had been getting good feedback from readers, but to be recognized
by an independent group was very rewarding.”
Finding the time to write in addition to managing a full-time
job and a family is not always easy, explains Adair. “To write well,
you need the time to be able to do it, to get into a flow and to have
the characters develop naturally,” he says. That’s a tall order when
sometimes he only has an hour here or there to work on it. Adair
often found himself going back and re-reading what he wrote a few
weeks earlier to try to get back into some sort of writing groove.
“It’s not the ideal way to write,” he says, “and it takes longer than
it probably would if I had the time to just sit and work through
uninterrupted.”
Adair’s writing is also influenced by his mood and surroundings
at the time. If he is in a good mood but needs to write about
something depressing, or something requiring a lot of tension, it can
be difficult to switch gears. In that instance Adair will usually opt to
write a part of the story that fits with his current mood.
It’s not always easy to deduce exactly where a writer’s inspiration
comes from. For Adair, there is no specific place that he finds his
ideas or passions. “Often, it comes from music I hear,” says the
author. “Random Lucidity” was based on lyrics from a Bruce
Springsteen song that says, “Is a dream a lie if it don’t come true, or is
it something worse?” The book has nothing to do with the characters
from that song (“The River”), says Adair, but more so the emotions
that particular line invokes: fear, introspection and hope.
Adair experienced quite a bit of support throughout his writing
career, beginning many years ago during his time at Canevin
High School. Adair was encouraged by his high school English
teacher, Tim Fazio, to pursue writing, and primarily by the positive
comments he would give regarding the author’s term papers. As a
professional writer, later in life, he learned a lot from two former
newspaper writers, Bill Heufelder and Tom McMillan. McMillan
is now the Vice President of Communications for the Pittsburgh
Penguins and Heufelder is a retired newsman and businessman.
“I’ve learned a lot about this process over the past year or two,”
says Adair. “The most important thing is to write a good book, and
you should take as long as you need to accomplish that.” As part of
providing advice to prospective writers and novelists, Adair goes on
to mention that if someone reads an author’s work and it has many
errors, or if the story doesn’t flow as intended, there’s no taking it
back. “They’ve read it, and they’ve formed their opinion of you and
your level of talent,” says Adair, as he stresses the importance of
taking time to make sure everything is in order as best as it can be at
all times as an author.
Being a Pittsburgh hometowner has definitely been a big part of
Adair’s life. “I was born and raised in this area, so, like most everyone
else, I think it’s a great city,” he says. Adair believes that Pittsburgh
has some of the trappings and cultural opportunities you find in
larger cities, but also the smaller, close-knit unique neighborhoods
with rural areas not far away. “It’s a great place to live, work and raise
a family,” says Adair. “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else at this
point!”
Adair’s next book “The Handle
Method” is scheduled for release
in March. Like “Random Lucidity”
it will be available exclusively
at Amazon.com in eBook and
paperback formats. For more
information visit daveadair.net,
facebook.com/daveadairbooks or
Twitter at @daveadairbooks. ■
The face of experience at
NORTHWOOD
Meet Jo Ann Milesky. Jo Ann has been a Residental REALTOR®
with Northwood for 38 years. She has been named the #1 Realtor
in Pittsburgh 11 times. Jo Ann’s motto is “Service is My Specialty”,
as she works hard for both buyers looking for a
new home and sellers looking to list their
current home. Through experience,
Jo Ann knows the residential market and
the best financial opportunities available.
There is no doubt that the consistency
and skill in which Jo Ann works is
the foundation for her growth and
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