Gavin's Underground June 24th 2009

Carl Joglar Interview with Gavin Sheehan

Checking in on local literature as it picks up steam again this summer, one of the most recent books to drop this year was The Perils Of Quad. A sci-fi adventure about a young man who starts to embody superhuman like qualities from parallel versions of himself, but after displaying his new found abilities the information falls into the wrong hands. Leaving it up to him and his new found allies to stop the impending doom. I got a chance to chat with author Carl Joglar about his careers in film and writing, the new book, thoughts on local writing and a few other topics.Carl Joglarhttp://carljoglar.blogspot.com/

Gavin: Hey Carl, first off, tell us a little bit about yourself.

Carl: Well, I was born and raised in New York City – The Bronx to be exact. (that probably sounds bad but it wasn’t) I went to private school my whole life (that probably sounds bad and it was) …just kidding. I studied martial arts briefly as a child, then as a teenager, then as an adult and worked as a clerk at a law firm in Manhattan for seventeen years while studying and pursuing a screenwriting career.

Gavin: How did you first take an interest in writing, and what were some of your first attempts at it?

Carl: I would have to say it started when I took an interest in reading for enjoyment. Ever since I can remember I’ve always loved comic books, and as a teenager I noticed that my sister was always lounging around with her face buried in a different book every week and I remember thinking, “Man, what’s the big deal? There aren’t even any pictures in it.” Then I started reading out of curiosity and I was hooked. I never actually wrote anything until years later, and with my very first screenplays I placed as a quarter-finalist in almost every contest I submitted to… which is what convinced me that I wasn’t a hack so I continued to write. I was one of those writers who was paranoid about the validity of their talent.

Gavin: Who are some of your favorite authors that inspired you and your writing?

Carl: Man, there are so many. With screenwriting, I was completely inspired by David Koepp, Jeb Stuart, Shane Black and M. Night Shyamalan just to name a few. With literary fiction, it was Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Robert R. McCammon at first then I discovered other authors like Tom DeHaven, Michael Chabon, Michael Crichton and Steve Alten.

Gavin: What were your experiences like trying to go through college for writing or filmmaking?

Carl: I left Mercy College and tried to enroll in NYU and the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan but they both said that my high school grades were too low… which, as I’ve said before, is kind of like being rejected for an American Express card because you’re overweight. So, I decided to teach myself. I bought all the best books on the subject and sat down to write my first script. I submitted it to a contest and placed as a quarter-finalist on my first try.

Gavin: What made you take up screenwriting at first?

Carl: In my first and only year at Mercy College I had an English professor who briefly mentioned that he was a screenwriter for Paramount and for some reason I couldn’t stop thinking about that comment. The entire lesson that day was a blur after that. Interestingly enough, by the end of the class I felt possessed. I told him I wanted to be a screenwriter and he asked me what I knew about it and I said “Um…nothing.” He told me to read Syd Field’s Screenwriting and get back to him but by the time I read the book and went back to him he had left the college. So much for having a mentor.

Gavin: How did it feel working on “Children Of Sin” and the success it brought at Lone Star?

Carl: It was incredible for me. It really made me dig my heels in and push forward. I remember it was the first time I ever thought to myself, “Wow, I might be the real thing.” Children of Sin was the first script I ever wrote and that was right after the film schools rejected me. It was only a quarterfinalist but the thing that made it such a success for me, besides placing my first time out, was that I had received a handwritten letter from the judges saying that they were incredibly impressed because they’ve never had a sci-fi fantasy script even place in a predominately drama-driven competition.

Gavin: About how many screenplays have you finished to date, and what was the overall experience for you working in film?

Carl: I’m not saying this to be dramatic but I seriously lost count. If I had to guess I would say fifteen full-length screenplays. But I’ve written dozens of short scripts, including one that was filmed for AMC’s Monsterfest Halloween Special hosted by John Carpenter. So, altogether maybe forty or fifty. The film projects I’ve done weren’t exceedingly glamorous but I’ve had some pretty cool experiences (like the AMC project) Aside from that one, I had sold a couple of independent horror scripts which is always a serious thrill and I was the Story Editor on an independent urban comedy film due out this September. The greatest experience for me so far was being on the phone with film producer Moctesuma Esparza (Selena, Gods and Generals) He had read an action-comedy project that I’d written for a director-friend and he told me how much he loved it. It was an incredible rush.

Gavin: How did the decision come about to move out to Utah?

Carl: I had just left New York and moved closer to my family in Miami but I couldn’t stand it. …The weather, not my family. And my long-distance girlfriend at the time suggested I move out to Utah. I thought about it and couldn’t think of a reason why I shouldn’t, so I did. Several months later, we got married and had a beautiful baby.

Gavin: What brought about the idea to start working on a book?

Carl: While I was struggling with screenwriting in New York, my best friend casually mentioned that I should “change it up” and write a sci-fi book. He might as well have suggested that I try to become a rocket scientist for NASA. I remember laughing and I just shrugged it off because that simply sounded like too much work. It didn’t automatically click… but he had planted a seed.

Gavin: Where did the idea for The Perils Of Quadcome from?

Carl: When I was in New York, I was looking into starting an independent comic book about a group of teenage superheroes. But none of it really excited me except this one character. The power that I created for him was so interesting to me that I found myself unconsciously building a story just around him. (That character would become Bodi Hawkes). Then what my best friend had brought up that time about the book came back to me and it was like mixing chemicals together that began to boil. I couldn’t stop developing it in my head. Once I moved to Utah, I had mentioned to my wife that I had this growing idea for a young adult fiction novel that was taking up so much room in my head that I was forgetting how to tie my shoes. She immediately really pushed me to start it.

Gavin: How was your time spent working on it, and how did you go about finding a publisher for it?

Carl: It took me seven months to write and that was only on weekends so that gives you an idea of how much of the material was rolling around in my head. By the time I actually sat down to write, it just came gushing out. I remember telling my family and friends that the book was done and they just kind of stared at me and said, “The wholebook??” As far as publishing, it could take years to get picked up by a traditional publisher because you have to send out queries. A lot of publishers don’t accept queries and the ones that do reject most of them. So I decided to self-publish right away so I could have an actual book to send out to book clubs and reviewers to increase my exposure. I want to create a platform for myself and a portfolio of reviews and such to increase my chances of getting picked up by a traditional publisher.

Gavin: The book was just released last month and got some good reviews all around. What's been your take on the initial success of the book?

Carl: I’m so happy, and pleasantly surprised, that so many people like it! It’s intended as a young adult novel but I tried to make it enjoyable for adults too and so far it’s worked. For instance, I recently was able to get a famous comic book artist to read it and he said he couldn’t put it down. He was one of my favorite artists growing up so I was really holding my breath on that review.

Gavin: I've read you're already working on the sequel, how is that book coming along?

Carl: It was conceived as a trilogy… but now that I’ve fleshed out those books I could easily continue it as a series. I’ve had treatments for the two other books since the beginning. The second book is titled Rise Of Myth and I pretty much had to flesh out the outline for it when I finished the first book because it’s kind of a continuous story and reveals some interesting and disturbing information that was hidden in the first book. I’m hoping to make the second book an even more thrilling story.

Gavin: A little state-wide, what's your take on the local literary scene and the writers coming out of it?

Carl: It’s amazing! While I was researching book reviewers and trying to submit my manuscript, I came across not only wonderfully competent literary critics but an incredible pool of local writers. I had no idea there was such an enormous circle of creative talent here…and it’s growing!

Gavin: Is there anything you think could be done to make it more prominent?

Carl: Yes, having me on radio and television to promote The Perils Of Quad. Just kidding (sort of). I think if the local media (news stations, newspapers, radio, etc.) were more welcoming and more willing to promote local untraditionally published writers, by that I mean interview and review books from emerging talent, it would generate more interest from the publishing industry and ultimately bring about more nationwide awareness of Utah as a more prominent entertainment circle.

Gavin: Do you have any advice for other local writers about their work and getting published?

Carl: Self-publish your novel but only as a tool to get picked up by a traditional publisher. It gives you an actual book to get out to the public for exposure. I say self-publish only as a tool because unless you have the money, time and resources to properly market and publicize your book it’s going to be near impossible to create the awareness and interest necessary to sell your book to the extent where you can support yourself financially. That being said, if you do self-publish, take the time and invest the money in having it professionally edited because, believe me, professionals will know if you haven’t and they will not read it. Lastly, write what you’re passionately interested in because it’s probably the only thing that will give you the strength to see it through all the way to the end.

Gavin: What are your thoughts on the local book stores and how they're holding up against bigger chains?

Carl: They continue to fight the good fight and it’s incredibly admirable. I support them whole-heartedly and I encourage everyone else to do the same.

Gavin: Do you feel like books are in decline with some being published online, or do you believe there will always be an audience there for a hand-held copy?

Carl: Oh, there’s no doubt there will always be an audience for hard copy books. Right now e-books make up only twenty percent of book sales and that’s probably only because of the whole Kindle craze. The thing is, for true book lovers, there’s something irresistibly nostalgic about the feel, smell and heft of an actual book. Nothing can truly threaten that. The tangibility of it is has been too much a part of our culture to ever be completely forgotten.

Gavin: What can we expect from you the rest of the year?

Carl: I just came back from the NYC Writers Conference and several publishers and possibly a literary agent were interested in the manuscript so hopefully it’ll get picked up! Meanwhile, watch your local papers for other reviews on The Perils Of Quad and a book trailer will be released on YouTube soon. I’ll also be releasing online previews of the second book, Rise Of Myth. Check my blog for updates.

Gavin: Besides the obvious, is there anything you'd like to plug or promote?

Carl: Yes! As I said, I was Story Editor on an independent film called “The Startup” and it’s due out this September. Watch for it! Also, I’m currently co-writing an independent horror screenplay which will soon be shopped around to local film investors. If anyone is interested in funding a local film co-written by yours truly please email sahnafoley@yahoo.com. I’m also available for talks at local schools and I’d like to invite everyone to reach out to me at carl_joglar@hotmail.comor on Facebook and feel free to join my blog for current news and events at my website.