Being the character

Mary A. Castillo

Across the table at the Coffee Pub, Laguna Beach novelist Andrew Winer

admitted that the first time he saw his debut novel “The Color Midnight

Made” on a bookstore shelf, he was too exhausted from the editing and

promotional work to get excited.

“I thought it would be this huge moment,” he said, leaning back in his

chair. “I was so involved in the behind-the-scenes work that it was

anticlimactic.”

But as Winer prepares to embark on a reading and book signing tour

that will take him through the West Coast, he is anxious to interact with

his readers. Many have already contacted him through his Web site,

surprising him with their insights into the book.

“During the composition it’s a completely private endeavor and then

suddenly it’s out in the world,” he said. “It’s an exposure but it’s nice

to see those characters, especially Conrad out in the world.”

Winer refers to the smack talking yet sensitive 10-year-old narrator,

Conrad Clay, who absorbs the tragic realities of adult life between his

parents and his best friend’s mother. The character first emerged in a

short story Winer had written when he first moved to Los Angeles from New

York, transitioning from life as a painter to that of a writer.

“I was still an artist but I began living a double life writing short

stories and screenplays,” he said. Eager to be part of a community of

writers he applied to UCI in 1996, unaware how slim his chances were of

getting accepted. The program accepts six students per year, three men

and three women.

When Winer traveled to campus to interview with program director

Geoffrey Wolff, he walked in without any letters of recommendation and a

copy of “Men’s Lives” by Peter Matthiesen. Wolff overlooked the former

and honed in on the latter.

“It was obscure enough and up Geoffrey’s alley that he let me in,”

Winer remembered. The experience changed his life.

Winer found a haven in which he worked with fellow students -- all of

whom are published novelists -- including Aimee Bender, Charmaine Craig,

Glen David Gold, Alice Sebold, Maile Meloy and David Benioff. It was a

place where he could develop his writer’s voice rather than try to

emulate his favorite authors.

“I went from living in L.A. writing short stories in isolation to a

safe place where I could really believe I was a writer,” he said.

After settling in Laguna Beach, Winer dived into Conrad’s adventures,

taking trips to the Alameda where the novel is set. When he couldn’t get

up to the Bay area, he spent a lot of time hanging around the Circle-K on

North Coast Highway where he became addicted to soda and junk food while

befriending skateboarding kids.

“My diet mimics my novels,” he quipped.

Although it seems ironic that an author could create an authentic

working-class experience while taking walks on the beach in between

writing sessions, Winer felt that the distance freed him in a sense.

“Living away from Alameda allowed me to imagine it and create a world

from the point of view of the character,” he said.

Although Winer and Conrad share some experiences in common -- both are

red and green colorblind and were raised in African American communities

by single mothers -- the author maintains that this is not a straight

autobiography. His mother hasn’t read it yet nor is he particularly

looking forward to that event, he admitted.

“I didn’t start with a clear idea of what I wanted to do with this

book,” he explained. “The pain of learning the frailty of adult love and

the experience of growing up around some pretty wild characters found

their way into the core of the book.”

As Winer hits the road with “Midnight” and gets back into the head of

Conrad for his readings, he anticipates the fall when he can begin his

second book. If anything he’ll bring a greater understanding of not only

the nuts and bolts of the publication, but the single driving force that

makes writers do what they do.

“You need a lot of faith to write a novel,” he said.

Winer will read from and sign “The Color Midnight Made” from 4 to 6

p.m., July 20 at Latitude 33. The bookstore is at 311 Ocean Ave.

Information: (949) 494-5403 or visit www.andrewwiner.com.

MARY A. CASTILLO is a news assistant for the Coastline Pilot. She

covers education, public safety and City Hall.