Bad Girls, Good Guys, and Two-Fisted Action: Bobby Nash's Summer of Snow

Bobby Nash isn't just a fantabulous writer -- he's also my brother in every sense of the word other than biological. He's also a prolific beast when it comes to putting words on the page. Pro. Lif. Ic. (As you'll see when read his interview below.)

Tell us a bit about your latest work.

2021 is #TheSummerofSnow for me and BEN Books. Not only will SNOW DOWN, book 6 of the Snow series be out soon, but I am also working with a group of talented authors (including some guy named Sean Taylor) to launch SNOW SHORTS, 10,000 word short stories focusing on Snow characters. In January, we launched with Snow Flies by me. In February, Gary Phillips’ Thieves’ Alley premiered, a tale featuring Snow’s friend, Big John Salmon. The plan is to release a $0.99 ebook each month then collect them in paperback, ebook, and audio. So far, we’re off to a good start.

Here’s part of the official Snow Shorts announcement: SNOW SHORTS are, as the name suggests, short stories set within the Snow universe. BEN Books has reached out to a host of fantastic writers to join Snow creator, Bobby Nash in crafting tales featuring Abraham Snow and his companions. Writers involved include Gary Phillips, Bernadette Johnson, Milton Davis, John Hartness, Beverly Conner, Sean Taylor, Charles F. Millhouse, Brian K. Morris, Mike Gordon, Barry Reese, and more. Covers will be provided by Jeffrey Hayes of PlasmaFire Graphics.

You can keep up with all things SNOW at www.abrahamsnow.com.

What happened in your life that prompted you to become a writer?

I am a glutton for punishment with delusions of grandeur. Or something like that. Ha! Ha! I’ve always been fascinated with stories, how they are told, how they come together, and the characters that populate them. It started with TV. I would become invested in the characters and then started coming up with my own stories set in those worlds, not written down, but when I went outside to play, I became a crewman on Captain Kirk’s away mission or I went on a dangerous mission with Colonel Steve Austin. That sort of thing. As I got older and discovered comic books, I found a new outlet for that creativity. Later, came short stories, then novels, and it’s been a rollercoaster ride ever since.

What inspires you to write?

The stories keep coming. They’re inside my head. The characters won’t shut up until I write their adventures down for others to read. It’s crazy. I think I may be crazy. I dunno. Thankfully. The voices in my head are entertaining as they go on their myriad adventures. I also love putting the work out there for readers to hopefully enjoy. I get a thrill when someone tells me they read something of mine and liked it. That inspires me to do it again.

What are the themes and subjects you tend to revisit in your work?

I am a big fan of character growth. I like it when my characters discover something about themselves in the course of the story, both good and bad. I like to root for the underdog and many of my stories have an element of a character struggling against overwhelming odds to do the right thing. That’s heroic. Primarily, my job is to entertain. I don’t get preachy with my work. Messages sometimes work their way into stories based on the characters, but my main purpose in telling stories is to entertain the reader. First and foremost, I want the reader to have a good time with the story. Everything else is secondary.

What would be your dream project?

There are characters out there that I would like to write officially at least once. Captain America, Thor, The Fantastic Four, Buck Rogers, Star Trek, Six Million Dollar Man, things like that. I may never get the chance, but it’s good to dream.

What writers have influenced your style and technique?

Oh, so many. It’s hard to name them all. I find influence everywhere. One author writes a type of scene one way that makes me rethink my approach. Another does great characters, so I study how they do it. I also learn a lot by watching other authors at conventions and social media. I can learn a lot about promotion, interacting with fans, etc. by observing. So, yeah, influences are everywhere. I’ve been influenced by you, Sean, as well.

If you have any former project to do over to make it better, which one would it be, and what would you do?

That’s tough. I try not to look back that way lest I go mad. Ha! Ha! It’s not so much stories I would like to change, if I could, but there have been situations I’ve found myself in as part of the publishing process that I kind of wish I could do differently. It’s tricky. My first novel, Evil Ways, was originally published at a truly terrible publisher. Horrible situation. There’s a part of me that wonders how things would have gone if that had not happened. On the other hand, despite the behind the scenes woes, I had a published book in my hands and I used it to talk to other publishers, which resulted in getting more writing gigs. Would Lance Star or Domino Lady, two characters I am pretty well linked to, have happened without Evil Ways? It was sharing Evil Ways that helped land those gigs.

Where would you rank writing on the "Is it an art or it is a science continuum?" Why?

Good question. I don’t think I’ve ever considered that before. I think, for me, writing is an art, first and foremost. When a story develops and flows out of me, I’m not thinking about anything except the story and characters. I’m not considering style or grammar, length or technique. I’m living in the moment of that story. Afterward, that’s where the science comes in. I take this piece of art and mold it into something that can be sold to a reader.

What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

The hardest part is getting started. There’s a joke that writing is 3% talent and 97% staying off the internet. This is an absolute truth. We as writers are often our own worst enemies. I certainly am mine. I spend more time finding things to do other than writing all the while feeling guilty because I’m not writing. It reminds me of another joke. “I am a writer. Today, I will write. But first…” and you can fill in the blank with “clean my office” or “mow the lawn” or “do laundry” and on and on… Once I put my butt in the chair and start writing, I’m usually good to go. It’s just getting me focused that’s the hard part.

How do your writer friends help you become a better writer? Or do they not?

They absolutely do. I am amazed by the talented writers I’ve met over the years. They are a great bunch or creators and I learn so much from all of them. Plus, we understand the same issues when it comes to writing. When a story isn’t working, I can tell my family and they look at me like I’m speaking a foreign language. My writer friends understand and can be a shoulder to cry on, a sounding board for ideas, and a cheerleader.

What does literary success look like to you?

Right now, success would be making a living as a writer. That’s what I’m working to achieve. In the future, success looks like “New York Times Bestselling Author Bobby Nash.” After that, success if adding “As Seen on TV” stickers on my novels. Success is very much a sliding scale. There was a time when my idea of success was finishing a novel. I did that. Then, success became getting published. I did that. Success is an ever-sliding scale.

Any other upcoming projects you would like to plug?

Oh, so many. I mentioned above Snow Down and Snow Shorts. I’m pushing Snow hard in 2021. Published by my imprint, BEN Books. Remember, in #TheSummerofSnow every day is a #SnowDay! Ha! Ha! Other books in production includes the 4 book Hunter Houston: Horror Hunter from Falstaff Books, a couple of as yet unannounced novel for Pro Se Productions, a novel sequel to Dante’s Tenth, my story in The Devil’s Due anthology for Valhalla Books, Evil Intent for BEN Books, a short story for Moonstone Books featuring The Lone Ranger, more Lance Star, more Sheriff Tom Myers, more Snow, more Domino Lady, more Nightveil, and more. 2021 is shaping up to be a big year.