a new country, I read the literature from there that won the Nobel Prize, or other awards. Like before I traveled through Japan, I read Snow Country.

Books I wouldn’t buy: Anything written according to a form, like much of the popular multi-series authors do now. They have a whole group of writers spitting out books according to a formula and they put their name on it. Not interested.

Favorite places you’ve been: The Amalfi Coast. It really is as beautiful as you could dream of. And the food, I had a pizza that made me sad because I had lived my life up to that point without knowing what a great piece of pizza really tasted like.

Places you never want to go to again: The Ganges River at Varanasi, India. Being there, floating on the river, seeing 500,000 people on the banks chanting, and fires cremating corpses, changed my life. I couldn’t believe that I got to see it and be a part of it before I died. I won’t do it a second time.

Things you’d walk a mile for: A great Old Fashioned. There’s not many bartenders that can actually make a great one, and I’ll go across town to one if I know about them.

Things that make you want to run screaming from a room: Hallmark movies. When Christmas gets near, my wife starts watching them. And, by the way, my running screaming from the room does not please her.

The last thing you ordered online: Ton Brady’s Vegan protein powder. I’m a vegetarian now at the orders of my cardiologist, so that’s how I get daily protein.

The last thing you regret buying. I just bought a leather backpack that looked great online. It’s not even here yet, and I already regret buying it. So, not so good.

Last thing you ate: At a great Atlanta restaurant I had a Thai salad that I dipped in Tabasco sauce. It was great, but I had to use sauce to kick the spice level up.

The last thing you regret eating: The same salad. That sauce gave me heart burn all night.

Something you’re really good at: Reading people. I spent my career reading people. I practiced trial law for 41 years, so you can imagine.

Something you’re really bad at: Assembling something that comes in pieces from the store. I also can’t seem to assemble or sit up tents. Ask my wife. She does it, and she’s good at it. I just hold the tools!

About Russell:

Russell G. Little is a writer and practicing divorce attorney. Murder for Me is a fictionalized compilation of the many people he’s encountered over his lifetime and thirty-two-year career.

He lives in Houston, Texas, with his wife of thirty-two years, Melinda.

Let’s Be Social:

http://russelllittleauthor.com