Talking with Author Mitch Maiman we asked him questions about his new book “Every Third Night” and his writing experience.
What inspired you to write this book?
There was a story that needed to be told, with passion and with honesty, and told by someone who was in those same trenches and could describe the scenes with uncanny accuracy. It needed to be illuminated by complex characters through their conflicts and their frailties, and highlight the emotions associated with physician training in a bygone era, but still quite similar to the ordeal of young doctors even today. It was easy to write, because it literally poured out of me like an unchecked faucet.
Can you tell me about the book?
The novel is many things rolled into one: historical fiction of the medical profession almost four decades ago, an eye-opening expose that might surprise the average reader, an exhilarating suspenseful mystery with a dramatic ending, and a poignant love story that is uplifting and hopeful.
What did you learn when writing the book?
I learned that all fiction is, to some degree, autobiographical. If not, then it can’t be honest, and the characters will not seem real. Every word gets filtered through the author’s brain and previous experiences, and therefore, represents a blue print of the writer’s internal world.
What surprised you the most?
How hard it is to complete a novel. While the free-flowing, imaginative creative part is purely joyous, putting it all together and remaining consistent is difficult work. It takes and obsessive effort and a thick skin.
What does the title mean?
“Every Third Night” was the typical on-call schedule for a resident at that time, before mandatory duty-hour restrictions were enforced. You worked 110 hours per week, and 36 hours in a row without any rest. It is hard to believe what physicians-in-training had to endure, and the risky environment it created for our patients.
Was the character inspired by a real person?
It was inspired by many real people, but overwhelmingly similar to none. Bits and pieces were extracted and applied, and there was not a single episode in this book that actually happened. But it could have, and that is the point and the thrill of well-told historical fiction. The protagonist probably mirrored my own life most closely, but he was far more interesting!
What do you think happened to the characters after the book ended?
They grew and they struggled and they witnessed the life, as we all do in the real world. As for the specifics, stay tuned for the sequel!
Do you miss the characters?
I do, but I needed some time away from them. In preparing the manuscript, I probably read and re-read the work over a hundred times, so I could use a “time-out.” But the next chapter in their stories is already coming alive in my mind.
Click to Purchase Every Third Night by Mitch Maiman on Amazon
Connect with the author
Website – https://mitchmaiman.com/
