Steven Joseph is a first-generation American, veteran attorney, negotiator, prolific speaker, and a modern humorist. He’s a real New Yorker. A fully cured overweight person, Steven is a five times Boston Marathon runner and 16 times NYC Marathon runner – balancing it all perfectly through the art of Zen.

Yet Steven believes he is smart enough to know that he hasn’t figured everything out, except for crankiness. Learn more about Steven Joseph through his blogs.

1) First, I want to thank you for taking the time to do this interview with me! When did you know that writing is what you were called to do? What is it about being a writer that you love the most? What about being a writer frustrates you the most?

I am a lawyer by day and was first asked back in 1995 to write two chapters in a textbook for a legal seminar I was speaking at. The attorney who invited me said that if you ever want to be an expert about anything, write about it.

I started writing children’s books in 2019, and that led to my blog on crankiness. I then got hooked when I kept finding more fun things to write about.

The thing I love the most is when I say I am done with a great idea, and there is nothing left. The next day, almost by magic, the next idea pops in my head like a lightning bolt from the sky.

Frustrating thing. All the little things to do other than writing.

2) Can you tell us a little about your book(s) and where our readers can find out more about them and you?

I have my two adult books, “A Grownup Guide to Effective Crankiness, The CrankaTsuris Method” and “Cranky Superpowers: Life Lessons Learned from the CrabnkaTsuris Chronicles.”

My kid books are:

The Last Surviving Dinosaur: The TyrantoCrankaTsuris

Snoodles, Poodles, Kidoodles and Lots and Lots of Noodles

Snoodles in Space: A Snoodle, the Zoodle Kidoodles and One Happy Schmoodle

And next Month:

Snoodles in Space, Episode 2: The Zoodles Strike Back

And Next Year:

Snoodles in Space: Escape from Zoodletraz

You can check me out and my award-winning blog at www.StevenJosephAuthor.com

3) Where do you draw your inspiration from for the stories that you manage to weave together and the characters that you create?

Much of the inspiration comes from my day job, and funny things people say. An attorney walks into a meeting and says proudly “This aint my first rodeo!”, or a mediator who is getting paid a thousand dollars an hour says “Don’t shoot me! I am only the messenger!” Hey, if I needed just a messenger, I can get one for minimum wage!

4) Do you have a schedule for when you write? Do you outline your novels? How long does it generally take you to finish a novel? What projects are you currently working on?

I do not have any particular schedule. I actually write when I run. I go running two hours every morning, and the stories appear and get written while I am running.

5) What’s the first book you ever read that really moved you emotionally? Who is your favorite author to read? What book are you currently reading?

I can’t remember the first book since I am too old for that (Age 62). However, I remember “The Plot Against America” by Phillip Roth that really moved me. I am currently reading “Hate: The Rising Tide of Anti-Semitism in France” by Marc Weitzmann because I am planning to write a legal thriller set in France with Anti-Semitism being a big issue in the story.

6) What has been your most significant achievement as a writer thus far? Where do you see yourself within your career in the next five years?

The most significant achievement is that I have written six books so far, five released, and five award winners. The Snoodles series I hope to convert it to an animated feature.

7) How have you dealt with rejection within your writing career? What is your advice for other writers to better be able to cope or navigate their way through the publishing process, be it traditional or self-publishing?

I have not dealt with rejection since I have gone the independent route though I do want to get an agent as the next step. My advice to other writers is what I say to people who tell me I will not make money writing books. My response is that I make me.

8) Do you find it hard to juggle the creative side of being a writer against the business side of being a writer, in terms of marketing and promotion and things of that nature? How hard has it been (or easy) for you to build up your author platform?

Absolutely. I have a publicist who has become family to me, and I do not have time to do the marketing since I have my day job. But I am very proud of the Cranky and Snoodles brands that I have created from scratch!

9) So many writers say that they hate reading their own work. Do you ever enjoy reading your own work back to yourself after it’s out there for the rest of the world?

I love my kid books. I also have favorite chapters in the adult books and still can play them in my head. Of course, when I do some reading from my book, I do find that I end up re-writing some of the stuff!

10) Do you believe that there is ever a point in life where it’s too late for an aspiring writer to become successful in this industry? Do you feel a late start would hinder their chances?

I do not think so since I started when I was 57.

11) I feel like writing is a remarkable tool to help people not only express themselves, but also to cope emotionally and mentally. I know for me I write to be and feel more authentic. What unique quality is there about you, about your art, that you feel represents your authenticity? How does writing help you to be more empowered in your purpose?

I feel that what I write about, it is stuff that only I could write. There is a unique voice with my own unique experiences. I grew up in the Bronx and my mother went through the Holocaust and that was always present in my house. She was also the funniest person I ever met.

And writing definitely helps me work out all those cranky moments I have experienced over the years!!