Hello my lovelies! Welcome to Interview FoxSeat featuring author Wes Choc.
Growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Wes Choc joined the US Marine Corps in 1965 during the Vietnam era. Partly as an act of self identification, part rebellion, part exploration, he joined with his best friend ... not really grasping what was yet come. Upon coming back to the US in late 1967, he used his "map-head" and went to work for AAA marking maps for members, giving directions, and generally thriving inside this travel-oriented culture. In 1992, he was appointed president/CEO of AAA MountainWest (the AAA company overseeing Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska territory). He retired in 2008; he and his wife now live in Tucson, Arizona.
Book blurb: Book #1 titled "Just Dust – An Improbable Marine's Vietnam Story" was published in 2014. A reluctant marine to begin with, Wes Choc came very close not making it through boot camp at all; yet, he went on to experience a series of unpredicted and unusual events ... events that were quite atypical even among other marines in Vietnam. Though not the "Rambo" type at all, his unit (the 26th Marine Battalion) eventually was assigned to the a town called Khe Sanh ... arguably one of the nastiest, most grueling, and most deadly places in Southeast Asia. Then what came after his return to the States became an extended and indeed compelling denouement to this unusual story.
Book #2 titled "Inconspicuous – Walter Rothwell's Undercover Journey During the Cold War" was published in late 2015. Wally Rothwell had read "Just Dust" and approached his neighbor, Wes Choc, about recording a few of his own memories during and after World War II. Inspired by a series of conversations over a 15 month period of weekly meetings, this hearing-impaired elderly gentleman turned one verbal page after another recounting stories of value and penetrating historical significance. Born of quite famous parents, Wally could speak four languages fluently and without an accent (he was raised in Europe). He was not only a spy, but his undercover work bore historical consequence ... and few people even knew who he was since he was so ... inconspicuous. Inspired by Wally's own expressions of confidence and candor, Wes Choc penned his biography and published it just in time. [Wally Rothwell passed away January 21, 2016]
Why do you write? Writing is a form of self expression ... a medium within which I am very comfortable.
When did you decide to become a writer? I have always been friendly with words, even over my forty years in business. I'm not sure I can say exactly when I "became" a writer. I became published for the first time in 2014.
What genre are your books? Non-fiction: Military history, military memoir, and travel.
What draws you to this genre? I'm comfortable with these subjects, and I have had enough personal experiences that I also have insights others usually do not have.
How long does it usually take you to complete a book? One year, more or less.
What made you decide to sit down and actually start something? I have begun to write one story or another numerous times (hundreds of pages of "false starts" I might add here). Eventually, I was persuaded by the clock (i.e., being on Social Security) to create something more formal and lasting.
Do you write full-time or part-time? I write notes, make edits, think about language and writing 24-7 ... I've always enjoyed playing with words ... but an honest definition would be part-time. I have many other distractions, like family events, personal travel, and volunteering (VA hospital, English as a second language training, working with troubled youth, etc.).
Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured? I'm always putting words on paper erratically in one way or another, so I would say I'm likely unstructured.
How do you think you've evolved creatively? I'm not sure when it happened, but I do believe I have evolved creatively over my whole life. Words always have meaning, now they make images. Words reflect language, now they induce environments where others share these sensitivities. Words are worlds.
What have you written? In addition to the two published books outlined above (one of which is now a second edition), I've penned a few short stories one of which was published in an anthology; other travel stories are on my website.
Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just seeing where an idea takes you? Ideas are inevitable hooks and then words naturally follow. Who knows where these "lines" will lead you. The only "outline" I consider using may be presenting things chronologically; but, no ... seldom do I think about outlines or plots.
How do you market your books? Besides Amazon and Barnes & Noble, I have my own website (weschoc.com) and I sprinkle breadcrumbs about my writings in various social media sites for others to follow if they like. I have had a few book signing events, and I've given several presentations (e.g. speeches to small groups, libraries, assisted living facilities, city TV and radio interviews, etc.), but these are all local to Tucson, Arizona.
Is there any marketing technique you used that had an immediate impact on your sales figures? Any time there has been an event, there is an impact on my website, but I can't otherwise say there was anything with an immediate impact of any particular consequence ... a best, a few little bumps on the sales graph.
Did you make any marketing mistakes or is there anything you would avoid in the future? If I were younger or if I had more time, I would have tried harder to find an agent or publicist who would help me with marketing and general promotion. There are so many little details.
Do you find promoting your books challenging or enjoyable? Giving speeches or engaging groups about the subjects in my writing is quite enjoyable. Expanding "local" into anything bigger seems intimidating at my age, but I'm still able to open new doors. Opening doors is a form of exploration too.
Any advice for aspiring authors? Understand what makes you passionate and make honest choices. Never stop discovering. Enjoy the journey for what it is. Plant seeds, then harvest. Create. In the end, matter.
Give us an insight into your main character. What does he do that is so special? Book #1 is autobiographical, so it's of course inherently special (we would have to ask someone else who has read the book, wouldn't we?). Book #2 is biographical, and the character is special because he was so modest yet achieved so much ... and I discovered him, my neighbor, so serendipitously.
Where do your ideas come from? Life experiences and listening to others' stories (especially people I barely know).
What is the hardest thing about writing? Avoiding big words that I know, but are otherwise not widely used. Sometimes, my concepts or images are not always communicated with sufficient skill, and this can show up in rather oblique use of metaphors. So, perhaps it is the discipline of editing (it's a curse, and it's a blessing).
Which writers inspire you? Charles Darwin, Harper Lee, Joyce Carol Oates,
You mentioned you're writing a new story. How about a teaser? The son of quite famous parents, this rebel carves his own path using the ability to speak four languages fluently and becomes a spy ... then his undercover rendezvous turn into historically consequential acts ... inconspicuously.
Who is your favorite character in your book and why? The main character (this is a biography), Walter Rothwell.
If your book were made into a movie, whom would you cast? Richard Dreyfuss (as he did in the movie Bernie Maidoff) could play the role of Wally Rothwell in Book #2 – Inconspicuous.
What is your next project? I have traveled extensively, and I have several stories that are likely worth developing into books or e-books.
Who is your favorite fictional character and why? Truman from the book and movie, The Truman Story (movie character played by Jim Carey).
What one person from history would you like to meet and why? Charles Darwin. I'm impressed with his thought process and all the things he discovered, especially during the times he lived.
Who inspires your writing? Others who share their stories with me. And, of course nearly all the people who listen to my stories and say "you need to write a book about that."
Who is your favorite author and which of their books is your favorite? There isn't just "one." Charles Darwin, the Origin of Species. Map Addict by Mike Parker. Peter Beagle, The Rhinoceros who Quoted Nietzsche. The Adventures in Human Being by Gavin Francis. Numerous others.
Do you or have you sat down and read your book fresh off the presses as if it wasn't yours? And if you did, what was it like? Actually, yes. I was "caught" between being awed and being overly critical. Then, after that, there surfaces that "one more thing" to edit, or rephrase, or expand. I re-read passages often.
What is one thing you hate about being a writer? Other people's dismissal or disapproval of how I spend my free time. I cringe when I hear someone say, "Why don't you play more golf." MF: I get the opposite. I have someone close who thinks I'm just sitting on my a** doing nothing. Writes my writing off as playing around.
What do you think of traditional publishing vs. self-publishing? Both have their place and value. Unfortunately, because of modern technology, many good authors are never read because of poor marketing. Self-published is an expense not every writer can afford, and many self-published authors can only afford so much, so their works are lost in the fray of stacks and stacks of books.
What book are you currently reading or just finished? "The Pun Also Rises" by John Pollack [he too likes words like I like words].
What do your fans mean to you? I'm unsure how to answer this. Those who enjoy what I've written go out of their way to engage me; and, we can talk a lot, sometimes endlessly, about war stories or language or historic people of consequence. I believe this to be mutually satisfying.
Tell us something unique about you. I have a map head. I never get lost, I think linearly, and my mind categorizes place-names ad infinatum (often to others' dismay). I collect maps and atlases. Sometimes I become mesmerized by the GPS in my car ... less about the directions, more about the processes and depictions. Most folks I know don't understand this.
In my first book, "Just Dust", there is an interesting chapter where I "hacked a military secret using a paper sextant" ... that went on to raise eyebrows and open doors quite unique for a young marine. Just that story alone can capture an audience, and I've used it in several presentations. It's definitely a one-of-a-kind story.
Is there anything else you would like to add? My "map head" described above has, over time, induced me to travel ... often to some fairly exotic or out of the way places. Whether it's how I spent several months teaching English in Ecuador, or my flat tire in the Yukon barrens, or my wife breaking her arm in Egypt, or all the free beer in those Irish pubs (they like Americans!) ... well, there are indeed so many more stories to tell. Let me tell you about these statues on Las Ramblas in Barcelona; they're alive!
Then there are all those coincidences, all those Kevin Bacon kind of events that plague my thinking, and continue to induce so many more stories worth exploring.
Yes, I'm beginning to understand infinity.
Many thanks Wes for coming by to talk with me! I look forward to seeing you again when you have another new release to shout out.
For more about Wes and his work, follow the links below: