David Morrell scheduled to lecture at Seton Hill
As a graduate teaching assistant at Penn State University in 1968, David Morrell connected with many of the Vietnam veterans in his English composition classes.
"They were really puzzled by their re-introduction to society and the backlash from protestors," Morrell says. "As a Canadian, I saw what was going on with these returning veterans. Each time my family and I drove from Penn State to Canada to visit relatives, we passed cemeteries with more and more flags on the graves."
Hearing the veterans and seeing the abundance of American flags spurred Morrell to write a novel about an angry Vietnam veteran at odds with a police officer, a veteran of the Korean conflict. That novel, "First Blood," introduced the world to the character Rambo.
"I wanted the story to play out in a way that escalated like the Vietnam War had escalated," Morrell says. "It took me three years, but I got it done."
Morrell says William Tenn, a science-fiction writer and professor emeritus of English and comparative literature at Penn State University, offered "considerable advice" during the writing of "First Blood." Tenn is a pseudonym for Philip Klass, of Pittsburgh.
For 16 years, Morrell was a professor in the English department at the University of Iowa before giving up his tenure to devote himself to writing full time. During his teaching career, Morrell continued to write novels, including "The Brotherhood of the Rose," the basis for an NBC miniseries broadcast after the Super Bowl in 1989. The executive producer of the movie was Stirling Silliphant, a screenwriter whose work on the television show "Route 66" inspired Morrell to pursue a life of writing. Morrell, who now lives in Santa Fe, N.M., has written 28 books, including his latest endeavor, "Creepers," a novel about urban explorers.
"Creepers are history and architecture enthusiasts who infiltrate old buildings that have been sealed and abandoned for decades," Morrell says. "In reality, the people who own these buildings just walk away, leaving furniture, office equipment and files. By creeping into these buildings, these explorers want to create the intent of going back in time."
The novel focuses on what happens to a group of five urban explorers who go into an abandoned building in New Jersey.
"Creepers is written in real time. It starts at 9 p.m. and ends at 5 a.m.," said Morrell. "This technique is highly unusual. It's an exercise in trying to bring the maximum of suspense from a finite time and place."
In addition to his fiction works, Morrell is the author of "Lessons From a Lifetime of Writing," which summarizes his 30-plus years as a writer. He will speak at Cecilian Hall. on the campus of Seton Hill University at 7 p.m. Jan. 10 on the topic "Platforms, Viral Marketing, and the Seismic Shifts in Today's Publishing World."
"This talk will change some people's view of reality," Morrell says. "I'm going to peel away the curtain of publishing. Readers will then understand why we're offered the sorts of books that we are."
In the afternoon, he will conduct a three-hour workshop for students enrolled in Seton Hill's Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction program.
Dr. Albert Wendland, interim director of the program, says there were three reasons why the university wanted Morrell to visit.
"He's an excellent writer of popular fiction, and he's not just knowledgeable about writing novels, he knows what students have to learn about the practical side of putting together a novel, and the business side of writing," Wendland says. "We want him to share that information with our students."
There are about 70 students enrolled in the writing program.
"Our program is an academic one. Morrell knows the audience, and we feel that he will reach our audience well," Wendland says.
Morrell says that during his student workshop, he will share some techniques that will change the way writers write.
"You have to ask yourself why you have a compulsion to write. When you answer this, it will lead you to know what types of books you should write," he says.
Additional Information:
David Morrell
'Platforms, Viral Marketing and the Seismic Shifts in Today's Publishing World'
What : Talk by author David Morrell
When: 7 p.m. Jan. 10; presentation will be followed by a reception and book signing
Where: Cecilian Hall, Seton Hill University, Greensburg
Admission: Free
Details: 724-830-4600
