We recently connected with Alex Greenwood and have shared our conversation below.
Alex, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I’m one of those “show me how to do it once or twice, and I will catch on” guys. I have made it step one in my process to understand the project and look at how others have approached it. From there, it becomes a matter of sitting down (or standing up) and doing it.
As a writer, I learned from my late grandfather, the author of books, articles, short stories, essays, poems, and plays for nearly 60 years. Besides teaching me the basics of storytelling, he instilled in me the discipline to write consistently and to read. I meet many people new to writing who don’t read. Today’s smartphones and five-second attention spans don’t help, but it is a discipline a writer must integrate.
This takes time, though it is the best route for a writer. If you don’t read and learn from those who came before, you will not be a good writer. The maxim that “if you do not have time to read, you do not have time to write” is true. I hate to sound like an old guy yelling at clouds, but it is true.
Alex, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I started writing as a child, eventually earning a degree emphasizing writing. My day jobs have included stints in journalism, marketing, broadcasting, management consulting, and public relations. Being a good writer is essential in PR and has propelled me to success in the field. I started my own agency thirteen years ago, and a crucial skill I bring is that of a storyteller. My clients have a story, and it is my job to make it interesting and effective enough to garner positive attention.
It is the same with my novels and short stories. The story has to be interesting, or people will not read the books. Or worse, they will try to read the book and give up out of a lack of connection to the story and characters.
My John Pilate Mystery Thriller Series has a small following after nearly twelve years and eight books. I can’t say the books have a “cult following,” but I aspire to grow my readership to cult size! Kirkus Reviews, Midwest Book Review, Online Book Club, and more rave about the books. The praise I hear most from critics and readers is that the stories are entertaining and fun. That’s all I hope to do: entertain people with fun characters in quirky mysterious situations.
One of my favorite projects is when I finished the last manuscript my grandfather wrote. I inherited his papers when he passed away in 2002 and found a manuscript he was shopping in the late 90s. Long story short, it was missing the first chapter and needed an edit, so I did that work, passed it on to my editor and published it myself. I am very happy I got the chance to return the many favors my mentor and grandpa Robert E. Trevathan gave me as an aspiring writer.
I write horror and thriller short stories, available on Kindle Vella, and was recently contracted to create a film treatment and screenplay for an upcoming motion picture. Sadly, that ended when the executive producer and main financial backer died unexpectedly. However, I discovered I have some chops at screenwriting, and look forward to exploring that further.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I have always been an early adopter of social media. Part of that is because in PR you have to be familiar with all ways to reach an audience, but another part is I am a social person. I enjoy sharing ideas, jokes, stories, and more with others, and it helps sell a few books. I have made friends for life who I met on Twitter. I have also picked up clients.
I mentioned previously that I had a screenplay contract. That came directly from hosting Mysterious Goings On, my podcast on creativity and writing.
One of my guests on the show was a writer and film producer–his latest movie was very big on Netflix–and we clicked during his interview. This leads to him getting to know me and later asking me to help him break the story for his next film and create a treatment. He also contracted with me to write the screenplay. I was aghast that this veteran producer would hire a nobody from Kansas City to write his next film, but that’s the kind of guy Michael Pellico was. Hew wanted somebody untouched by the Hollywood system. And my price was probably right!
We worked together pretty intensively for six weeks breaking the story, then he started shopping it to Netflix and other studios. The last time we spoke, he said there were positive discussions. Sadly, Mikey died of a heart attack soon after that last conversation. It was tough losing a good friend and mentor and, of course, the opportunity to write for the screen.
However, that entire experience would never have occurred had I not been very visible on Twitter, Facebook, etc., and podcasting with quality content since 2006. There is no big secret to succeeding with social media except when done right, social media opens doors. But you have to hang in there and offer people something of value to listen to you.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Soon after my first book came out, a local book club read it, and I attended to speak with the club members. I got raked over the coals by a reader for a few minor mistakes and typos in the book. I was instantly angry and embarrassed.
I was angry at my editor for allowing mistakes to get through and also angry I had poured myself into more than two years of research and writing to bring a book to market only to allow a snotty person who had helped herself to too much wine be a jerk about it.
I was humiliated. I offered a refund and slunk out as quickly as I could.
But I drew the wrong lesson from that experience. I found reasons not to make public appearances–at least not intimate ones–which cost me opportunities and sales. The lesson I learned was not that I needed a better editor and a thicker skin; I instead learned to lay low because my “little books” were not worthy of a book club.
It took me a while to get my confidence back. But I stopped feeling sorry for myself and got a better editor for my next book. That second book has easily sold three times more than my first.
This year I have attended invitation-only book signings and spoken to many people on social media and my show about writing as a peer–not a wannabe.
That’s the lesson. Stay strong. Know your worth. If somebody points out mistakes or just doesn’t like your work, take it as an opportunity to improve–not to run and hide. If they are jerks about it, just say “it’s not for everybody,” and keep going.
As I often say, I will keep writing until the lid is closed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jalexandergreenwood.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexginkc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/John.Pilate.Mysteries
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agreenwood/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/a_greenwood
- Other: The Mysterious Goings On Podcast: https://mgopod.com/
The PR After Hours Podcast: https://prafterhours.com/
Image Credits
Photos by Alex Greenwood and Pete Dulin.