Author Interview with Playwright & Indie Author S.W. Laro as We Talk about His Books, Plays & More
CALLING ALL READERS to check out my newest author interview with actor, playwright, and indie author S.W. Laro.
Last week, I had the privilege of sitting down with S.W. Laro to talk about his acting career, his indie author journey, his dozens of books and plays, his indie film, and his upcoming projects!
To watch the full author interview, check out the YouTube link below!
Artistic Beginnings
Growing up in New York, S.W. Laro found a desire to act during his time in Hell's Kitchen and Manhattan when he was a young adult. As an actor, he starred with Bruce Willis and Demi Moore in the 1991 film Mortal Thoughts, directed by Alan Rudolph. Through this experience, he learned that the acting life was not for him, and soon after decided to pursue his passion for writing and creating stories.
When I asked S.W. Laro which writers along the way have shaped his love and style for writing, here's what he said: "My father used to write for The Twilight Zone, but he was never accepted. So as a boy, I found some of his early teleplays. My father Louis would be my first inspiration. After that, it was Dickens, Hemmingway, and Faulkner. Later on in life, it became Henry Miller, Charles Bukowski, and guys like that. They all shaped me, but it starts with my father Lou. He's my muse."
Life as an Indie Author
Inspired from a young age by his father's writing, S.W. Laro followed in his footsteps and hasn't stopped writing ever since. Now, with over a dozen books and plays under his belt, S.W. Laro resides in his family home nestled in Vermont where he spends most of his days writing or giving back to the community through his social worker career where he runs his own youth programs.
Facing too much rejection at the beginning of his writing career, S.W. Laro decided to self-publish his stories and has learned a lot through this process. Without an agent, getting his plays, screenplays, and novels to publishers would always come with roadblocks and rejection. Instead of giving up on his passion, he decided to invest in himself and become an indie author.
In our interview, S.W. Laro gives some great insight into what life as an indie author is like, and why he was able to persevere and continue to be dedicated to his craft throughout the years:
"The freinds of mine who write, we talk, and we still ask each other why do you get up every day? See, I write from six to eight in the morning, seven days a week. I have to write very early in the morning. I don't write at night. What gets you up every day? And the real answer is, I don't have any choice. It's just taking dictation from the muse. So, if I'm able to sell something one day in a big way-- not in the small ways-- then great! If not, that's life.
"At the end of the day, even the greats have great, great provenance and stories about endless rejection--endless rejection. At this point, rejections or almosts or getting close or near hits--it's just part of the game. You have to stay in it until you find like-minded people who are fearless, and you'll be able to move forward."
His early books were inspired by dreams he had and people he knew. Over time, he was able to lean into his writing process a little bit more and let the words flow, following his artistic intuition in his creative process.
If you love historical fiction, eighteen-hundreds maritime, pirates, and more, then you'll love reading S.W. Laro's dozens of titles. Some of his favorite pieces include street, gutter, hard-core people on the edge of their lives whether it's addicts, crooked lawyers, or prostitutes. He also enjoys writing about young people right on the edge of adulthood, capturing the essence of youth and the tragedy of growing up. With a variety of themes and life lessons, S.W. Laro writes stories that will captivate anyone.
One of his plays that you can read on his website http://www.rebelravenfiction.com is called Joshua Limbo. This play about two men in Joshua Tree in the 90s arguing in a shack about life and the current political hot topics was always meant to be an independent film, but you can learn all about it in the summary below:
"Joshua Limbo is a controversial play about male predation and bigotry. Set in the desert two men confront each other seeking justice only the desert herself can satisfy. Brutal and provocative dialog moves the themes along at a frantic pace."
One of his favorite creations is his award-winning indie film, Oscar Phitkin, about a hotdog vendor reliving the death of his father. Watch it on Vimeo now! Some other favorites include The Two which he wrote to honor his father and mother in their early marriage.
S.W. Laro is still writing and working on two more novels dedicated to his Lakota roots. Watch our full author interview to learn more about it, and follow him on Twitter to keep up with this incredible and inspiring author's journey: https://twitter.com/SWLaro
Interested in reading some of his dozens of titles on Amazon? Check it out in the link below:
Definitely visit his website Rebel Raven Fiction to learn more about his plays, novels, and more: http://www.rebelravenfiction.com
Hope you enjoyed your stay at The Poet's Corner. Thanks for reading and come back next week for another author interview! For daily writing and author content, follow me @thepoetscorner_ on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube :))
