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Author Ron Destro with audiobook narrator Sir Derek Jacobi in London
An Interview With
Award-Winning Author and Playwright, Ron Destro
Bio: Ron Destro is an award-winning author and playwright. His debut novel, The Starre, the Moone, the Sunne (Contempo, 2023), with audiobook narrated by Sir Derek Jacobi, was named Book of the Year, 2nd Runner-Up, Best New Author, Best Fiction Audiobook, was a finalist for the Hawthorne Prize, and is in the Top 100 Hollywood Launch Pad list. His book, The Shakespeare Masterclasses (Routledge, 2020), has received all 5-star reviews on Amazon. And his play Hiroshima, with an original score by Yoko Ono, was awarded the Kennedy Center New American Play Award when produced off-Broadway. His plays have been presented all over the world, and he has taught and lectured at Harvard University, Chautauqua Institution, and at various colleges. He is represented by Fiona Smith, Beyond Words Literary Agency.
Welcome, Ron!
GM: Congratulations on
your success! What is the premise for your new book?
RD: The
Starre, the Moone, the Sunne answers the question: What if
everything you learned about William Shakespeare was a lie to protect the very
crown of England? In 1624 London, a brave printer is executed, a portly poet is
kidnapped, a Stratford-upon-Avon grave is emptied, King James is put into a
panic, many swashes are buckled, and things are never as they seem, all because
brave Nicholas and clever Valentina are about to discover and reveal the true
identity of "William Shake-speare.” This is a timely tale that touches on the
powerful love of fathers, the perils of the plague, the joys of turnips,
and the mysterious life and tragic death of the Bard of Avon. It is a
(mostly) true story filled with suspense and humor.
GM: Sounds intriguing! What
other books have you written?
RD: The
Starre, the Moone, the Sunne is my first novel. Previously, I
edited The Shakespeare Masterclasses, which is a series of
classes I conducted with many of the world’s greatest classical actors like
Glenda Jackson, F Murray Abraham, Diana Rigg and Jeremy Irons. I’ve written
many plays, including Hiroshima, for which Yoko Ono wrote
the music, that was fortunate enough to have received the Kennedy Center New
American Play Award when produced off-Broadway. And my upcoming novel, Indira’s
Daughters, tells the story of an American reporter in New Delhi,
fighting to reveal the truth during the brutal Indira Gandhi Emergency, his
photographer wife's struggle to achieve her lifelong dream, a terrible dowry
burning, a friend’s disappearance, and the world's worst chemical disaster in
history.
GM: How do you maintain
storylines, outlines, and characters/scenarios?
RD: Because
I approach every book like a mystery, I know the ending before the beginning,
so I chart a course toward that end. And to keep everything straight in my
mind, each time I finish a chapter, I add its description to a chapter outline,
which I refer to as I write.
GM: Describe your
writing space…
RD: I live
on a quiet golf course, so I do most of my writing overlooking the ninth hole
from my lanai, complete with table, chair, and pipe.
GM: Do you have a muse
that drives your creativity and inspiration?
RD: My family is
my motivator, so before sitting down to write, I strive to create something of
artistic quality that would make them proud. Because I think about each story
and each character for a long time before I start, I must admit that when I do
the actual writing, the characters simply take over and I listen to them as
they dictate to me.
When writing The
Starre, the Moone, the Sunne, the narrator was such a strong and fun
presence, especially since I based him on my favorite actor, Derek Jacobi, I
just sat back and heard him tell the tale. And so it was a great thrill later
to hear him narrate the audiobook.
GM: Who is your favorite author?
RD: Well, it
has to be Shakespeare (whoever he really was). The thing about Shakespeare is
that he has expressed pretty much every thought any human being has ever had,
yet he has voiced it better than any of us ever could. He wrote about the human
condition and expounded upon ideas that enlighten us no matter when or where we
live.
GM: What are you
currently reading?
RD: I’ve
just finished Memories of a Father by T.V. Eachara
Varier and Vanished Smile by R.A. Scotti.
GM: What's the key to
marketing and getting your book into the hands of readers?
RD: I
suggest submitting a book to several writing competitions, as well as asking
experts to read the book to provide blurbs for the cover. Then, once the book
is published, do as many podcasts, bookstore and library talks, conferences,
signings and interviews as possible.
GM: Do you have advice
for novice writers?
RD: I do.
First, I would suggest downloading literary agent Noah Lukeman’s free How
to Land and Keep a Literary Agent and How to Write a Query Letter. Then, I
would find from the many online lists an agent looking to represent a book like
the one you’ve written. And finally, submit to 500 or more agents until you
find the right match. There are also many small independent publishers who
accept author submissions. These are good places to start.
GM: Great advice! Thank
you for promoting the importance of an agent. What does authorship mean to you?
RD: While I
agree with Frank Norris, who famously said, “I don’t like to write, but like
having written,” it is encouraging to know that, long after I’ve shed this
mortal coil, my ideas will live on to encourage, entertain, and, I hope, inspire,
new generations of readers.
GM: What's for lunch?
RD: I think
the fat is in the fire, and so I shall feast on a fine kettle of fish!
Connect with Ron...
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| Ron Destro at Bookstore1 in Sarasota, Florida |
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