About Scott Rhuin
Scott Rhuin is a pseudonym for an indie author, who lives with his wife and son in Illinois, where he’s owns and manages a newspaper. All of which make him swear an awful lot. He also worked as a literary publicist and an acquisitions editor for a small publishing company in Colorado.
Aside from All I See Is Red, his primary fiction influences are Kent Haruf, Lee Martin, and Leif Enger. Because tastes change, he’s always hesitant to list favorites, but authors he’s quite taken with include (ladies first) Jane Smiley, Sue Miller, Tawni O’Dell, Christina Baker Kline, Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware, Paula Hawkins (now for the men), John Hart, James Lee Burke, Joe Hill, Justin Kronin (not just The Passage Trilogy), and John Grisham—his non-legal books, at least.
If there’s anything else you’d like to know about Scott Rhuin, please email him at [email protected]. But try not to mail him anything. He hates to travel, and so far as he’s concerned, his curbside mailbox may as well be China.
Scott Rhuin’s Take on News
I’m not much for daily or “hard” news. It tends to lean towards the negative, and while the bad should not be ignored or pushed aside, I believe in spreading positive messages whenever we, as journalists and people alike, can, which is why throughout my career in newspapers, I’ve predominantly been a features reporter and photographer, choosing to focus more on the accomplishments of people rather than their mistakes or setbacks or less-than-stellar activities.
The “Sweet Spot” of News
In my opinion, about 85% of news is glorified gossip that has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on the reader’s, listener’s, or watcher’s daily life and is only generated to get people watching, listening, reading, and therefore, talking. The next 10% is information that should be known and is good to know but isn’t very necessary. This to me, however, is the sweet spot of news. This 10% is where you’re going to find the most interesting stories that range from social-protest topics, to awareness issues, or just really cool people doing really cool things. This is the area I, as a features reporter and photographer, have always worked best. Of the remaining 5%, I think 4% is necessary content. This is the news that absolutely pertains to its audience and their daily lives. The final 1% is critical information like emergency broadcasts and the sharing of information and instructions that will keep people alive during catastrophe...or whenever Justin Bieber comes to town and brings with him the plague of his “music.”
Conversation Starters
For me, the best interviews (that ultimately create the best news stories) are conversations.
There’s a line in All I See Is Red that reads: “Giving as much of ourselves as we expect in return...that’s real journalism, Dutch. Conversations are how we share our stories.” I believe in this strongly and it’s been my motto for my twenty-year career in newspapers.
You don’t have to tell them your whole life story. People do like to talk about themselves and their endeavors and accomplishments and concerns alike, and you’re there to let them do that, after all, but offering a bit of yourself in return or to start off the interview goes a long way in making an interviewee comfortable with your questions and helps to break down that exterior shell (that is armored with clichés and quips and one-word responses) to get to a person’s genuine thoughts and emotions, which is where the “good quotes” exist. In my experience, the only way to do this is by offering them just a bit of the real you in exchange.
