I have a soft spot for Wisconsin authors, and thus wanted to interview Dave Crehore, author of Sweet and Sour Pie: A Wisconsin Boyhood Reviewed. My writing pal Chris Eirschele said in a Suite101 article that Crehore’s book, “includes a glossary of northeastern Wisconsin lingo. Even Wisconsin natives who grew up during the 1950s will find the glossary useful. It includes hunting, fishing and pipe smoking terminology, as well.”

You know you’ll love that! Enjoy this interview.

Tell us about Sweet and Sour Pie: A Wisconsin Boyhood.

Sweet and Sour Pie: A Wisconsin Boyhood was published in 2009 by the University of Wisconsin Press. At the DNR I wrote thousands of press releases, as well as magazine pieces and speeches but nothing of any length. After I retired in 2000 I got the idea of writing a slightly fictionalized memoir of life in the 1950’s. To my surprise I was able to finish it and get it published. It’s doing fairly well, but not well enough to pay the minimum wage. I’m not sure you can make any money writing boyhood memoirs, unless your boyhood was spent in the Hitler Youth or on the road with the Rolling Stones.

The book is largely about happy times and is supposed to be funny. I suppose that to be truly successful I should have included some teen-age angst. I wrote some, a whole chapter of it, but my publisher counseled me to ditch it, and I am glad I did. Who needs more of that?

So if you decide to write a memoir, don’t quit your day job. One thing I can say: I have received many kind letters and emails from people who liked the book, and although it might sound corny, I will keep them forever. It is very satisfying to bring enjoyment to others. Writing a book that people will have a good time reading is one way to do that.

What’s next for you?

I am just finishing Book #2, tentatively titled “Don’t Get Old ‘Til Tell You”, which is a collection of short stories about a couple, now in their ‘60’s, who were born in Door County, spent most of their lives earning a living in Chicago, and have now moved back home. The couple is fictional, the place, of course, is not. I must say, it was fun to write those stories. For the memoir, I had to write about things that actually happened, with only a few modifications to protect the innocent or unwary. But for this one, I could cut loose.

What is the most interesting book you have ever read?

God, what a question. I would have to say, Bertrand Russell’s A History of Western Philosophy. Read it and you will see why.

In your opinion, what’s the measure of a successful writer?

First, writing stuff that is both true and new. Second, getting it published.

Where can we learn more about you?

Read “Sweet and Sour Pie.”

When I do book signings, I am sometimes asked how one should learn to write. My answer is that you learn to write by ear. You read books by great writers and get their sound in your ear, and then when you are at a loss, you ask yourself – how would Russell explain this, or how would Wodehouse make this scene funny, or how would Stout make you think you were on West 35th. St. in Wolfe’s old brownstone.

If you were learning to play jazz on the alto sax, you would listen to Charlie Parker, Paul Desmond, Phil Woods and Cannonball Adderly, among others, to get their sound into your head. You do the same with great writers.

Additional Writing Resources:

• Freelance Writers Needed
• How to Write Your Own Ebook in 7 Days
• Freelance Writing Jobs

Additional resources on novel writing:

• Book in a Month: The Fool-Proof System for Writing a Novel in 30 Days
  
• You Can Write A Novel
• This Year You Write Your Novel