Chattin It Up with Max Elliot Anderson

Jason: Tell us a little about yourself as a kid. i.e. talents, likes and

dislikes, hobbies, dreams, etc.

Max: This answer will date me, and few of your readers, if any, will be able to relate. But, when I was a kid, TV was pretty new. We had grown up listening to Saturday morning kids programs…told you I was getting up there. Two of the characters that stand out in my memory would have to be The Lone Ranger, and Roy Rogers.

Jason: When did you first decide you wanted to become an author?

Max: Actually, this is something I tried NOT to do, for the longest time. I didn’t see myself as an author. My father had always been one of those and I had great respect for that. At the same time, I never read any of his books. I would rather be outside pretending to live in the world of those “heroes” you asked about. For me, it was far more fun to do things than it was to read about them.

Jason: How did you get started writing?

Max: This occurred shortly after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. When most of my professional, video production clients suspended their marketing programs, I was left with little else to do creatively. These events allowed me to begin looking around for an outlet.

Jason: Who or what do you think most inspired you to write?

Max: I honestly believe that this is something God prompted me to do. The events surrounding it are quite personal, except it was very clear that I should begin writing. A question I kept hearing, in my mind, was, “Why don’t you write The Scarecrow?” This was a screenplay I had written, decades before, for a dramatic, children’s film that was never produced. All a person needs to do is be open to what God has gifted them to do. It may or may not be writing, but we all have gifts. There isn’t anything special about me, except for the unique way that God has prepared me to be able to write stories that come from my visual background of film and video production.

Jason: What gave you the idea for the Legand of the White Wolf?

Max: Several years ago, I almost produced a video program for a group of ranchers. They were against the wolf being introduced into Yellowstone. Their argument was that the wolf would kill their sheep and cattle, and do it just for sport. In the end, the video project was not contracted. Years later, I began thinking about possible stories. I’ve written 34 manuscripts so far, and have a dozen or more that I could easily start tomorrow. Each time, a particular story presents itself TO me, I don’t go searching for it.

In the case of Legand of the White Wolf, I was mowing the grass. The story came like a flood. It was all I could do to keep up with the flow as I dictated into a small recorder. When these stories appear, they come fully formed. By that I mean they have a beginning, middle, and end. They also suggest the plot, main character, and setting. This particular story was delightful to write because, after researching wolves, my position concerning them changed dramatically. It was such an exciting project to write, that the first draft was completed in just three days.

Jason: Who is your favorite character in the Legand of the White Wolf?

Max: This would be a tossup between the white wolf himself, and the old Native American, Windwalker. Windwalker is a great artist, yet he lives out in the forest, in an old, log, cabin. He’s a very wise man, full of kindness. Snowball is the name of the wolf. His life had been saved, by the main character, when the wolf was just a pup. Ever since that time, Snowball had kept an eye on the boy. They became friends, even though the wolf would continue to live in the wild.

Jason: What gave you the idea for Big Rig Rustlers?

Max: I have to be thankful for all the locations where I’ve shot, directed, or produced films, video programs, and commercials. I find that many of these settings are perfect backgrounds for books. I read an article about how modern day cattle rustlers were using high-tech methods to steal animals from ranchers. Big Rig Rustlers is not an old, stuffy, western. It takes place today, with computers, police radios, helicopters, and big trucks that hall the stolen livestock.

I had made a film, again, years ago, on a 50000 acre ranch in Wyoming. That location became the setting for this story.

Jason: Who is your favorite character in Big Rig Rustlers?

Max: I liked Travis because he’d had some trouble in his life, but now he was trying to turn his life around. I liked him, too, because he isn’t quite what he appears to be.

Jason: Do you ever talk to your characters?

Max: Not exactly. What happens is, in my mind, I enter the scene where they are. That helps a lot, when it comes to the dialog, because it happens as if I were right in the same place with my characters.

Jason: What inspires you to write?

Max: With my extensive background in film and video production, I thought it was unfair that the script writers didn’t have to go out on the production and see how hard it was to bring some of their ideas to life. Sure, it’s easy to write a scene, with all kinds of wild or dangerous things happening, along with action and excitement, but it’s the filmmakers who have to bring it to life on the screen.

Now, as a writer, I’m having a great time because, whatever I see in my head, I can write on paper. At that point it becomes real to me, and I love the process. I also find that I am at total peace when I write. It’s fun to disappear into another world, encounter danger, action, and adventure, and then be able to leave it safely. The closest thing I can compare it to would be when you have great dreams at night.

Jason: Do you have any pictures, songs, etc. that you use for ideas and inspiration?

Max: Always. I use a lot of props. When I was working on Careless Runaway, where there are several circus scenes, I kept a lot of circus photographs all over the place. For Legand of the White Wolf, I used pictures of wolves, Yellowstone, and places like that. For a story called, Forrest of Fear which takes place in the logging areas of the Pacific Northwest, I went out and caught a chipmunk, stuck him in a hamster cage with redwood chips, and placed it on the desk next to my computer. The scent of redwood chips helped set the mood, along with looking into the face of the little guy all day long. When I finished for the day, I let him go. But I needed him again the next day, so I went out and caught another one. The way he acted, I think it was the same one.

Music is a very BIG element in my writing. In fact, I give a lot of schools presentations. In them I use music and sound effects in order to release imagination and creativity in the minds of the students.

So, when I’m writing a scary scene, I play the spookiest music I can find. When the mood is sad, I play sad music. Happy? Funny? You get the idea.

Jason: What was the hardest thing about writing the Legand of the White Wolf and Big Rig Rustlers? What was the most fun thing?

Max: Writing continues to be an enjoyable process for me, so I can’t say any of my stories have been hard. The only thing I could say about that is the research, before I begin a story, can be difficult, especially if I know nothing about the subject.

In Legand of the White Wolf, I think the most enjoyable part was in discovering how wrong I had been about wolves. I found them to be gentle creatures that pick a partner for life. They mainly hunt for food, and they live in a family called a pack. I learned that Indians had high respect for wolves, and that the wolf is very smart.

The fun part about Big Rig Rustlers would be the fact that, generally, I don’t like westerns. So I set out to write one that wouldn’t be like any I’d ever seen before. Hopefully I accomplished that.

Also, as I write, I always see the stories as if they were films. It’s great fun to play those movies in my head.

Jason: Tell us a little about both books, without giving anything away, of course.

Max: Well, in Legand of the White Wolf, as I said, the main character saves the life of the wolf when it’s just a pup. Then, through the boy’s life, the wolf becomes a protector, even fighting off a mountain lion at one time, and providing warmth when the boy is lost in the snow. It’s kind of a different approach to a boy-and-his-dog story, since the boy can never really own the wolf. This story is packed with amazing action, danger, adventure, along with a warm and gentle story that has already been enjoyed by boys, girls, and even adults.

In Big Rig Rustlers, the main character, and his sister, are invited to go out to their cousin’s ranch in, Wyoming, on their spring break from school. They are going on a roundup to find all the new calves. Immediately they don’t trust one of the men who works on the ranch. Not only that, but there have been reports of several cattle rustlers in the area. The kids set out to unravel the mystery of who’s stealing all those animals.

Jason: Out of all the books you've ever written, which is your favorite?

Tell us a little about it.

Max: That’s a hard one, again, because there are 34 of them at this point. I always like to say the next one will be my favorite. Or, to put it another way, my wife and I have two children. It would be impossible to pick one over the other. Each child is so different, and so, too is each manuscript and story. But, since you’re asking me to pick…nope…still can’t do it. I think you would find, that if you read all of them, you would see how each one is unique, and you’d probably like every one of them, as I do.

Jason: If you weren't an author, what do you think you would be doing?

Max: I’m happy to say that I’m doing what I would do if I weren’t an author. And that is producing video program and commercials. Fortunately, that part of my life is returning. I just finished working as a consultant for my state senator. In that role I also produced 10 commercials. My senator was the only Republican, in the state of Illinois, to win reelection this time. It became quite a story.

I’m also in the later discussions with a client about producing a program that is supposed to include a famous NASCAR driver, a famous Indy Racy League team, a motorcycle builder, a hot-rod builder, and a couple others. This would require travel to North Carolina, California, and a few other states.

Also, when I’m not writing, I spend my time promoting the seven books that have been published.

Jason: Any big plans for the future?

Max: I’m playing around with a fantasy trilogy. This is funny because, in the same way that I said I didn’t like westerns, then wrote one, I don’t care for fantasies either. But, this idea is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I’m pretty excited about the possibilities. First, I have to continue developing my video business, and finding publishing homes for my 27 other manuscripts.

Jason: Any advice for aspiring children's authors?

Max: The landscape for children’s authors, and all authors for that matter, has changed dramatically in recent years. This looks to continue in the future. Each year, there are a total of nearly 200,000 new books that hit the market. So every five years, a million new books have been released. Gone are the days when every worthy book will be published. In fact, authors now need to plan on becoming a vital part of the promotional process. Most larger publishers require the author’s marketing plans to be included in book proposals now.

It’s important to write the best manuscript you can possibly write. Be ready to promote your work, and realize that writing your book will be the easiest part. Finding a publisher is a real challenge. But if you are fortunate enough to do that, then be prepared to battle the 199,999 other books that come out along with yours.

Jason: What do you like to do in your spare time?

Max: I’m a huge NASCAR fan. My son, who is a lawyer in Chicago now, and I, have gone to at least two events each season. We go to the Daytona 500, and have gone to the Michigan race twice. We’re interested in going to Talladega, and in finding other tracks we’d like to visit. I have a small coin collection and a much larger stamp collection. I’ve collected stamps since I was a kid.

I’d also like to travel with my wife, just for the fun of it. For years, I’ve traveled all over the world, producing programs, but I’ve had few opportunities to travel for enjoyment. I’d like to take my wife back to some of the beautiful places I’ve seen, but, this time, I don’t want to have a film or video camera along.

Jason: Thanks for agreeing to the interview!

Max: Hey, Jason, I’ve always appreciated what you do. Thanks for the opportunity to talk about something I love; writing adventures and mysteries, especially for boys.