Mike Lynch is an award-winning author whose historical non-fiction book, Dublin, came out in 2007, followed by eight novels, including the historical fiction book, After the Cross. He has also published multiple novellas, short stories and anthologies. Turning his attention to film, three of Mike’s scripts have been produced as shorts, and three of his feature-length screenplays have been optioned by production companies, one of which was awarded as a finalist in the Hollywood Screenplay Contest. In March 2022, Mike filmed an Alcatraz Escape-themed episode with Ken on Expedition Unknown shown on the Discovery Channel. He recently signed with a Los Angeles-based studio that is currently developing a TV show about the Alcatraz escape. Mike lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and cat.

 

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?

Thank you for having me here.

I toyed with stories off and on growing up, but I didn’t start taking it seriously until I took a creative writing class in high school. I enjoyed the process of coming up with a story and seeing how it turned out. I remember reading a novel back in 1982, and it suddenly occurred to me that I could do that. I could write a book, even though I had never written anything like that before, not realizing at the time how much a daunting task that would be. But I somehow knew this was something I could do.

From my earliest memories growing up, I’ve always had a love of stories. I enjoyed drawing pictures when I was young and attaching characters to them and the things they were doing. That later evolved into words. I found it greatly satisfying creating something out of nothing and crafting the story into something special. When I started writing short stories, I often shared them with people so they could go on the same adventure as me. There was something about hearing what they thought of the stories and how much they enjoyed them. That later became my experience when my novels started making their appearances.

As I previously mentioned, I enjoy the writing process and sharing my stories with others. What is hard for me is selling the books when they’re published. That for me is a grind. You have to go out and set up author interviews, book signings, promote yourself online, and whatever else it takes to create buzz for your book. And whatever it is you’re doing, it’s never enough. There’s always something you can try you hope will generate sales. The worst times for me are when I put a lot of effort into promotional events, and I hardly sell any books.

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

Happy to.

On June 11, 1962, three bank robbers — John Anglin, Clarence Anglin and Frank Morris – escaped from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, and presumably drowned in the San Francisco Bay . . . or did they?

Everyone loves a true crime mystery that’s begging to be solved — the JFK assassination, Amelia Earhart, and Jimmy Hoffa. On the same list is the famous 1962 Alcatraz prison escape. The official FBI report concluded that John Anglin, Clarence Anglin and Frank Morris most likely drowned.

After years of painstaking research, I have co-authored a book with Ken Widner, Alcatraz: The Last Escape, who is the nephew of John and Clarence, in which we provide proof that the three not only survived the escape, but later arrived in South America.

Ken has amassed many family stories no one has heard before, and I can tell you this goes beyond the escape. Other people involved are mobster Mickey Cohen, mobster Whitey Bulger, mobster Bumpy Johnson, famous stripper Candy Barr, drug runner Fred Brizzi, and Jack Ruby, among others.

You can check more about our book and bios on our website: https://www.alcatrazfamilysecrets.com/

3) What projects are you currently working on?

As a way of promoting Alcatraz: The Last Escape, Ken and I are doing a podcast called, My Uncles Escaped Alcatraz. You can find links for the episodes on our website. We are also talking with networks about creating a TV show based on the book.

4) 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?

Back in 2007 I wrote a book about the history of Dublin, California. My family emigrated from Ireland in the late 1840s and arrived in San Francisco in 1852. They moved to Dublin six years later. Because members of my family were buried in the nearby town of Livermore, they were not included in Dublin’s official history. Because of the book, that changed, and the city even named a park in their memory. That, for me, is the biggest achievement in all my years of writing and publishing.

In the next five years, that’s hard to say. You never know where the future will take you.

5) How have you dealt with rejection within your writing career?

Rejection is a part of the publishing process. Every writer, no matter how successful, has faced the dreaded rejection letter. You must know that going into the crazy world of publishing. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, a publisher or agent will tell you why they rejected your book. When they do, think hard about what they say because they are usually right. I sometimes think about the quality of my writing in the beginning compared to now, and it has much improved largely because I listened to those people who told me where my stories fell short. However, there’s still the sting of rejections, no matter how helpful. This may sound like a cliché, but you have to keep sending out those query letters to publishers and agents. If you stop, then it’s over. You may receive 100 rejection letters, or 200, or more, but you only need one yes. It’s a matter of finding that person who believes in your story as much as you do. It’s okay to feel sad for a while when they pass on your book, and maybe even a little bit angry about the rejection letters. No one likes to receive bad news, especially when we believe we have a good shot with a particular publisher. But the feelings will subside, and you will hopefully be able to look at your story more objectively. Make the changes that need to be made or perhaps your query letter. It must set itself apart from the hundreds of other query letters publishers and agents receive every month. You are competing against thousands of other hopeful writers for those few prized slots. That’s why you cannot give up if you truly believe your story is worth publishing.

6) 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?

For most writers, they work on their books whenever they have free time. For me, it is usually an hour or two after work, and a few hours on the weekend. I friend of mine who was a writer used to get up early in the morning for work and do his writing then.

I usually have a rough outline for my books that are several pages long. I think of it as the skeleton of the story. I then fill in all the details as I write each chapter, such as characters’ personalities, back stories, important events in their lives, story elements, peripheral stuff that feeds into the main story, and the like. Though I have a general idea where I want the story to go, I also give myself the freedom to change course as new and better ideas pop into my head. That’s one of the fun parts of writing for me, when I surprise myself about one of my characters or story arc and where I end up at the end. For example, someone I thought of as a major character can be demoted or removed entirely, while a relatively minor character can grow into a major one. You never know.

On average, it usually takes me about a year to finish a book.

7) 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?

If a person has a desire to be a writer, no matter how old they are, then I say write that story. For nearly all hopeful authors, they will never be on the New York Times Bestsellers list or earn enough money through sales to quit their day job. However, they have the potential to walk into a bookstore and see their novel sitting on the shelf or do a speaking engagement or book signing. Having a book published is an amazing achievement most people will never experience, so I say go for it no matter how old you are.

Becoming a successful writer comes down to a person’s passion and creativity, which is not age related in my opinion. In fact, an older person might have a better chance of enjoying strong sales for their book because they generally have a wider circle of friends, life experiences that could help promote their book in strategic ways and have the financial resources to promote their book on a variety of platforms. Of course, a powerful marketing campaign doesn’t guarantee success in terms of sales, but it sure does help.

8) Are you an avid reader and have you always been? What’s the first book you ever read that really touched you emotionally and moved you?  Who is your favorite author? What book are you currently reading?

Strangely enough, I didn’t develop a love of reading until later in my life. I didn’t know this when I was young, but I am a visual learner. I used to build model airplanes when I was a boy, and often grew frustrated reading the directions while trying to put the model together. However, I had greater success when I looked at the pictures and figured out how the pieces fit together. I think I just needed to mature as a person and develop the patience of taking a year out of my life and creating a story.

Books didn’t move me growing up, but TV shows and movies did. As far as my favorite writer, I’d have to say Rod Serling of Twilight Zone fame. The stories he wrote are amazing, which still stand up today because they focus on the human condition, which never changes.

I don’t mean to be grim, but I just finished a book called Treblinka, which chronicles what it was like at the death camp during World War II. I have a love of history, the Second World War being a particular interest of mine.

9) Given the recent shake-ups in publishing, what are your thoughts about how the publishing industry is being represented today? Do you lean more towards traditional publishing or self-publishing as a preference? Does being a hybrid author interest you?

The biggest shock for me as a published author is how much of a book’s promotion and success rests largely on the author’s shoulders. Depending on how large the publisher is and resources available, they will do some promotion for the writer, but not as much as most authors expect. Back in the day, this wasn’t the case. They did a lot to make a book a success. But as the number of readers has dropped over the years, publishing companies have been forced to become leaner, which means eliminating all but the most important jobs that keep the company from going out of business. Today, the writers are the ones who usually set up book reviews, author appearances, podcasts, radio shows, newspaper articles, book signings, and the like. Because most publishers are on the smaller side, they just don’t have the ability to set up a marketing/promotional plan for each of their authors, which seems counterintuitive since our success is their success. But that’s how it is for writers these days. Unless you’re already famous or your book has very strong sales, they won’t be setting up a tour for you or an aggressive marketing campaign. Publishing companies just don’t have the money for it in most cases.

Based on that reality, a writer may decide to self-publish instead of going through the arduous process with a traditional publisher. Since we are basically doing all the promotion anyway, why not? Most of the royalties for each sale go to you, versus the 10% that is common with traditional publishers. However, many self-published books are self-published for a reason, the writing isn’t that good. There is tremendous value in being told where your writing falls short since it forces you to do the necessary rewrites and get better as a writer. There’s just no substitute for time crafting your story. If you are an impatient person, or don’t want to go through the traditional publishing process, you do have the option of self-publishing. Just make sure your story really shines. Because if it’s not very good, good luck getting glowing reviews on Amazon or enjoying strong future sales when the next books follow.

10) 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 believe a writer needs to know himself first before tackling novel-length stories. People often refer to that as their voice. What is the message you are communicating in your story? What is the message you are trying to communicate to your readers? That stems from you and how you see yourself and the world, even if it’s a science story set on another planet. We must tell stories we can relate to, or they won’t make any sense to us. Where does that connection come from – our collective experiences as people. For example, in the original Star Trek TV series, the show’s writers masked the social problems of the sixties – racism, war, prejudice, the problem of evil – under the guise of a sci-fi story set on a different world. Because each writer had a particular view about those things, and what should be done about it, they created a story seen by millions of people, hoping they too might take action.

I believe that every story should be founded on the truth. I always endeavor to have my protagonists base their actions and beliefs on what is absolutely right, even with all their flaws, and the antagonists reflect a distortion of what is right and true. I know this is not a popular idea, but I believe absolute right and truth exist in the world, as does absolute evil. This comes from being a church-going person all my life. If we believe absolute truth doesn’t really exist, then it’s a matter of believing what is right for us, which has led again and again one group in a society to oppress another group in some way. I pretty much incorporate those same beliefs in my stories. And like the writers who wrote for Star Trek and other shows, I too hope I can challenge a reader’s ideas about the world, faith, and fighting for truth when they read my stories.