Scott Semegran's latest book, Starman After Midnight, is a quirky novel-in-stories about two beer-drinking neighbors who team-up to track down a mysterious late-night interloper terrorizing their middle-class neighborhood.
Described by BlueInk Review as "a gifted writer, with a wry sense of humor," Semegran is an award-winning author of 10 books. His previous books include The Codger and the Sparrow, The Benevolent Lords of Sometimes Island (first-place winner for Middle-Grade/Young Adult fiction in the 2021 Writer’s Digest Book Awards), and To Squeeze a Prairie Dog (winner of the 2020 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award Gold Medal for Humor and winner of the 2019 Texas Author Project for Adult Fiction). He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife.
Photo Credit: © Jeff Loftin
We talked with the author about what motivated him to become a writer, his creative process, and the author-centric web series he co-hosts, Austin Liti Limits.
What first motivated you to become a writer?
I started writing fiction just a week after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in English. I was having trouble finding a job, didn’t want to teach high school, and didn’t want to go back to graduate school. But since I had been studying and dissecting literature for four years, I decided to give writing fiction a go.
After six months I had a 250-page manuscript, which I sent out to some agents, and they all rejected it. I realize now that it was garbage, but I was able to look at that stack of pages and realize that it was attainable—words and pages eventually added up to a novel. I was hooked on writing fiction from then on.
You have worked with traditional publishers in the past but continue to self-publish as well. What made you choose the indie publishing route, and how has that decision shaped your success?
I chose indie publishing in 2009 when I saw an ad for an early ebook distributor, I can’t remember who now, that basically asked the question, “Do you have an unpublished manuscript lying in a drawer?” And I did! I had a couple of writing credits for short stories at that point, but I was still in love with a manuscript and wanted to see it out in the world. I became convinced that this was one of the publishing paths for me.
I learned how to typeset and lay out pages, about cover design, and how to hire editors and work with them. I researched how to purchase ISBN numbers and distribute books. Through indie publishing, I became more than a writer, but my traditional publishing deal and landing a literary agent might not have come about without that knowledge. I became a better writer through indie publishing; it was my own personal MFA program.
Now I’m a hybrid author, both traditionally published and indie published, and enjoy both paths of publishing. And IngramSpark is an excellent publishing partner for me.
I became a better writer through indie publishing; it was my own personal MFA program.
What do you hope your readers take away from the stories you write?
I want my readers to discover a sense of hope from my fiction alongside a good laugh. Many writers of literary fiction delve into the depths of the most depressing facets of humanity, engendering a sense of despair. I believe optimism in fiction is a powerful salve, the possibility of a brighter future even in dark times. That’s what I strive for in my work: hope.
How would you describe your writing process, and how has it changed over the course of your career?
Many writers are aware of the debate between being a pantser (a writer who writes by the seat of their pants) or a planner (a writer who creates a detailed outline before they start writing). I’m known as what is affectionately called a “plantser” (I was turned on to this moniker by my good friend and award-winning writer James Wade), a writer who plans a little bit, but also writes by the seat of their pants at times. So, this is done by creating a very loose outline, then leaving room to improvise within the chapters.
I think a good analogy would be that if I was going to plan a cross-country road trip, then I would notate which cities I would be staying overnight in, but I wouldn’t make any plans on what I was going to do in those cities or what I was going to do on the road between those cities. When I start, I know where I’m going to go, and where I’m going to end up.
Your newest novel-in-stories, Starman After Midnight, has received rave reviews! What inspired you to write it, and why do you think readers are finding these characters so refreshing and relatable?
I was inspired to write Starman After Midnight after the 2016-2020 presidential term. I wanted to explore how men on the polar opposite sides of the political spectrum could find a way to be friends. At that time it seemed implausible, but through this story, I was able to devise a way that it could happen.
By having these two men be close neighbors and beer drinking buddies, I found the commonality between them and their aspirations. We all want basically the same things in life: to have a home, to be safe, to feel seen, to be able to put food on the table, and to be respected. And to share beer, of course.
I feel people have responded positively to this friendship between Seff and Big Dave because this sentiment is real here in the U.S. People have been frustrated with their co-workers and friends and family, experiencing a political divide that seems so vast. But I wanted to show that even antagonists in politics, personalities, or ideologies can still find common ground and be friends. I liked making room for that possibility.
Tell us about the author-centric web series you co-host: Austin Liti Limits. What do you love about interviewing authors on their writing process and projects?
What I love about interviewing other authors, whether we’re traditionally or indie published, is that they all want to write the best book they can. They both want publicity, good marketing, and to be in front of as many readers as possible. They both want to be remembered. There is a little bit of the “grass is greener” for both types of writers. As a hybrid author, I can attest that there are pros and cons to both paths; but they’re both valid paths to publishing.
What is the most unique part of your creative process?
Something unique about my writing process is that I mostly write during the lunch breaks of my day job. I have worked as a web developer for 25 years. After my sixth book, Sammie & Budgie, I became frustrated with writing by the seat of my pants. With that book, I had so many periods of frustration and writer's block, and came to the realization that I needed to plan a little more to minimize this frustration.
I also discovered that my lunch breaks were the most reliable time (and probably the only time) during the day that I could be completely alone to write. If I had a little bit of a plan, I found that I could write 500 to 800 words in an hour, or even 1,200 on a really good day. Four books later, this is my preferred work schedule. When I tell other writers that I write during my lunch breaks, almost all of them think that I’m nuts, but it’s worked for me!
Your books are often praised for their unique sense of humor – what makes you laugh?
What makes me laugh? Oh man, everything from fart jokes to the books of Kevin Wilson. Movies like Dumb and Dumber or dramedies like Nebraska. TV classics like Seinfeld or modern comedies like Shrinking. I love stand-up comedy, newspaper comic strips, comic books, and graphic novels. I’m always up for a good laugh.
