AUTHOR BACKGROUNDS & READER EXPECTATIONS

While I am aware that not all readers check into the background of the authors whose works they peruse, undoubtedly some do. Justified or not, those backgrounds bring up pictures and thoughts in the minds of readers which translate to expectations of expertise in some areas. Many of those ideas come from television and movies, some from reading, some from the reader’s own experiences. Sometimes those ideas of how the author’s background affected him/her are valid. Sometimes they are not. It is highly unlikely that Isaac Asimov ever truly interacted with any intelligent robots in need of software coding to protect humans from the vagaries of android behavior. Nor did H. G. Wells bump into an invisible man or find himself lurking under a cloak of invisibility in the girl’s locker room (lol). A firefighter doesn’t have to write about his/her experiences fighting fires or saving lives – but he may.

We all tend to write, to a point, based on our own experiences. But nothing is simply cut and dry when it comes to people. Those experiences from which we draw inspiration are inclusive of the generation in which we were raised; what type of books/movies/games we enjoy; the financial status of our family – both in early life and later; the people we choose to “hang with”; the jobs we work; and our educational levels/area of study. All that can come out in our writing in many ways: How we treat human nature; how we deal with the environment and setting; our outlook on interracial relationships; what genre or subject matter we write about; and even whether or not we are comfortable with lgbtq subject matter.

That being said: My readers who have looked at my profile and bio know that I have lifelong experiences revolving around two main areas – the military and law enforcement communities. My father was a career enlisted man in the Army and a Vietnam Vet. Thus, I spent my childhood travelling around the world learning different cultures. But, that doesn’t mean I was learning how the Army works from the inside… I was learning how cultures and society work/function in various settings from Taiwan to Germany to the U.S. After his retirement, my father became a police officer in Central Florida and rose to the rank of Lieutenant in his department. He even became the president of the county police officer’s union (PBA – Police Benevolent Association). Again, that brought me in contact with police officers on a regular basis – but as family friends rather than heroes or antagonists in the story of my young life. To me the soldiers in my father’s units, and the officers in his department were just people. They weren’t “Army men”. They weren’t “Cops”. They were people and friends. To me, they still are.

My personal background includes a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Mathematics which was obtained in Central Florida 1981 – 1985. I attended college on a full military R.O.T.C. scholarship (Reserve Officer Training Corps). Subsequent to this I spent seven years as an active duty officer in the United States Army Signal Corps and saw duty during Operation Desert Storm before exiting service in 1992. During that time period I spent a year in South Korea, 20 miles from the DeMilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Ouijongbu. That was a long year with a truly freezing winter and a very hot summer. I left Florida sunshine two weeks after getting married, and the next day was walking in the snow in Seoul, Korea. That was an interesting year. Yes, I spent lots of time “soldiering” – climbing up and down mountains searching for the best place to emplace communications gear so the units that depended on me could communicate. I also spent time shooting pool in the local bars, hiking, listening to music, having barbecues, and shopping. It was life as well as service. That was a tough year. As mentioned, I left Florida two weeks after getting married. My wife did visit for three months during that year, but we were apart for nine months immediately after making our vows. … BTW, I’m still married 33+ years to the same lovely lady. Aside from Korea, I spent time in Germany, Georgia, and Oklahoma mainly. German architecture and culture is wonderful. If so inclined, you can have a beer and trek to some wonderful villages and castles. In all these places, aside from my duties as an Army officer, I was still living life and meeting people. I didn’t spend my time trying to figure out how to kill them most effectively. I developed a respect for other’s cultures and beliefs that I tried to instill in my kids. It made no difference to me whether they were born in Seoul, Frankfort, or Anytown USA. It still doesn’t.

After exiting the military in May 1992, I soon found myself working as a 911 emergency police & fire dispatcher back in Central Florida. I still work that same field today. Thus, I spend forty plus hours a week dealing with the reality of human tragedies as well as the hilarity of human comedy. It is not unusual for me to be writing something like this blog one minute, and the next issuing emergency traffic on a police radio and sending officers to a horrific scene of violence and/or mayhem. It is also, not unusual to deal with what most of us picture as the “tinfoil hat” persons who love to call 911. While I will not try to get into all of that – which I will leave to the reader’s imaginations/expectations (LMAO) – I will say that it is interesting as well as stressful.

It sounds like I followed my father’s footsteps fairly closely. Not so. My father was a rough and ready person who was very action oriented. He was a soldier’s soldier and always the most prepared and smartest person around. He once told me, “Son, a lot of people don’t like me, but damn few don’t respect me.” Yep, that was him. Makes me think of Clint Eastwood for a celebrity comparison. As for me…., I’m much more laid back. I am not an expert in self defense as the main character in my first thriller (Thomas K. Mazuko – MC of Punishment & Good Deeds) is. But I have seen plenty of it in my time and read more. I am not an expert in the methods of police officers and/or detectives – but I know many personally as people and deal with my side of that regularly – from an office where I am tethered to a phone, radio, and computer. Yes, I am the First – first responder. Yes, I deal with extremely stressful law enforcement issues regularly – but I don’t wear a badge or carry a gun to work. My experiences are more – find the right hill to sit on as opposed to find the right person to shoot, combined with “Hang in there, the ambulance is responding and the police are on the way.”

Yes, I incorporate my personal background and experiences into my writing. But, nobody other than me knows exactly how. So, dear reader, I know you expect me to be all up on the vernacular and methods of cops and military. Well, to a certain point, and from a particular vantage point, I suppose so. The rest I can google. I’m pretty sure the same is true for other authors. Walk a mile in their shoes….

I hope I haven’t bored you to death.

Andrew C. McDonald