Author Michael Lucker said he began writing songs for girls he had crushes on in the fourth grade. It nearly worked, so he went on to write articles for the school paper, plays for the drama club, and commercials for his local cable station.
Lucker is now a renowned screenwriter who cut his teeth with famous filmmaker Steven Spielberg. He’s been a college professor, an award-winning author, and will be Georgia Writers Museum’s next Meet the Author presenter on his book, Rule One, with doors open at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 6, for a 7 p.m. program start.
GWM recently spoke with Lucker about his career, writing process, and new book.
GWM: What is it about the murder mystery genre that most appeals to you?
Lucker: Raising questions, raising pulses, cracking clues, all have mass and personal appeal. But whatever is the point? Unless you have something to say. Therein lies the rub for me. Make the murders matter. Let morals unfurl. Let the theme bleed. Now’s your chance to communicate your message to an audience in a vehicle that will hold their attention.
GWM: Do you have a favorite murder mystery movie?
Lucker: Silence of the Lambs; that story fires on all cylinders. Unraveling the hero’s past with every step forward in the investigation. Lots of whodunits twist and turn with pomp and circumstance and have us on the edges of our seats until the bitter end.
GWM: Did being a screenwriter help you with writing Rule One?
Lucker: The foundation of storytelling between mediums remains the same: concept, character, story, plot, scene, theme. It’s hard to get people to read a book nowadays, let alone stick with it when their cell phones beckon. The more we can keep readers leaning forward, wondering what happens next, the more likely they will be to keep turning pages.
GWM: What can you tell us about your writing process?
Lucker: I like to write at cafes, breweries, and wineries. Writing at home feels like work. Getting away from the home or office gives you fewer avenues of procrastination. It also opens you up to the whims of the day. Name a character after your barista. Pull a town off a street sign. If you let the day fuel your creativity, you’ll never feel like you’re writing alone.
GWM: What advice do you consider most helpful as an author?
Lucker: “Write like no one’s reading. Because no one is.” Sure, it’s depressing at first. But it unleashes the beast within you to rip the ties that bind and roar like hell at the page.
GWM: What are you working on now?
Lucker: It’s the sequel to Rule One, aptly named Rule Two. Our lovable, broke, and broken FBI investigator, Dent McCreary, is back! But this time he’s investigating murders and mayhem in the world of immigration.
Visit Georgia Writers Museum (109 S. Jefferson Ave., Eatonton) at georgiawritersmuseum. org to register and order a copy of Lucker’s novel for signing after his presentation. Tickets are $45 each or $40 each for two or more, with all tickets including a themed, chef-prepared meal.
- Contributed