Matt Bronleewe Interview

Q: Could you tell us about your professional writing career including how you got your first big writing break.

I always feel guilty about my “break”, because most people have a stack of rejection letters that precedes their professional career. I have no doubt that under more normal circumstances, my rejection stack would reach to the moon! I was fortunate enough to have a meeting with a friend of mine – record producer extraordinaire Charlie Peacock – who connected me with the illustrious Don Pape, who ended up agenting my deal with Thomas Nelson. I’m still scratching my head as to why Thomas Nelson said “yes” to me! They obviously had more vision for me as an author than even I did. I’m certainly glad they were willing to take the risk – what a fun ride this has been?and continues to be!

Q: You have a very diverse background and success in the music field. Why did you want to write a novel?

I’ve always been an avid reader. I suppose I always had a book in me, waiting for the opportunity to get out, but I never considered trying my hand at being an author – a real-life author! – until just a few years ago. It still seems unreal to me to have a book on the shelf. Some people look at the jump from songwriting to novel-writing as a big leap, but in the end, both are really storytelling. That’s what every creative medium comes down to for me – storytelling – giving people an escape into a place they’ve never experienced.

Q: How has music influenced your writing?

Music is such a “felt” thing, very abstract, with a “no-rules attached” vibe. I really wanted to drag that into my approach to novels. I didn’t want to overthink it, or get caught up in the technical pitfalls. I just wanted to write something that hammered on some emotional nerve in people. I wanted my book to grab people from word one and keep them on a mental rollercoaster. That’s how good songs are, after all?they reach out and catch people’s ear from the first note?and never let go!

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?

I just completed the follow-up to Illuminated, a new thriller called House of Wolves. I’m very excited about it! It features the characters from the first book in a brand new adventure. Only a few people have had a chance to read the first draft, and all of them have said it’s a dramatic step up from book one. I really hope to blow people away with this one! I’m also working on young adult series that will feature Charlie, the young mystery-hunting bibliophile from Illuminated. And there’s so much more?!

Q: Illuminated is, IMHO, a very ambitious novel for a first novel. I say this because of the tremendous amount of research that must have gone into it. How did you decide to write this novel?

I don’t know how it is for other authors, but I never really felt like I had a choice in the matter! As I began researching about Gutenberg and the secret societies that existed during his time, I became so enchanted with the whole idea, I knew I was permanently hooked. It was a daunting challenge, but one that I was willing to take. I brought on a research assistant to help me dig into the past and find all the answers I needed. It was difficult – very little has been written about some of the historical facts we uncovered – but in the end, from talking with fans, I know it was worth the effort.

Q: I could see Illuminated as a movie. If that happened what actors would you chose to star in the main roles?

If Nicholas Cage hadn’t already done National Treasure, he’d probably be perfect to play August Adams, with his blend of smarts and quirkiness. So many choices?I feel like I have a new answer for this question every week. If you’re a big name actor, and you’re reading this now, give me a call and we’ll work something out!

Q: In Illuminated, I found some of the scenes with Stanley too gory to read. I would chalk this up as a chick thing, but my husband had the same reaction when he read the book. Why did you choose to be so explicit in these scenes?

I go where the characters tell me, and I try and edit them as little as possible. Stanley was a bad dude, and his darkness felt really startling to me. Again, I’m after a visceral response, and the fact that you and your husband felt repulsed by Stanley’s actions is exactly right. I don’t mean to offend anyone, I’m simply trying to be faithful to my characters. Stanley’s motivation, which I’ll save as a secret for those who haven’t read Illuminated yet, more than explains why he’s so messed up!

Q: How has being a published novelist differed from your expectations of the profession?

I’m so fresh to the whole scene that I think I walked in with very few expectations. I have been pleasantly surprised at how much artistic freedom I’ve been granted. The people at Nelson have really let me run as far and as wide as I’ve wanted, and they’ve never asked me to pull back. If anything, they’ve pushed me to keep exploring, to keep pushing for new uncharted territories. I’ve been completely blessed by the experience so far, and I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface.

Q: Do you approach the writing of Illuminated in a methodical planning way, setting out the plot and character development in advance, or are you more a seat of the pants writer?

I wish I could stick to a plan. It seems like that would be so much easier! Unfortunately, my approach to novel writing is more akin to news reporting – I simply follow my characters around and write down what trouble they’ve gotten themselves into. Don’t get me wrong, I usually have some idea of where things are going. But inevitably, a character makes a choice I didn’t expect, or does something that sets the motion of the plot in an unexpected direction. When people read Illuminated, they’re on the same journey I was on while writing it!

Q: If you are like many writers, you have times when you have a great need to do nothing but write. If this is true for you, how do you balance your family life with such a drive?

Family is very important to me. I try to be wise about how I spend my time, and as much as I can, I try to never take any more time away from my family than I absolutely have to. That being said, during the writing of both Illuminated and House of Wolves, the last few weeks of writing were extremely intense. My family has been very supportive during those times, and it’s really been fun to share this whole adventure with them.

Q: What’s God been doing in your life lately?

I’ve spent some time this year doing some research for my third book. In doing so, I’ve had the opportunity to see some of the rarest bibles in the world. I learned, for instance, that the first book ever printed in America was a bible made for the Algonquin Indians. I saw a bible printed for the blind before Braille was invented. I witnessed a “Martyr’s Bible”, stained with blood. All these bibles have impressed upon me the importance of God’s word, and how over the ages people have gone to great lengths to insure that the Word gets out to the entire world. It’s been a real revelation to me, and has made me become much more aware of how for granted we take the Bible as Americans today.

Q: I’m looking at your bookshelf? What books, authors, do I see?

Tolkien. C. S. Lewis. Anything by either of them is so epic and amazing and inspiring. I really enjoy a lot of modern writers who push the boundaries of fiction today, including Chabon and Lethem and Eggers and?well, I could go on for a very long time! I love books.

Q. What advice would you give to an aspiring unpublished writer?

If I can do it, ANYONE can do it. Write what you love, not what you think other people will love. That’s one thing I learned from doing music – you can’t follow the trend, you can only hope to create new ones.

Q. What do you see as the greatest obstacle to becoming published today?

Getting noticed. Anyone with a pen, some paper, and an idea can write a book. In my opinion, it’s the most competitive creative field, because it seems like everyone and their brother has a book they want to get published. But once you have that book finished, how do you get it published? I wish I knew the easy answer. My story is so different than most. But I suppose it’s similar in one respect: every author I know came to be published in some spectacularly unique way. You never know where the opportunity may lie, so keep your eyes open!

Q: Anything else you would like to tell our readers?

To those who have picked up a copy of Illuminated, thank you so much. Without you I would just be a guy with a crazy imagination and nowhere to go! I sincerely strive to try and crank out better books as we continue on this journey together. (House of Wolves comes out August 12th, 2008?sorry you have to wait so long?but it’s going to be awesome!) And to those of you who haven’t had a chance to read Illuminated yet, I can’t wait for you to join the thrillride!

Visit me at www.mattbronleewe.com for more information and updates!

Matt, thanks for taking time in your busy schedule to answer these questions.

Thank YOU! I appreciate everything you do to support people just like me!