Michael Ribisi, Author of “Admissions”

Welcome, Michael. What is your book about?

My book is a story about a love affair between a husband (Jeremy Covington) and wife (Amy Covington) and the problems they have been having in their relationship lately. It takes place three years after they have split up and begins with Jeremy’s confession that he has finally found new love with his long time best friend Lisa! Amy is not only happy for him she actually wants to help him find closure and end the relationship once and for all. She has no choice but to lead him down a dark path through their mysterious past and uncover the real reason why they split up in the first place.

How long had the idea of your book been developing before you began to write the story?

Actually it’s quite funny. I had the idea for about three hours prior to starting to write the novel. It just came to me in the car while I drove past a similar setting in the book. Can’t give away too much here!

What inspired you to write this particular story?

Anything I do is for my family. I’ve been wanting to write a novel for a long time. I really wanted to create a novel and finish something that would make my wife, kids, and family proud of me. It felt good to have the last words down on paper and see my story to completion.

How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the book?

The main character, Jeremy, is like me in a lot of ways. His sarcasm and humor certainly reminds me of my younger days. Full of confidence and love! Very emotional, in the sense that his emotions rule his behavior. Towards the end of the book he becomes like I was for a short time. Disconnected with the world and afraid of change. Accepting change is tough for anyone.

How long did it take you to write your book?

It took me a little less than 90 days. The book is only 35,000 words. I would consider that a short story in most cases.

How much of a story do you have in mind before you start writing it?

I knew how it began and how it ended. That’s all. I felt like the story changed as the characters developed. I started to feel like the dialogue was coming from them directly and not me. I prefer to tell the story through dialogue, rather then descriptions. I feel that painting the picture is important but a reader also needs to feel the same emotions as the characters. This is where the dialogue really tells the story better then a writer ever can using descriptions.

What, in your opinion, are the essential qualities of a good story?

A good story has to have interesting characters of whom we can relate. If you don’t like the characters of a story then you won’t really care what happens to them in the end. I also feel that trying to be unique in storyline is extremely helpful. That is very difficult with all of the material that is out on the market. If you put your own spin or twist into your plot then you may have a good story on your hands. Write it down!

Do you have any rituals that you follow before sitting down to write?

I have to write at night with a pair of noise cancelling headphones wrapped around my head. Depending on what I intend to write will determine what kind of music I listen to on that night. For “Admissions”, it was a ton of easy listening love anthems from the 60′s to today.

What are you working on right now?

Currently I am working on a couple of different projects. The first is a prelude to a trilogy that has been in my mind for many years. “The Gem Sphere Saga” will be a number of episodes between 5,000 to 10,000 words each specifically designed to build the back story and foreshadow the main story in the trilogy. The next one is called: “The Diary of a Cheater”, a story about a woman named Claire who finds a diary in her husbands home office that outlines some of the not so nice things her husband Mark has been a part of lately. She must prove the diary true and find out what he has been up to before she confronts him. Obviously, this takes her down some very interesting paths.

Where can people learn more about your books?

Anyone interested in my work can go to my website: http://www.michaelribisi.com or like my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/michael.ribisi. Right now, “Admissions” is currently for sale on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Ibooks.

http://www.amazon.com/Admissions-ebook/dp/B005TXQHO6 = Link to purchase on Kindle
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/admissions-michael-ribisi/1106527684 = Link to purchase on Nook