Archive for the ‘tony spilotro’ Category
The Process
May 9, 2017After writing three manuscripts with Frank Cullotta, we have developed a process that allows us to write efficiently although we are 2,500 miles apart. Our primary tool is Free Conference Call (FCC). It’s a free program with many features, but I only use it for calls with more than three participants or if I want the call recorded, which is the case with Frank.
The way it works is that Frank makes notes of what he wants to talk about in a particular chapter. When he finishes putting his ideas on paper we schedule a day and time to get together on FCC and I activate the recorder. We go through his notes item by item. He lays out the bones and I ask him questions that will put the flesh on them.
When we’ve completed Frank’s list and I’ve elicited all the information I can from him, the ball is in my park. I do the necessary research to verify Frank’s information, such as finding newspaper articles or TV news clips that verify dates and the correct spelling of the names of persons involved with the specific incidents. As part of the process I replay our recording several times to make sure I haven’t missed anything and run any questions past Frank via phone or email.
When I’m satisfied I have sufficient and accurate information I begin the writing. I do a first draft and email it to Frank for his review. We go back and forth until he is satisfied that each event has been described as he remembers it; and I’m satisfied that I have ample corroboration.
However, there are times when available corroboration is lacking or it doesn’t precisely match Frank’s memory. When that happens we talk it over and decide what to do. If it is a minor detail that is not critical to the story, we will likely simply omit it. If it is something that needs to be included I’ll insert wording such as “approximately,” “around that time,” or “to the best of my recollection.”
When the first draft is completed we do a read through via telephone. Frank focuses primarily on the accuracy of the information while I look for organization, grammar, typos, etc. Depending on how many problems we find, the read through may take two or three sessions.
After that process is over I do a solo read through and then send the manuscript to one or more proofreaders I have confidence in. Upon making any suggested corrections or changes they find, it’s time to start submitting to a publisher.
Books Make Great Gifts & Stocking Stuffers
December 18, 2016See if any of my works tickle your fancy or satisfy your need as a gift for someone else. They are all available on Amazon.com.
True Crime/History
Note: Fans of the movie Casino and/or Las Vegas will be interested in The Battle for Las Vegas or CULLOTTA. Surviving The Mob is a true story from the streets of New York.
The Battle for Las Vegas–The Law vs. the Mob. The real story of the era dramatized in the 1995 blockbuster movie Casino.
CULLOTTA–Chicago Criminal, Las Vegas Mobster and Government Witness. The biography of Chicago Outfit associate Frank Cullotta and his decades-long career as a master thief and Mob killer.
Surviving The Mob. The story of Gambino crime family associate Andrew DiDonato.
La Bella Mafia is the inspiring true story of a girl who overcame years of verbal, physical and sexual abuse at the hands of her own family.
Policing Las Vegas. A history of law enforcement in Las Vegas and Southern Nevada.
Fiction
The Morgue. My very first published book is a fact-based story of a medical examiner run amok.
A three-book series featuring a male/female team of Las Vegas Metro homicide detectives Steve Garneau and Terry Bolton in the order published: Killer In Pair-A-Dice, One-Armed Bandit and Vegas Vixen.
Bumping Off Fat Vinny: A tongue-in-cheek story of three writers who want to murder their publisher.