Where have you spent most of your childhood?
I grew up in southern Ontario, Canada, where following a happy upbringing of schooling, friends, family and all-round youthful fun, I moved to the province of Alberta at the age of 22 to begin a career in television broadcasting.
Why do you love planes so much?
Ever since I can remember, I’ve loved anything that flies. My dad also loved airplanes, so more than likely I inherited this love-of-aviation trait directly from him! At 51 years old, he finally fulfilled his dream and acquired his pilot’s licence while I was still a teenager. From that day forward, I flew with him as his unofficial co-pilot every opportunity I had before I finally moved away from home to my first legitimate job in Alberta. My dad passed away 30 years ago, and there isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t wish I could fly with him again.
Did you ever dream of becoming a pilot?
I’ve dreamed of becoming a pilot all of my life, and to this day, that goal still eludes me. Flying is an expensive pursuit, and with three ravenous children to feed and clothe through the years, it never seemed to fit within the parameters of our family budget. As a result of my, ‘no fly nest egg’, I went with plan B. This flying strategy involved me building up an advanced computer-based flight simulator in my home, a virtual cockpit where I’ve been able to log 1,000’s of hours of flight time in my virtual pilot logbook! One day before I get too much older, fingers still crossed, I hope to learn to fly for real. Time to check the piggy bank!
Self-Discovery: What do you know now that you didn't know 5 years ago?
Five years ago, I was still writing my first, and thus far, my only novel—DELIVERIES. I’ve always dreamed of authoring a book, and though unsure if that dream would ever become a reality, I’ve learned that no matter how old you are, dreams can come true if you firmly set your mind to it. My advice? Take your time in achieving whatever goal it is that you hold dear, and never, ever give up. The past five years have taught me to persevere, that despite any doubts in my head or the obstacles in my way, I can accomplish whatever I set out to do. And, so can you!
What is a good book to study to help you write suspense novels?
That’s a very good question. One of my most revered authors is Dale Brown, a master story-teller and bestselling author of dozens of flying-related, military-style adventures! Though not a self-help genre of books, Dale’s stories have definitely inspired and influenced my writing. His action sequences get into my head and bleed from my pores when crafting my own wild-ride narrative. In my opinion, much can be gleaned from other writers if you just take the time to observe the details in their writing.
What are some ways to build mystery or suspense in writing by controlling what the reader knows?
For me as a new author, half the fun when concluding a chapter was figuring out a way to keep the reader in just enough suspense to leave them wanting more. With DELIVERIES, I’ve had readers tell me that they’ve lost sleep because they just had to get through another chapter to find out what happened next! Believe me, there is hardly a better compliment for an author than that! I’ve learned that ending each chapter with a mini to medium-sized cliff-hanger is a wonderful way to grow the mystery and suspense in your story, and to leave your reader craving more.
What challenges did you face while creating anticipation and suspense when writing your novel, DELIVERIES?
I’m going to be completely honest here. Before DELIVERIES, I was not a writer despite always aspiring to be one. The biggest challenge I faced was in not knowing that I could actually do it. Then, one day I sat down writing. One chapter became two, then ten, then over the years (yes, I’m a slow writer) I maxed out at forty-three. I wasn’t sure I was on the right track until I allowed my wife to read my first few chapters. When she kept telling me to hurry up and write the next chapter, I knew I was onto something good—that I had in fact created anticipation and suspense for my only reader at that time; my wife—but also hopefully for any future readers who crave a bone-jarring ride!
What are fatal flaws in fiction writing?
Thus far, with only one book to my credit, I’m not certain I’m qualified to answer this question. All I can do, is share what I consider for myself as a fatal flaw in some fiction books that I’ve read and cast aside before finishing. For me, slow chapters with little action and too much tedious back story causes me to lose interest very quickly. I want a story that keeps me engaged from the start and sets a hook deep into my gut from chapter to chapter. This was my mindset for DELIVERIES. The entire book, all 588 pages happens inside of 24 hours, so the action doesn’t really stop. (Just saying!)
What fictional character do you wish never existed?
There are simply too many fictional characters that I wished never existed to even mention here, but having said that, a story without a nasty fictional character, or antagonist, isn’t really a story at all. I’m an Avengers franchise movie enthusiast, so if I could single out one very bad Hombre, it would have to be Thanos, who in no uncertain terms is one the nastiest dudes in the universe. Snuffing out life was his claim to fame, and in my opinion, Iron Man should have ensured that Thanos had never existed from the get-go!
What's the most important thing you've learned in your journey of self-discovery?
As mentioned earlier, I’ve learned in my journey of writing-related self-discovery, that you are never too old to take up the challenge of authoring a book, especially with no previous writing experience. Over seven years, I taught myself one paragraph at a time, and though I re-wrote my manuscript for DELIVERIES many times over, I feel that I became a better storyteller in the end, thereby proving to myself that I had crafted something between the pages of a book that people would actually want to read.
What are some tips for beginner videographers?
I’ve had a camera in my hands for 35 years, everything from 16mm film cameras, to countless video cameras and 35 mm SLR’s. It doesn’t matter how well you know your camera, what matters the most is how you learn to use it. The best tip I can pass along to a beginning photographer or Videographer is to take the time to really see what’s in your view finder. Check your framing and composition for every shot and eliminate anything unwanted—such as a background tree growing out of someone’s head! Watch your horizon line and keep it level! There’s nothing worse than viewing a shot of a beautiful sunset over a glassy lake, but the horizon line is skewed at an uneven angle. And...use a tripod whenever possible until you become efficient at hand-held shooting. Okay, so that was more than one tip, but this question has got my cameraman brain rolling!
What is your most memorable in-flight experience?
During my television career, I’ve had the privilege of flying in many types of aircraft. One such memory occurred when flying in a Bell Jet-Ranger helicopter with the side door removed to facilitate for better video capture of a scene on the ground. The feeling of sitting with my body leaned outside of the helicopter and my feet on the landing struts left a smile on my face for days, and yes, I was strapped in! On a side note, every flight I had with my father in a Cessna or Piper aircraft was monumentally special to me and always proved a highly memorable experience.
What are the ways to spend the weekend with family and friends?
During Covid, it’s been very challenging to spend quality time with family and friends. Hence, my wife Diane and I have learned to enjoy weekend drives in the country or, with coffee’s in hand, we’ll venture off for an overnight to a small rented cabin in the mountains. We enjoy walks together and binge-watching our favorite shows, and whenever possible, video chats with our two grandsons who live 5 hours away by car.
Which is the next book you are working on? When is it due for release?
At this point in time, I’m attempting a sequel to DELIVERIES. I’m sitting at roughly two-thirds complete, and because DELIVERIES was a large novel, I’m striving for a similar sized book 2. This entire adventure is going to happen within a shorter window of time than it’s predecessor, so the action is going to keep the reader on their toes and will absolutely be a white-knuckler like it’s older brother! No set timeline for release at this point, but I’m sure working hard on it! Be sure to check out my website for details at paulsmythauthor.com
When did you join AllAuthor? How has your experience been?
I joined AllAuthor in June 2020. I can honestly tell you that this organization is so on top of their game in supporting authors, that I always find it incredible that they spend so much personalized time promoting my book on a weekly basis through social media and through my own AllAuthor web page! Every week they send me a beautiful Book Mockup banner that I can use to advertise my book, or I can log in and create my own. Even this author interview was a wonderful surprise and is so greatly appreciated by someone on a limited promotional book budget! All in all, my experience with AllAuthor has been fantastic, and without reservation, I’d encourage every author out there to sign on as a way to promote their work.
