Author in the Spotlight - Richard Lutman

Richard Lutman has a Master of Fine Arts in Writing from Vermont College and is listed in the Directory of Poets and Writers.  

He has taught composition and literature courses at Rhode Island Community College, Fairfield University, The Learning Connection in Providence, Rhode Island, and short story classes as part of Coastal Carolina University's Lifelong Learning program. 

He has published over two dozen short stories, three chapbooks, two novellas, and one nonfiction book. 

He was a 2008 Pushcart nominee in fiction and the recipient of national awards for his non-fiction, short stories and screenplays.

 His novella “Iron Butterfly” was shortlisted in the 2011 Santa Fe Writer’s Project. His first novel was published in 2016. A collection of his stories was published in January of 2019.

TW: What is your writing process?

RL: Even though I don’t write every day, I’m always thinking about pieces I’m working on or will work on. I also have a box full of pieces that need revision or are partially completed. I try not to write on Sundays. I’m most productive from fall to early spring. I don’t like the heat.

TW: How difficult was it to write your story?

RL: I’ve rarely had difficulties writing short stories. I struggled to get to 67,000 words with my first novel. My Dogoir (Dog Memoir), was about 20K and a lot of fun to write. The same way with my Hong Kong and Humorous novella. The difficulty I had with my collection was to find the unifying theme for the 14 stories.

TW: What are your hopes for this project?

RL: I’d like to sell at least 500 copies of my collection.

TW: Do have plans for writing more books?

RL: Yes. I have a 60K plus mature adult novel that I’ve set aside for now. I need to figure out how to make the characters easier to like. Currently, I’m working on a romantic thriller and enjoying it, and I’m not going to worry about the length.

TW: What is your favorite genre of books and do you plan on venturing in those areas?

RL: I like surrealism and books that are full of wonderful characters and exciting descriptions. My favorite short story in the collection is a surreal piece I wrote years ago. It still excites me.

TW: What do you want readers to know about you?

RL: Perhaps there are hints as to who I am in my stories and longer pieces. I don’t like to be typecast as a certain type of genre writer.  

TW: Do you have a favorite author or book?

RL: Yes. Scott Momaday’s masterpiece House Made of Dawn.

TW: What does literary success look like to you?

RL: Finding an agent.

TW: What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

RL: If I’ve had a bad day, I must force myself to write.

TW: How has this book changed your life?

RL: For years I taught classes in short fiction, but never felt quite right because I didn’t have a collection. Now I feel as though I finally have credibility. 

TW: What advice do you have for an aspiring writer?

RL: Don’t ever quit and be prepared for rejection.

TW: How can we contact you and purchase your book?

RL: My web site: www.patchofdirt.net. My collection can be purchased on Amazon via my site or from Amazon direct.