Your first manuscript went unpublished many years ago but you kept on writing. What advice would you give to writers who don't have initial success?

Captain Saturday Book Review Excerpt Yo Will, what's the weather? It's a phrase Will Baggett's used to hearing everywhere he goes. After all, he's the most popular weatherman in Raleigh, North Carolina. In fact, he's the happiest man in the world. Great job. Happy marriage. Healthy as can be. His son's working hard to become a doctor. Yes indeed, life is wonderful for Will Baggett. But all that's about to change. Complete Review

Thank God that first manuscript wasn't published. It wasn't good enough, and I'd hate to be known for it.

But it did teach me that I had the persistence to produce a book-length work of fiction, and that I had some talent for the business. There are lots of folks with enough talent to write a book, but only a few who actually do. The difference is in the level of stubborn persistence.

Writing itself is an act of failure. You confront a blank piece of paper and try to put something on it worthwhile.

But you never get it exactly right. What you do, then, is just go on and do the best you can.

The first book you sold was actually back in 1986. But you didn't quit your "day job" in news until 10 years later. What finally convinced you to take the leap into writing fiction full-time?

Success.

By 1996, I had published two novels, Home Fires Burning and Old Dogs and Children, and had a third, Dairy Queen Days, ready to publish. I had also gotten into screenwriting. Hallmark Hall of Fame bought Home Fires Burning and hired me to write the script, and that led to other film work.

I finally got to the point where I thought I could make a living at this, so I told the boss at the TV station that I wouldn't renew my contract. "I think I've found what I want to do when I grow up," I said.

So far, so good.

As a member of numerous writing organizations, what benefits have you experienced from being a member? And what qualities do you think writers should look for when thinking about joining?

Writing is lonely, painful work. It's not a team sport. You do it one bloody word at a time in private.

But after you've done that, I think it helps to commiserate with other writers. I'm personally wary of writing groups, because I don't want anybody but my editor and me messing with my work.

Some writers find them extremely valuable. Larger organizations provide contact with fellow sufferers and in many cases provide invaluable help to writers in terms of contract negotiation and the like.

I think the measure of any organization is the true service and the sense of community it provides to its members.

When and where do you do your best writing and do you have to be in a specific frame of mind to be productive?

I work best in the morning, and I started doing that when I was on television. I anchored the early- and late-evening newscasts, so I went to work at mid-afternoon and stayed at the station until midnight.

I had my mornings free, and got in the habit of spending an hour or two at writing. Momentum is so important to me.

I invent this imaginative world and populate it with people I'm interested in, and my job is to go visit them every day and see what they're up to. Some days I really feel pumped up about getting to the work. Some days I don't.

But if I just go sit down and stare out the window for awhile, I ease into that other world. And when I finish, I find that the work I've done is about the same quality, whether I was full of inspiration when I started or not. The name of the game is applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair and not letting anything else get in the way.

What project(s) are you currently working on?

I've started a new novel, tentatively titled "The Governor's Lady." I'm working on a screenplay for Dairy Queen Days. I'm finishing work on a stage musical. And I'm paying a lot of attention these days to my relationships, thanks to Will Baggett.

A very special thanks to Robert Inman for giving us a backstage tour into his literary world. Check the FictionAddiction.NET Events Calendar to find out when Inman's coming to your town. And don't forget, you can purchase any of his novels, including his new release Captain Saturday, through this site by visiting Amazon.com, Books-A-Million, Barnes & Noble or visit your favorite bookstore for more details.