Interview with Roy Fletcher

Published 2017-11-24.
Describe your desk and what happens there.
My desk contains all the tools required for my music making and word crafting. The majority of my writing is actually songwriting, followed by music composition. I have a few starts to new books I'm considering. When those characters come to life in my mind like the melodies I hear, then I write about them. They grow in a rather organic fashion. When they develop legs and breath of their own, they grace the pages I keep nearby in the various composition books bearing the titles that determine their destinies.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
Being the son of a military policeman who loved nothing better than greener pastures, I grew up everywhere. I absorbed sights and sounds of vastly disparate places and vivid, interesting characters. The greatest thing I absorbed from those experiences is the ability to see different perspectives without losing my own. I think this lends me the ability to create realistic, multi-dimensional characters and situations in my writing.
When did you first start writing?
My first memories of seriously writing were around age 13 - the same time I began playing guitar. This took the form of songs, poems, and short stories.
What's the story behind your latest book?
I decided to leave my successful touring and recording band to be home and raise my young son. I needed a career change, so decided much to everyone's surprise that I'd teach special education. When my educational colleagues began to call me a rock star due to my abilities to get through to my students, it started the kernel of the idea that grew into "Special Ed Rock Star".
What motivated you to become an indie author?
The same thing that motivated me to become an indie musician and record company founder - the DIY spirit my father instilled in me. I want to accomplish as much as possible with this life and the gifts I've been given, so I can't afford to wait for someone to approve of my projects before I pursue and complete them.
How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
Smashwords makes it easy for me to get my books out there into the light of day. I've just published the first one, and I can see the empowering effect of not just having a book on a flash drive or as a printed motivational copy lying on my desk. This has become a reality, thus a motivation to create more books in the future.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Completing a work that contributes something positive and creative to the world. I enjoy the journey - that is, the process of wrestling with ideas until they say what I want to communicate, but the end result is most rewarding. It is both the satisfaction of completion and the impetus to begin again.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
The Boy and the Golden Guitar (it probably wasn't that good, because only the title remains).
What are you working on next?
I'm working on a new solo guitar CD. I also plan to write a Christmas musical for my students. I have a few book starts with one strongly in the lead right now. It will have to pass muster with my children, though, who so far enjoy the main character and his perspective on middle school life.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
God has given me breath, intellect, and passion. These are enough to lead me to the daily discoveries and creations that propel me forward. Coffee helps, too.
Smashwords Interviews are created by the profiled author or publisher.

Books by This Author

Special Ed Rock Star
Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 14,940. Language: English. Published: November 24, 2017 . Categories: Nonfiction » Biography » Teachers & educators
Roy Fletcher decided that raising his son was more important than the rock stardom that loomed on his horizon. In a move even more surprising than leaving his up-and-coming band, he became a special education teacher. Special Ed Rock Star chronicles the journey of the struggles and bittersweet joys he experienced while working with students who taught him humility and compassion.