Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Nicholas Gretener
Book Title: Bending the Arc
Released: 10/18/24
Genre: Legal Thriller
Interview by Heather L. Barksdale
What inspired you to write “Bending the Arc”?
Gretener: I have always been concerned that justice can be bought. Our legal system advantages litigants with thick wallets, which can lead to perverse results—nuclear verdicts with disproportionate damage awards that raise society’s costs of products and insurance. While fixing the system is not easy, as evidenced by the checkered history of tort reform, Bending the Arc provides a new approach that makes for a good read.
How did you come up with the names of your main characters?
Gretener: I start with my own personal experience. Whenever I come across a neat name, I put it in the memory bank. Herky Cantrell in Bending the Arc is an example. I met a Herky in my early years in Houston and I always loved that name. Not even sure what the formal name is, but Herky was, for me, just so cool. If personal experience doesn’t work, Google will.
Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book?
Gretener: I am a planner, not a seat-of-the-pantser. Before I start writing, I have a complete outline of the plot prepared—not down to the chapter level, but pretty detailed. As I write the actual story, the plot may change, but the basic theme has been set.
If "Bending the Arc" were adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?
Gretener: Keanu Reeves to play the protagonist Steve Shane. Denzel Washington to play Attorney General Jonathan Hendrix. Jennifer Lopez to play Valentina Lopez. Tommy Lee Jones to play Cutter Davis.
When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?
Gretener: Take a break. Go skiing, hiking or just get away from that laptop for a while. I have the luxury of not being beholden to publisher deadlines, so if I need to take a break for a few days or even weeks, it’s not the end of the world. I find such a break can actually be beneficial, as when I return to the work, it is always with a fresh eye. Amazing how that can give one a better perspective on the work as it develops.
Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?
Gretener: How to become a writer? The advice on this you hear most often is . . . write . . . write . . . write. Pretty good advice at that. So, dive in and just start writing. It can be anything. I started out doing pieces for our ski club’s journal. Doesn’t have to be fancy—you don’t have to write the next great American novel right out of the gate. The more you write, the more comfortable it becomes and the better your work.
What is your favorite book, genre, and/or author?
Gretener: Legal thrillers are my forte. My career as a lawyer provides a natural base for legal thrillers . . . it is an area I can write on intelligently. Favourite authors include John Grisham and Greg Iles.
What are you working on next?
Gretener: The next novel in the LawForce series is situated in the financial sector. FirstBoston, an up-and-coming Boston bank, is taken over by Helvetica, a Swiss-based financial powerhouse. But the circumstances of the takeover raise serious questions. LawForce takes on the case and travels to Switzerland to get to the bottom of a nefarious plot to destabilize the western financial order.
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