📚 A Bookish Chat with 'Mastering the ABCs of Excellent Writing' Randy C. Dockens & Robert Irvin | Author Interview | #AuthorInterview #BlogTour #Interview #Nonfiction
Dr. Randy C. Dockens has a fascination with science and with the Bible, holds Ph.D. degrees in both areas, and is a man not only of faith and science, but also of creativity. He believes that faith and science go hand in hand without being enemies of each other.
After completing his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Auburn University he went on to graduate school at Auburn and completed his first doctorate degree in Pharmaceutics. He began his scientific career as a pharmacokinetic reviewer for the Food and Drug Administration and later joined a leading pharmaceutical company as a pharmacokineticist, which is a scientist who analyzes how the human body affects drugs after they have been administered (i.e, absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted).
Through the years, he has worked on potential medicines within several disease areas, including cardiovascular, fibrosis, and immunoscience to seek and develop new and novel medicines in these therapy areas.
He has also had his attention on the academic study of the Bible. He earned a second doctorate in Biblical Prophecy from Louisiana Baptist University after receiving a master’s degree in Jewish Studies from the Internet Bible Institute under the tutelage of Dr. Robert Congdon.
Randy has recently retired from his pharmaceutical career and is spending even more time on his writing efforts. He has written several books that span dystopian, end-time prophecy, science fiction, and uniquely told Bible stories. All his books, while fun to read, are futuristic, filled with science to give them an authentic feel, have a science fiction feel to them, and allows one to learn some aspect of Biblical truth one may not have thought about before. This is all done in a fast-paced action format that is both entertaining and provides a fun read for his readers.
He has also written some nonfiction books as well. One is to show how all humans are connected from God’s viewpoint by looking at biblical prophecy. This book shows how all scripture is connected and inclusive of everyone. In addition, he and his editor have written a book about writing. This book not only addresses the techniques of writing, but what makes writing unique to each author. It conveys not only how to better hone one’s craft of writing but also the brand an author wants to portray. This helps an author make their writing unique as well as captivating for his/her audience. A companion book to this one regarding self-editing techniques will also soon be available.
You can visit Randy’s website at www.randydockens.com. Connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and Instagram.Robert Irvin has been a professional writer and editor for his entire adult life. He started in journalism and worked in all levels of newspaper reporting and editing, from the proverbial cub reporter to bureau chief, night city desk editor, and newsroom editor. Under his leadership, the Middletown (Ohio) Journal won several top state newspaper placements in 2003-2004. He has written award-winning pieces for several magazines.
In 2005 he chose publishing and went to Standard Publishing (Cincinnati) where he worked with authors from across the nation and internationally on youth ministry materials for the former Christian-based publisher, which had a rich history serving American and Canadian churches dating to 1869. In 2011, Robert went independent. He helped develop a homeschool curriculum site for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine during a two-year period in which he worked for this trailblazing homeschool organization. He does the majority of his work with Christian Book Services. He has ghostwritten long portions of books for authors and entire books for a World War II veteran’s memoirs (written 2013-2015 at age 89-91!) and a former NFL quarterback’s story of mentoring his high school football star son.
Robert has edited virtually every type of book, from business to novels to theology to sports to memoirs to abuse survival stories, and much more. His credits include scores of books. He has spoken at or served as faculty at various writing conferences.
He enjoys family, running, the outdoors, bad golf (like many, he has the bug, which just won’t go away), a heated game of Scrabble, virtually any sport, and reading any book that even remotely interests him.
Robert has a BA from Ohio State University in Journalism. He and wife Joan have four children. Reach Bob at bobirvin642@gmail.com.
Visit him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/bobjoan.irvin/ and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobirvin31/.
On writing:
There are many books out there . . . what makes yours different?
Our book Mastering the ABCs of Excellent Writing is nonfiction and is about how to improve one’s writing techniques. Now, even with that said, there are many books out there on writing, so why did we write another one? First, just one book is rarely sufficient to answer all questions asked by those who write or want to write even better than they do now. We acknowledge that and do not dare think our book is the only one you will want, or need, to purchase during your writing career. Yet we do feel ours is one you’ll want to have in your arsenal!
Also, what I (Randy) discovered as I began my writing journey was that knowing the rules about writing and applying those rules are not necessarily the same thing. You’ve heard the expression: rules are made to be broken. Well, that is certainly true when writing a book. I wish someone had told me this truth in the beginning. In this book we aim to tell you some important rules, but just as importantly, we aim to tell you when they can be—gently—broken. The other thing missing from so many books on writing is you. You are what makes your stories, your writing, unique from all others. We want you to include you in your writing. So we’re giving you what we (Randy as an author, and Bob as an editor, writer, and author) wished we had known and understood when we started our writing and editing journeys. Knowledge is power and we want you to be as powerful a writer as you can be.
In addition, we designed our book to be set up in a sort of clever way and format, to be informative, and to focus on the elements that are most critical for new writers and those who want to improve their writing techniques. This book, Mastering the ABCs of Excellent Writing, is written something like an ABC primer. Why? We wanted it to be simple and yet contain the essential elements a writer should focus on. The chapter titles and summary sentences at the end of each chapter not only help you find and distill the knowledge presented in each chapter but also start with the same letter of the alphabet. Why did we do that? Two reasons. One, we thought it would be helpful for readers to better remember the elements of that particular chapter. Second, we wanted to demonstrate that an author has an innumerable arsenal of words at her or his disposal to wield their writing to their will. Words are tools, and they can be used any way an author wishes to achieve his or her goal.
Where is your book set and have you ever been there?
Since our book is nonfiction, there is no setting per se, but assumes we have landed in the hands of someone who wants to be an author or one who wants to improve their writing techniques. And that can be almost anyone, so we feel this book has a wide audience with which to communicate. As far as being there, believe you me and us, we both have been in this exact space: we want to write, but it scares us to no end, seems daunting, like a mountain too steep to climb. So we wrote this book in a disarming way to help the reader feel relaxed, realize it is okay to have these feelings as a fledging author, and to know that with the tools this book provides, the word daunting can be erased from one’s vocabulary. While any mountain is, by nature, high, it is not nearly as steep as first thought.
Do you have another profession besides writing?
Currently, I (Randy) am retired, so this has allowed me to focus even more on my writing and to such efforts as this book: Mastering the ABCs of Excellent Writing. Yet, prior to my retirement, I was a scientist with a major pharmaceutical company where I worked in pharmacokinetics. That’s just a fancy word to state that I studied the fate of drugs in our bodies: how they are absorbed, metabolized, distributed, and excreted, and put all of that into mathematical formulas so one can predict what to expect once the drug is taken. I have to say, it was a fun career, and my scientific knowledge has allowed me to put a lot of science into my fiction writing.
I (Bob) am a professional editor; this is what I do, and I love it. I’ve got a lot of years behind that, but will spare all the details for space at this time other than to say I enjoy the challenge of helping authors with amazingly interesting stories and/or life stories make their books more readable/approachable for their audiences. (For more on my editing background, see our bios at other places, including at our books.) But I have also written a tremendous amount through 30-plus years out of college: I was in newspapers for quite a long time as every type of reporter (then editor) you can imagine, then worked for Standard Publishing in Cincinnati, and did a large amount of writing for contracted authors there as well. I have written numerous magazine articles and had a part-time job working for an online curriculum from 2011 to 2014.
How long have you been writing?
I guess I (Randy) have had books published for about eight years now, but the writing started much, much earlier. It took a while to learn what new writers need to know so that I could write works that people would want to read. The desire to write probably started as early as high school where my creative side allowed me to write short stories and poems. Yet, when I went to college, I focused more on science and the creative side went dormant for several years. After graduating and working for many years, the creative bug did return and so I combined my creative side with my scientific knowledge to provide books that are not only creative in design and storyline but have a science fiction flair to them as well.
As stated in my answer to the previous question, I (Bob) have been writing in various forms for around 30 years: newspaper reporter, editor, and author.
What is your next project?
As a writer, my (Randy) mind is always going somewhere. And I do mean that could be anywhere. Anywhere at all. As I stated in a previous question, while I am currently promoting our nonfiction book, Mastering the ABCs of Excellent Writing, I also write fiction novels as well. I am currently working on two series. See what I mean? My brain doesn’t necessarily go in a linear fashion. One is a futuristic story about good and evil; one where those following good have banded together in areas called Regions of Light. Those on the evil side try to invade these areas and take over. This is a time where transport portals, trains that travel on rails of light, and other scientific advances are made and utilized. It’s a place I think you may like to explore. The second series is about traveling between parallel universes where those who do so go to other Earths that are more advanced than ours and bring back all sorts of new and futuristic technology so our Earth can advance more quickly than it otherwise would. Even without saying so, I think you can likely see all the things that can likely go wrong with utilizing such technology: dealing with one’s doppelganger on other Earths, competition and power grabs that may occur, and so forth. Needless to say, it is a fast-paced adventure. I hope you keep an eye out for these stories.
Just so readers know, Randy and I (Bob) didn’t consult on how our answers would turn out, or juxtapose, against each other. That said, I like what I read of Randy’s answer above! I’m not opposed to writing anything at all! My biggest current idea for my next book is . . . I don’t want to yet divulge it. I’m working on it, but it’s taking quite some time. Because I think another could swoop in on this idea and turn it out quite quickly (I suppose all authors may think that at some point!), I’ll keep it with me for the moment. I do plan and pray to have it released with a 2025 copyright, which seems more likely than late 2024.
I (Bob) love to collect quotes, and one of my favorites came from an editor I worked with at a previous spot. This brilliant woman had written two or three books, but had such obvious talent to write more. I asked her once why she didn’t have more titles to her name. (It was entirely a compliment, because she was so good.) She worked full-time for the company and was editing two or three projects at any one time. She turned to me and said words I’ll never forget: “Honey, I have a desk drawer full of book ideas. But I’d have to quit my job to have the time to write them.” (Yeah, she called me honey, but it was, and was understood as, entirely platonic.) It demonstrated something in just a few words: writing takes time and devotion. If you have a full-time job (most people do), you’re going to have to work it in carefully. (We say some things about this in our book.)
How are you similar to or different from your lead character?
Well, our current book is nonfiction, so there is no lead character. Yet, all writers had to start somewhere, and I (Randy) can still remember the early days of trying to figure out how to write a creative story that others would want to read. That in itself was the impetus for this book and the desire to pay forward what I learned during those early days so that new writers would not have to go through all those struggles and can start their writing journey in a much better place and, hopefully, have success much faster since one will be able to master may writing techniques from the get-go.
I (Bob) see nothing to add to Randy’s answer. I had the same feelings about why to write such a book.
In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like?
One sentence, huh? Talk about daunting, but here goes: the road to publishing was like being on a roller coaster where I could not see the end of the ride and did not know how many twists, turns, or loops I would have to endure, but once getting to the end of the ride, I would not trade one of those experiences because they made me who I am today.
Let me (Bob) repeat Randy’s phrase, albeit a tad differently: one sentence; are you kidding me? That said, with the benefit of a semicolon and long dash, here goes an attempt to answer: Buckle in, just start writing, and keep asking questions as you go; don’t worry about looking ahead to where the coaster car comes to a stop because there are too many twists and turns along the way—just enjoy the process of writing!
What is something you had to cut from your book that you wish you could have kept?
Under each letter chapter, there are so many elements to writing that we could have covered, so we had to choose something that we considered the most important element for that chapter. For example, for the letter C, we chose to write about commas because writing is full of commas and there are so many things a good writer needs to understand about them. Yet, we could have added some less tangible elements as they are also important: commitment, costs, conciseness, and content. While we were able to address some of these intangible concepts briefly in other chapters, these are all elements of writing that could easily have been made into their own chapter as well.
In a big-picture sense, Randy has covered this one well for me (Bob) as well. That’s the best way to cover it.
On rituals:
Do you snack while writing? Favorite snack?
I (Randy) can’t say there is anything that I eat or drink on a routine basis when I write. Although most of my writing is done at home, I do like to go out to do some of my writing. I typically go to a place like Saladworks and eat my salad and drink my Diet Coke while I write. Other times I will go to a place like Dairy Queen for a Blizzard or Sundae to eat while I write. I do try to limit the number of times I go to the latter, though.
In general, I (Bob) do not. I don’t think it good to be too waylaid by food. That said, there is a nuance to that answer: if I need to keep working and it’s time to have a full meal (usually a lunch), I will have it (carefully) off to the side while working. But in general, I don’t like having to mess with sticky fingers (such as a snack) while working. I try to keep that separate. Besides, when watching my beloved sports or PGA Tour, that’s when I enjoy having something to snack on. I’d rather let my mind veg out while enjoying that stuff, and keep the writing clear of food clutter! (But that’s just one person’s preference, and others may be able to write while snacking just fine.)
Where do you write?
I (Randy) have several places where I write. At home, there are three main places: dining table, big comfy chair, and in our sunroom. I will often go to a restaurant and work for several hours. I think having different venues helps keep the creative energy flowing.
I (Bob) have written and edited on a laptop while on vacation or travel spots, but those are mostly rare exceptions. Most of the time, it’s at my office computer, period. Might be a bit staid, but it’s what I like to do. But see two questions below for one other way in which I do sometimes write.
Do you write every day?
Writing definitely takes discipline if you plan to publish regularly. I (Randy) tend to go a little overboard sometimes in my writing. When I start a book, it is almost like an obsession to continue to write until the book is completed. I then write during every spare moment I have. While that is just the way I am, that is not how other inspiring authors have to be. Just setting a consistent time for writing is enough to get a book completed. We are often told to write every day. That is what I do, but that is not just about writing a novel. In addition to writing a novel, I have a blog which I write for every week, and I have classes at our church I prepare for each week. So, you see, writing daily is not just about writing a novel, but writing in general. All these things keep your mind engaged and the variety of what one is working on can help inspire thoughts for the next novel.
I (Bob) will be brutally honest and say I fail this test. We say in our book (and its companion follow-up, Mastering the ABCs of Excellent Self-Editing, which is also now out in print and eBook) that you should set a goal of writing something (even if just 10 to 15 minutes) every day. I do think I have a bit of a reason to not write creatively every day: I take dozens of editing jobs each year and am usually editing other authors’ work (if not two or three projects, at different working points) during virtually every week of the year. With each passing week, I usually am rarely away from someone else’s work. Thus, this doesn’t leave as much time to creatively write.
That said, two quick things: I am seeking to write more, and getting more consistent with it, as in four to five days a week. A second thing: I agree with Randy regarding other types of writing. I write letters to friends, can contribute to blogs, and sometimes write things for my church or faith. Writing is just a great thing no matter its form. Every idea ever accomplished on the planet, in some way or another, began with someone’s written words (in some form)!
Already, you can see the differences between one writer and one editor, and yet they can work together well on a two-book project!
In today’s tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your book on paper?
I (Randy) can’t say that I have. I wanted to be as efficient as possible when I started writing, so I tried to develop some good, efficient techniques early on. When writing on paper, this creates double work as you must at some point make your work electronic. However, I have used paper to record or flush out ideas when I did not have a computer handy as those thoughts came to me. Trust me, thoughts will come to you when you aren’t even thinking about your story at all.
Again, different answer here for me (Bob). While the overall answer to this is not much, I do at times do this. At times, to get a section of a book or work project going, I do like to take old-fashioned paper and pen and go on my lovely back porch or somewhere very quiet and just start to write—longhand. Writers and editors can slightly disagree too! Here’s where I differ from Randy, a tad, in that I don’t mind the double work. When you write, you go back over, or even rewrite, to polish. (Our second book, on self-editing, very much covers this.) So I don’t have a problem with one version on paper and then transferring. However, I don’t think I or anyone else would be able to write an entire book this way (not without it taking an inordinate amount of time.)
Fun stuff:
Favorite travel spot?
For me (Randy), anywhere, really. Well, there is a caveat there, I guess. Just remember, roughing it in my world is staying at a Motel 6. Anywhere more rustic is a place to visit during the day. My wife and I like to review the history of any place we travel, and we like to go to local restaurants of that area. The local history of every area is so fascinating, and it is always fun to learn how an area started out and became what it is today. And, of course, food. Sometimes getting food from a favorite chain so you know what to expect is good, but many times going local can be a wonderful experience. We always look for the local place that is the most crowded. That means, a lot of people like the cuisine there. Chances are, we will, too.
Two of my (Bob’s) three kids aren’t very far out of high school (two are now in college; one is fully grown), so much of our travel has been family vacationing. Mostly, we have two spots: the ocean (Destin, Florida has been a favorite) and historical sites like Gettysburg, historic Williamsburg (Va.), or anything of that ilk. I absolutely love history. One more absolute favorite: Washington, D.C. with its glorious history, museums, monuments, and centers of government. Haven’t been there in a few years, though, and my perception from afar is it's not quite as welcoming, friendly, and open as it was before the Covid pandemic era. (I hope I am wrong about that, and would love to get back to sightsee sometime soon. I’ve been to DC many times through the years and you can never get to everything, or even close.)
Favorite dessert?
For me (Randy), it’s cheesecake. Definitely cheesecake. Yet not all cheesecakes are created equal, unfortunately. Good quality cheesecake is what I’m after. Yet, it’s hard to know if it’s up to par unless one tries it. That’s the only downside. You see cheesecake on the menu and your mouth salivates. Then you take that first bite, and you want to throw the rest away. But then, there are those times, those special times, when you are able to savor each and every bite.
Wow, Randy, I (Bob) never would have guessed. For a scientist, to take cheesecake so seriously! (I am just kidding!) My youngest daughter and I both have huge sweet tooths. So my answer: nearly anything. We love ice cream, a good sundae, anything along those lines.
Any hobbies?
I (Randy) really do not have many hobbies outside of writing unless you want to count doing crossword puzzles. About the only games I have on my phone are word games. Once, my daughter was bored and wanted to look at my phone. In other words, she wanted to play a game on my phone. After looking at it, she sighed and handed it back to me. “Your phone is boring,” she replied and then went into a pout.
Again, Randy, you made me (Bob) laugh! Okay, for me, here is the majority of the list: running (I do so every day), hiking, other stuff outdoors like canoeing, a good game of Scrabble, enjoying our beloved (though not often very good) Cincinnati Reds and Bengals, and golf. I’m in a group of golf buddies. We have the bug, we call it. Not very good, but we love to play and experience different courses.
What song is currently playing on a loop in your head?
For some reason, I (Randy) have been watching many of the videos by Pentatonix. When they came out with O Holy Night just before Christmas, I can’t tell you how many times I listened to it. Their rendition is so, so good. Even now, at least once a week (or more) I’ll listen to a reaction video to their version of this song. Did I say, it’s so, so good!
This one happens to me (Bob) a lot because I often put music on when I’m running. There are so many answers to this; it depends on the season I’m in. I love the old band Credence Clearwater Revival, U2, and above all, the Beatles. Many faith-based songs as well; there are just too many to count.
What is something that made you laugh recently?
One of my (Randy) friends is a dentist. Since he is with patients all day, he has learned how to keep them entertained as he works on their teeth. He has a million funny stories and can keep someone in stitches constantly. It seems his puns, jokes, and funny stories are practically endless. My only problem is that once I get home, I can never remember any of them! It really isn’t funny when you tell someone, “Oh, I heard a funny story today,” only to get to the end and then can’t remember the punchline.
I (Bob) am a big believer in you have to find things to laugh at every day. Find all kinds of things; they are there if you look and listen. Clean humor also. My wife and I love the comedian Nate Bargatze; he is clean and just too funny with regular-life stuff. That said, recently someone shared a long account with me that I’m going to make very short. A guy tells his young adult daughter on a long-distance phone conversation that he and his wife of 40 years, who live in Miami, are getting divorced, and no one can talk them out of it. The daughter, in Chicago, tells Dad to do nothing! Her and her husband will be on the next plane! The father hangs up, smiles, turns to his wife, and says, “Great. Julie and Dave are coming here for Christmas, and this time they’re paying their own airfare!”
What is your go-to breakfast item?
My wife and I (Randy) have started going to a nearby restaurant for breakfast, called Jake’s. I have started ordering their Belgian waffle with fruit (strawberries and bananas). I’m not sure why I got hooked on it, but it is very, very good. It has a light consistency and almost melts in your mouth. Adding the fruit with just a little maple syrup just makes it stand out to my taste buds. After all, no one wants sad taste buds, right?
Another bad admission: I (Bob) often skip breakfast. (I know, I know!) … But I do love eggs or waffles. Often when I have it, it’s cereal. The most rare of treats, like on weekends: fry some bacon. Oh yes: cinnamon rolls.
What is the oldest item of clothing you own?
I (Randy) have a long-sleeved purple shirt that I have had for so long I can’t even remember when I got it. I can’t even tell you what it is made of, but I find it so very comfortable. Yet, it has gotten to the point that my wife finds it almost an embarrassment when I wear it when we go out somewhere. I do acknowledge there are now holes where the end of the sleeve is attached to main part of the sleeve. Yet, I found a solution: just fold the shirt sleeve up the forearm a couple of times. It hides the holes and makes the shirt style look much more casual. Problem solved. I’m not sure my wife is yet convinced of that, though.
Oh that is funny, question writer! I (Bob) have so many old T-shirts from past events, if I started to count them I might hit three digits. Some are so comfy in running, though, that I just keep wearing them and wearing them.
Tell us about your longest friendship.
I (Randy) know this is cliché, but my best friend is my wife. After all, we have now been married for 37 years. Yeah, my eyes went wide when I wrote that down as well. It really doesn’t feel like it has been that long. Early in our marriage, we took a course about husband-wife compatibility and the score of the test told us that we should not likely be together, or those who are together are the exception rather than the rule. When we got those results, we looked at each other in disbelief. Now, granted, we are different on so many levels. She is very emotional, I am not. She doesn’t like detail, whereas I do. She likes to have things neat and tidy, but not necessarily clean. I on the other hand, like to have things clean, not necessarily neat and tidy. Yet, we like the same types of movies, have a similar taste in music, and like to travel and enjoy the history of an area. So, I feel we are very compatible. Who trusts tests anyway?
Great read on that one, Randy! Okay, there is no doubt I (Bob) have the same answer. (No, not Randy’s wife. I’ve never met her.) My wife, Joan, and I most of the time meld together like waffles and bananas, ice cream and chocolate syrup. We just go together well. We think a lot alike. The answer is definitely my wife. That said, marriage is work. Marriage, as they say, isn’t for sissies.
What advice would you give to a first time writer?
A little tongue-in-cheek, but not really: buy our book! While I (Randy) agree that ours is not the only book you should have in your writer toolbelt, yet I do believe it is one you should have in your arsenal, and you will get a lot of use out of it. Also, it is important that you have thick skin. You will receive a lot of rejections. Don’t let that get to you. Just keep on getting better and better in your writing and you will get there. There will be many naysayers telling you to give up. Yet if you have the bug (and you will know if you really do), then plug away and success will be around the corner. After all, it is no secret as to why the tortoise and not the hare won the race.
I (Bob) won’t counter anything Randy said. I’d just add this, and it comes from million-seller writing coach William Zinsser (his book is one of my favorites): if you have something to say, only you can say it. Only you can say it, at least, the way you can. Another of my favorite old sayings is this: every person has at least one good book in them. Why shouldn’t that saying be every bit as true with you?
Title: Mastering the ABCs of Excellent Writing
Author: Randy C. Dockens & Robert Irving
Publication Date: April 4, 2024
Pages: 250
Genre: Fiction Writing Reference/Authorship/Writing Skill Reference
The authors of this book (one a writer/author; one an editor)
explain what they wished they had known when they began their writing
journeys. This book will speed up your writing proficiency and aid your
goal of being published with excellent material your readers will enjoy.
Why
this book on writing? There are two things we learned the hard way and
want you to gather the easy way. One, rules are made to be broken—but
you want to break them only with intentional purpose. And two, you, not
the rules, are what make your stories, your writing, unique from all
others.
We cover various writing techniques and how to make your
writing something readers will keep enjoying, but we also help you with
the artistic side of writing, meaning what’s inside you, your writing
technique, and your brand.
This easy-to-enjoy manual is written
in a unique alphabetical style, filled with tips and extra-information
boxes at the end of each chapter, and has a number of helpful additions
following the final chapter.
Buy Links:
Amazon | Randy Dockens Bookstore
The Writer’s Life
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