In an effort to introduce my readers to other authors and their work, every week I run an Author Spotlight, sharing information about an author, their work, and how they go about writing their books.
A self-described all-around nerd with a quirky, irreverent sense of humor, Cameron Lowe tells me he was voted “Most Improved” in his childhood bowling league two years in a row. Cameron writes supernatural thrillers, horror, and quirky romances from his home in central Montana. You’ve probably heard about his nostrils. They’re exquisite.
A conversation with Cameron:
When did you decide to become an author and why?
I tried my hand at being a supervillain’s number one henchman, failed at that, and decided this was the next logical step to take in my career path. So far, I like it a lot more. Not many British secret agents stealing your girl as a writer, because… well, you’d need to get girls as a writer for them to steal, and let’s face it, that’s just not happening.
How long have you been writing, and what was your first book?
Ten years almost on the nose. My first book – The Ghost at His Back, greatest title in the world, I know – came out May 31st, 2016. It’s a supernatural/paranormal thriller about a vigilante who uses his ability to see the dead to fight a bunch of cannibalistic maniacs. As you can tell, it’s a bucket of laughs. And horror. But sometimes laughs.
What genres do you write in?
I love horror as a reader, so a lot of my stuff tends to include that at least at the fringes, and sometimes it’s full-on horror, as in my collection End Pieces. But by and large, I’m a supernatural thriller writer. My quirky romances are more straight laced and usually feature broken people falling in love.
How many books do you have out?
About ten full-length novels, seven supernatural thrillers, three quirky romances, and a handful of other short stories and novellas.
Are you trade published, independent, or a combo?
I’m independently published. I’m not sure there’s a trade publisher out there who’d look at my kind of weird and think, “Yeah, that’s our guy right there, let’s get that nut job a contract.”
What is your writing style? Panster or plotter or?
I (generally) plot out my longer novels with a chapter synopsis. This works as a basic first draft for me, so I can see what areas need to be beefed up or where plot points just don’t work. For shorter stuff, I generally pants it. So I’m a half-pants-on, half-pants-off kinda guy. To be honest, if I’m wearing pants at all most days, I’m a step ahead.
Do you write more than one book at a time?
Yes, especially in the early goings of a novel. What I like to do is bounce between a lot of projects in their early phases, then when I find something that my mind latches onto, I’ll work on that exclusively. That flexibility helps keep me creatively interested.
How much research is involved in your writing?
That really depends on the book, but for my thrillers, quite a bit, especially when it comes to things I’m not familiar with. Most of the gunplay in my books, for example, comes with the aid of friends who are gun experts.
Where do you write? Do you have a home office, write in a coffee shop, or what?
I have a big kitchen table set up in my living room with all my computer junk on there, along with about a thousand cough drops, lens wipes, pens, and notepads. Oh, and coffee mugs, but that’s a given.
Do you use any programs like ProWriting Aid, Grammarly, or ?
No. I don’t begrudge writers who do but I’m old-school. I’d write on a typewriter if I could get away with it. I miss clacky keys.
How do you promote your books?
Usually slathered in suntan oil, standing out on a corner of my property and making lascivious faces at people as I throw paperbacks at their heads. Leads to a lot of visits from the local deputies. Weird.
What are your writing goals, long and short term?
To keep doing things my way. I don’t like newsletters or writer swaps, so I cut those out of my writing life. I like focusing on the writing. I like crafting stories I’d want to read, and that’s my focus. It means a much smaller readership, but I’m okay with that.
Any advice to new authors or someone who wants to become an author?
There are a thousand self-help books and groups out there, but it all boils down to this – a good cover, a good blurb, a newsletter, and writer swaps. People earn a crap-ton of cash giving you that advice spread out across 50k word books, so please send me cash as a thank you.
Look, seriously, you have to decide early in your career if you’re going to write something to market (i.e. make money at this) or write to yourself (i.e. you want to die cold and miserable and probably surrounded by a dozen cats). There’s no shame in either, but you can do smart things early on that’ll only ever boost your chances, and the biggest thing you can do right off the bat is check your ego at the door. Your handcrafted cover might be your darling, but it’s not going to draw readers the way a professionally designed one can. If you can’t afford an editor, grab some beta readers and LISTEN TO THEIR INPUT even if you think you’ve written something unimpeachable and perfect. Get your newsletter started even before you hit that publish button. Write a reader magnet. Do all the smart things that an idjit like me doesn’t do.
Or do your own thing and dance out in the rain, but don’t complain when you get wet.
You can find out more about Cameron in his Rankin Flats Observer blog and his books on his Amazon Author’s page.
And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.
Thought For The Day – A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people. – Thomas Mann
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!