Walter Joseph Schenck Jr. is no stranger to the struggle of writing. Yet how does someone who’s won many literary awards, been a featured writer in Publisher’s Weekly, and been on Kirkus’ coveted Recommended Read List more than once—a clear success—find writing difficult? Schenck took home three awards from the Royal Palm Literary Award banquet this year: The Dahris Clair Memorial Award for Plays, First Place Published General Catch All, and First Place Published Stage Play. He shares his thoughts on writing and the challenges of his personal style in this week’s RPLA Showcase.
Walter’s Writing Journey
Writing has always been a difficult road for me. So many paths, so many varieties of characters and dialogue nuances, time frames, it gets so clumped up and beaten up I can’t see where I’m going. Outlines are essential for me. And that in itself is quite a chore. I rewrite the same sentences so many times, I get lost within its voice, then after so much effort, end up discarding it anyway. I truly suffer when I write. I dread and fear the manual and mental labor so much I often quit to work in my garden. Only there, can I unwind.
When people ask me what I write, I stumble on the answer as I am not a romantic, historic, religious, or suspense writer, and yet, I am all those things at once. I lean heavily toward philosophical and psychological-morality writing and, sadly for me that means I have to take my time to unveil the deep character exploration, or the locale, or the theme. Unfortunately, the 30-page rule destroys my ambitions to concentrate on the direction I desire to travel. That’s why I love 18th century fiction. The stories slowly unfold, concentrating on the beauty of the written word and the internal dynamics of the sentence. However, the readers want a quick shoot out, an instant hook, a sudden capturing, placing my style, themes, and characters in the realm of dismissal. It is a burden condensing in order to excite. Twitter is my enemy. Who today reads the Irish? Camus? Sarte?
The Winning Entries: Hamlet, Reimagined and Escape to Canada, Rendered in Poetic Overtures
Hamlet, Reimagined developed from my extreme fondness for everything Shakespearean. While I also love Ben Johnson, Fletcher, Marlowe, Goethe, Shaw, Ibsen, I always felt drawn toward Shakespeare. His play, Hamlet, held in my heart a strong calling to revise it into an existential experience with all the characters reinvented toward another dimension of possibilities: an alternate universe with parallel histories rendered in a new vein of exploration. Within its development I touched on our political system, culture, and monetary framework.
Logline: Angels intercede in Denmark’s political and religious affairs, selecting Hamlet, a bi-polar prince, toward
familial redemption.
Escape to Canada: Rendered in Poetic Overtures developed as my special apology to my friends for my arrogant insistence that things are going to go my way while I was absorbed in a new adventure to travel to different cities while reviewing the consequences of adventuring to the wrong parts of the world.
Logline: A poet is accompanied by his friends and wife to Canada where a conflict of interest arises, threatening to destroy the friendship. The need for friendship wins.
Two Truths and a Lie, Writer’s Edition
Treat naysayers with respect, but never forfeit your own values.
Traditionally-published writers are the only ones worthwhile to read and the only ones worthy of rewards and acclaim.
Read only the best material.
The first truth, treat naysayers with respect, but never forfeit your own values. Don’t break windows or riot. Calm yourself within the value of deep analysis. Also true, read only the best material. A conservative is as elegant as a liberal. Thoroughly know your material. Read what you hate and reason out why you hate it with clear, concise argumentation. Research is preparing for a debate.
The falsehood? Traditionally-published writers are the only ones worthwhile to read and the only ones worthy of awards and acclaim. There are many jewels in the self-publishing world and I am grateful there are organizations willing to dignify the self-published efforts. Merit and recognition justify the lonely writer whom the traditional publishing houses refuse to acknowledge.
Other Works by Schenck
My best existential novel is The Birdcatcher which presented to me a “Featured Writer” status in Publisher’s Weekly. My best religious novels are First Voices which achieved Recommended Read List in Kirkus Book Reviews, Priests and Warriors received FAPA’s Gold Award, while Shiloh, Unveiled received FAPA’s Silver Award.
My best children’s book is Uncle Earl’s Doggies which received my second Kirkus Book Reviews Recommended Read List. My best research work is a two-part comprehensive analysis of the synoptic gospels, achieving for me my third Kirkus Book Reviews Recommended Read List. For my poetry I received FAPA’s Gold Award for Something Magical in the Soul.
Current Projects and Working on an Agent
What’s coming next? Revisions after revisions of my former material. Because they exist and because they have consumed my energy and efforts, they deserve revisits, even if they had failed in someone’s opinion. I must admit, I am in desperate need of a content editor for my fictional writing. For the past three years I have begged for a content editor specializing in fiction. There is nothing more horrible than to have failed books with the answers as to why they failed always evading me. I am also desperately in need of an agent. (Who isn’t?) I believe I must be wearing the shirt that smells so badly, agents run away whenever I approach them. I don’t know why as I don’t want an advance or magical promises. Considering how extraordinarily handsome and charismatic I am, I would think they would unroll the red carpet for me. But no, it’s always the dirty dishcloth.
Learning More About Walter
I don’t have a blog, or twitter, or a Facebook account. One day, before my tight skin sags and I become fat, bald, and ugly, I will. That is, two seconds before the undertaker drops my corpse in a leftover hole in Arlington. I just hope the bugle players don’t choke on the notes due to vacant attendance.
More About RPLA
The Royal Palm Literary Awards competition is a service of the Florida Writers Association established to recognize excellence in members’ published and unpublished works while providing objective and constructive written assessments for all entrants. Judges include literary agents, publishers, film producers, current or retired professors, teachers, librarians, editors, bestselling and award-winning authors, and journalists from across the nation. Entries are scored against the criteria set by RPLA using rubrics tailored to each genre. Winners are announced at the annual FWA conference during the RPLA awards banquet. To learn more about RPLA, click here for the guidelines.
Paul Iasevoli
Interesting bits of information. Thanks!
Arielle Haughee
Glad you enjoyed it, Paul. I thought it was really interesting how he has a hard time getting agents and other industry folks to understand his style.
Karen Coody Cooper
To be successful while not being successful is so frustrating. But, it doesn’t stop us.
Arielle Haughee
Here, here! Excellent point, Karen.
Sophie Bierker
Congratulations on all of your successes! I found your processes very interesting and informative.
Arielle Haughee
I agree! I enjoyed getting into Walter’s head a bit and seeing how he approaches things.
Ruth Coe Chambers
Very interesting article with so much told about the agony and joy of writing. Regarding agents? Well, when I caught two of them in lies I became very wary, much as I would enjoy attracting a really good one.