Interview with an Author: S.J. Varengo
Scott Varengo is the author of Welcome Home, a collection of short fiction, the fantasy series Cerah of Quadar, the thriller series Cleanup Crew, and the literary love story Jelly Jars.. He has co-authored several SpyCo novellas with Craig A. Hart, as well as Serenity Reborn. He also co-hosts the writing-themed podcast Good Sentences along with Mr. Hart.
When did you write your first book/How did you get started writing?
I wrote two books when I was in sixth grade. They were detective stories starring myself and two of my best friends. They were raging successes in my own mind, although they’ve been lost since the 20th century.
I got my start sort of automatically. I remember thinking “I need to write this.” The book Harriet the Spy, essentially a book about being a kid and a writer, also played a role.
Do you have any special tools or inspiration for writing?
Long Answer: I have literally been inspired by just about everything I’ve ever read. I will admit sometimes it’s an inspiration to be sure not to write like this, but don’t look at those as unworthy inspirations. My life and the lives of my friends are also inspiration and have been used once or twice.
Short answer: If you aren’t inspired in some way by every breath you take, you should probably think about breathing more.
What is your favorite thing about writing?
There are literally dozens of things about writing that I love, but my honest answer has always been a little embarrassing.
My favorite thing is a feeling. There are times I’m writing, and it feels like work. If I do what I know I need to do it will generally come out right.
But there are times, rare and too far removed from one another, when for no logical reason the writing comes out so good that after finishing, I feel physically strong. I feel just like the football player everyone came to watch; the slugger everyone is there to see hit loooonnng homeruns.
It is the only thing that makes me feel like that these days, as my athletic career is way behind me, but when it happens it always makes me think, “Oh yeah. This is why I do this.”
Why have you chosen the genres you write in? What do you think makes your writing special?
My first three published novels , the Cerah of Quadar series, were high fantasy. I did not grow up planning to write fantasy, but when I was ready to write, that’s what came to me. I chose it, ultimately, because I liked the way it worked. I liked the way it read. I liked it, okay??
About that time Craig Hart, a longtime online friend, approached me, (virtually), about ghost writing an entry for his SpyCo Novella thriller series, which I did. So I chose it originally because Craig invited me. I stuck with it, co-writing several installments. Then I began writing my own Cleanup Crew series, a different sort of thriller, and I realized, by then, that I was enjoying that genre as well.
I’ve tried my hand at those and a love story or two (only one published), and there are a few surprises in the chamber as well.
How do you create your characters?
Ah, characters. I’ve always thought that my characters were the most important thing about writing books. Almost at once they became a sort of partnership, I suppose. When I create a character, I will have roles I need him/her to fulfill, and so a fair amount of what they become will depend upon my intentions.
BUT it has never ended there, because without fail I’ve never had a character that didn’t teach me something about themselves, and I have always found a way to work in the quirk, or trait, or whatever pops up into the character, and eventually it finds its way into the book.
And do they follow you around afterward, continuing to live the lives you’ve set in motion for them?
Yassss! Seriously, sit the hell down and shut up for five minutes, could ya? But the honest answer is that especially for a character in a series, the things I’ve decided and the things they’ve taught me often remain unchanged throughout, and they sometimes evolve according to circumstance.
Ultimately I feel if you’re going to use a character in more than one book, it’s a good idea to keep them recognizable.
Have you had surprises along your career as a writer?
Several. I will share them in detail when my sales reach a preset minimum, which I’ll (one) keep (million) to (dollars) myself.
What are your challenges?
From sentence one of book one back in 6th grade, I’ve always felt my plots were not really good enough. As a result the fact that a book requires more than one draft has become a key part of my Sanity Kit. MOST of the time the thing that was ticking me off in the first draft gets repaired by the print draft.
When co-writing with Craig, however, this is never an issue, mainly because HE is an excellent storyteller, and when we work together, he elevates me.
What's next for you?
A new thriller series based on a character from Cleanup Crew, a YA fable that was finished in 2020 but has never been published, a 4th volume of the Cerah series, and a new love story which I’m hoping will be transformational to many readers.
The easiest way to find the books of S.J. and Craig is to go to e2books.com. All the series have menu entries at the top of the page which when clicked will tell you something about them as well as provide a link to the retailer of your choice to purchase.