Today, we’re talking with Paul F. Marzell, about his book Heimat.
Tell us something unexpected about yourself!
Judging from the reaction from close friends and family, it is the disbelief that I could write a novel, especially a novel that could classify as an epic saga.
Why do you write?
Heimat is my first novel, and I wrote it because many novels by best-sellers are poorly written or not thoroughly researched. I felt that I could do better. It was not until I developed the totally fictitious characters in Heimat that I could generate countless scenarios, plots, and characters. I found it to be scary. The challenge lies in translating these thoughts from my mind to either paper or a hard drive. I want to keep trying.
Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?
The inspiration for writing “Heimat” struck me eleven years ago when researching my family tree in anticipation of my first grandchild's birth. My goal was to compile a comprehensive documentation of his diverse heritage, spanning Dutch, English, Mexican, and German roots. Employing traditional resources like census and baptismal records, I augmented my project with invaluable documents inherited from my father, who immigrated from Germany in 1929.
Among these documents were my father’s birth certificate, immigration papers, passport, the ticket for the inaugural voyage of the TS Bremen across the Atlantic, and a collection of various German and United States government forms, including his World War Two draft registration. The letters he preserved from his mother, sisters, and other relatives, which he received both before and after World War Two, were of utmost significance.
Many of the letters were composed in Sütterlin Schrift, a script no longer taught in Germany. It took me several months to transcribe them into modern German script and then translate them into English.
Many of the experiences of some characters in Heimat are inspired by real-life experiences of people I know. At the same time, I've crafted other characters and their experiences entirely from my imagination. In the chapters where letters are utilized for foreshadowing, some are nearly verbatim from authentic letters, while others are consolidations of two or more correspondences. Additionally, there are instances where letters are entirely fictional. These letters not only served to establish the chronological framework for the narrative but also became an integral part of the storytelling.
Despite these creative liberties, the historical facts presented in my work are meticulously researched and accurate.
What do you enjoy the most about your genre?
Some of the story is already written. All the writer needs to do is make it interesting with a twist while still maintaining the integrity of the past.
How would you describe your writing process?
Plodding and cumbersome. I can't type worth a damn, and I am easily distracted.
What do you think authors have to gain from participating in social media?
The skill to manage it effectively, and generate an interested following.
What advice would you have for other writers?
Do not be easily distracted like I am. While writing, do your best to ignore all chores, e.g. cleaning up the dog poop, mowing the lawn, fixing the leaking toilet, staining the deck, ad infinitum. Learn to type! I’m too old to learn that trick. Do not ignore your health!
How do you select your books’ titles and covers?
I never buy a novel by its cover or title. I read the synopsis to see if there is anything of interest.
What's your next step?
To get beyond the first two chapters of my next novel, which I have been writing for the past four months.
What book do you wish you had written?
Anything written by J.K. Rowling or R. R. Tolkien. Their minds are or were wild and they possessed the magic to get their thoughts from their minds to paper.
How do you react to seeing a new review for your book?
Obviously, I feel great if it's good, but if it is not, I am grateful if the review has honest, constructive criticism.
