Interview in Texas Coach magazine

As you may or may not know, I teach and coach when I’m not writing or creating some art. I’m thrilled to announce that an excerpt of my novel, Timberwolves, will be appearing in the December issue of Texas Coach magazine (which is scheduled to release in a couple of days on Tuesday, 12/8). Along with the excerpt, they’ve allowed me to reproduce the interview they conducted with me for my blog here. So visit www.thsca.com to check out the excerpt or to subscribe to the magazine.

The October issue of Texas Coach from this year.

Here’s the interview:

What was the initial inspiration to write a novel based around Texas high school football?

Football was such a huge part of my life growing up, and everyone knows the best football is played in Texas. I played in junior high, high school, and college--about 8 years of my life. When I couldn't play any more, I didn't want to stray too far from the game, so I began coaching. It's what I love. I've always thought there were a lot of experiences on the field or in the locker room that would make an engaging book, so I decided to write them down. Of course, in Timberwolves, I set these in a fictional world, but they are very much based on my personal experiences. Texas high school football has a certain aura around it. I think those around it are entranced by it, and those who aren't are curious. I suppose I wanted to pull back the curtain a bit and give them a taste of what it's really like.

It’s a fictional story, but what from your own experiences did you draw on?

Any time in the book where teammates are interacting with each other or with coaches, I'd say about 90% of that is based on things that were said to me by coaches or things I've said to players myself. The camaraderie that's built in a locker room among teammates is a special thing, and I was lucky in my life to have some great friends that I still speak to decades later. I based nearly every piece of dialogue in the book from something I pulled from my memory. I think it adds an authenticity to those moments that comes through for the reader. Also, coaches love to tell stories. A few tidbits are based on other stories coaches have told me in the coaches' office over the years.

Without giving too much away, the book's description hints at some other tone within the book. What sparked the direction you wanted to take the story in?

I grew up on a farm in south Texas, and often there wasn't much there for a young boy with an active imagination except for hard work and boredom. I used to walk around the farm and imagine ways for things to become exciting, like a movie or novel could come to life there. We raised lots of animals on our farm--chickens, cows, and pigs. We also had a crop of corn that bordered the house. There was this strange menace in those looming stalks at night, as if anything could be hiding in there. It seemed ripe for a horror story, so one began taking shape. One of the earliest things I can recall that I imagined was the old farmer waking in the middle of the night and going out to check on the chickens, unaware that a monster was lurking right at the edge of the corn field. That bit was the first thing I wrote for this novel. At one point, it was the prologue. After a few revisions, it became chapter 15. I just had to find a way to meld the football story I wanted to tell with the horror aspects to make something that would be exciting for both football fans and fans of thrillers, horror, and mystery. I also wanted to sprinkle in enough humor and quirky characters to make it a book people wouldn't want to put down. In a nutshell, a book like this didn't exist, so I wrote a book that I'd love to read.

What do you think makes this book appealing to coaches and/or football fans?

I've been around football nearly my entire life. I have pictures of myself in the crib in a Dallas Cowboys onesie. I've coached and been a coordinator at the 2A, 3A, 4A, and 5A levels. I've even coached for a state championship. I think when coaches, players, and fans begin reading, they're going to see many of the personalities they've come to know and love that surround the game of football--the coaches, players, and fans. A broad spectrum of players appear in these pages, from the all-stars motivated to win, to the guys who are just in it for the free hamburgers on the bus ride home. There's the old head coach who is an icon in the small town, and the administrators who he butts heads with who are only concerned with test scores. There are sections based on practices I've had and games I've played and coached in. I think a coach will recognize that this was written by another coach and someone who not only understands the game, but also talks the way real coaches talk. I don't want to spoil anything, but the climax of the story is centered around a huge football game against the defending state champions, and it's compelling stuff.

Anything else you’d like for people to know about the book?

I'd like all the coaches and others out there to know that by purchasing this book, you're helping out one of your own. I've worked on and off on this novel for longer than I'd like to admit. Everyone reading this knows what the schedule of a coach is like. At any free moment (like such a thing exists between teaching, coaching, and being a husband and father), I've worked tirelessly to bring this book to life. It's not an exaggeration to say I've dedicated years of my life to telling the story of Dominic Shaw and his return to the Tate Timberwolf football team--hoping to right the wrongs of his past, and possibly help lead the team to that elusive state championship. I want to say thanks to Texas Coach and Ishmael Johnson for interviewing me and for helping me to promote this story. I'm always looking to connect with fans, so please follow me on Twitter @FrankNix or stop by my website to check out my blog or other work at www.franknix.com.