“[W]hat pleases me most is when people I don’t know write that they loved the characters and can’t wait for the next book.“
— Richard Cunningham
A member of the Writers’ League since 2012, Richard is the Secretary of the Board and lives in West University Place, TX.
Scribe: Welcome, writer! Tell us — what do you write?
Richard Cunningham: I write about science and technology for large industrial clients. For fun, I write historical fiction. My first two novels, Maude Brown’s Baby and the sequel, Three Good Leads, are available on Amazon.
Scribe: How did you come to join the WLT?
RC: I found WLT when I began writing fiction in the fall of 2010. The interesting thing is, I discovered that taking Writers’ League classes on the craft of writing fiction helped my non-fiction work as well.
Scribe: If you could choose one author to blurb your book, who would it be, and what would you want it to say?
RC: That’s tough. I have author friends who have written nice reviews of my books, but what pleases me most is when people I don’t know write that they loved the characters and can’t wait for the next book. That really makes my day.
Scribe: You have one book you’re allowed to push onto all of your friends, and they’re forced to read it to remain your friend — which one would you choose?
RC: Only one book? Wow. One I could read again and again is Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Ask me tomorrow and I’m sure it would be something else.
Scribe: What made you join the board?
RC: I write non-fiction books and magazine articles for a living. When I became interested in writing fiction in 2010, I started looking for advice and classes to bring me up to speed. Writers’ League was a happy discovery, both for the craft of writing as well as the friends I’ve made along the way.
Scribe: Here at the WLT, we love sharing book recommendations. What’s one book that has come out within the past few years that you couldn’t put down? (Bonus points if the book is Texas related!)
RC: Forget the Alamo was a fascinating read, although some Texans may not appreciate the way the authors’ unpacked this familiar legend. The trouble is, history ain’t what it used to be.
Scribe: Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with the world? An opportunity for blatant self-promotion!
RC: No self-promotion, but I can recommend rereading books that have influenced you in the past. Kurt Vonnegut was important to me in college. This year I’ve decided to read his books again. What a hoot!
