An Interview with Paul Jantzen

Paul Jantzen grew up in what would be described as typical Americana, and from an early age, he was fascinated with the art of storytelling. Paul loves captivating his audiences with his imagination and sense of humor. He took up filmmaking in college and his first short film, The Leopard Frog, debuted on the USA network in 1991. He then took up writing, a more budget-favorable medium. Though he enjoys a good novel here and there, he was never big on reading so he wrote a book instead. Sour Apples is his award-winning debut novel. He has two more in this series of novels for those who hate to read soon to come. Paul finds himself at peace when he has delved his mind into his made-up world. He currently lives in Frederick, MD, with his wife Marcia and German Shepherd Ella. Other than escaping reality through writing, he enjoys the outdoors, woodworking, and a good game of baseball.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

Whenever my aunt and uncle would come to visit, the energy in the room immediately went up a notch. They told fun stories with boisterous voices, laughing and carrying on. I always wanted to have that same effect on my audience. I was never big on reading so it was characters like my aunt and uncle who drove my desire for storytelling. When I discovered narrators such as in A Christmas Story or The Wonder Years, I knew I wanted to channel my stories in a way that embodied both a well-structured narrative and great energy.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I have worked in the restaurant business, printing business, and am currently a building engineer for a small commercial real estate company. These are all my career-minded jobs. What I enjoy doing is creating, from photography to woodworking—even cooking. All have an element of creativity. I also took to filmmaking at an early age and my debut short film, The Leopard Frog, made its debut on the USA network show Calliope in 1991.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

Sour Apples was a short story I wrote in college for a creative writing class. The novel was based on that short story. The subtitle, A Novel For Those Who Hate to Read, came about through a conversation I had with my publisher. I had given him several subtitles relating to the story but nothing really engaged with who the story was written for. It was written for me. I hate to read, so I wrote a novel instead. This is also my target audience, people who do not like to read. Yes, I am that author trying to target the most difficult audience. I am not even certain they are an audience. Whether or not you like to read, Sour Apples: A Novel For Those Who Hate to Read is for you.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

Holding the book in my hands for the very first time was quite surreal. I experienced a range of emotions. I was proud, shocked, humbled, and incredibly happy, a unique moment for certain. The cover had gone through so many stages that near the end I knew exactly what it was going to look like. And, it did not disappoint. I am very proud of the work the designer and I accomplished. When I saw the final draft, I said, “That’s it!” and I was still in awe.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

I don’t think a book should have a soundtrack, but for the sake of pretending, Sour Apples would have a folk music vibe, nostalgic music from the 1960s and early 1970s; songs that tell a story. Maybe one line from “Seasons in the Sun” by Terry Jacks—“We skinned our heart and skinned our knees.”

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

For those who do not like to read but give Sour Apples a try, I hope they come out of it with a renewed passion for reading, a sense that writers are trying to reach them. And, for those who like to read: if they are young adult, I hope they would want to venture outside, bond friendships over skinned knees and broken arms while exploring, maybe even start a tree fort rage. For older reads who played outside their entire childhood, well, I hope they relive their own memories. Nostalgia is a very wonderful emotion.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

Validation, and I’m not talking about my parking pass. When someone says yes to your book, it’s special.

What new writing projects are you currently working on? Or, other projects that are not writing?

Sour Apples is the first of three novels. The second story, Just a Bitter Taste, picks up right after the summer of 1975 and the characters are eleven and twelve years old. Book three jumps to when the characters are nineteen years old. Both novels are written but have different levels of editing needed. Then there are some fictitious titles of books I have the main character in Sour Apples check out from the library. At least one of those titles will be a novel.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.