Bestselling Author Ben Mezrich is Now Listening…

Ben Mezrich is the author of eleven books, including six novels and five non-fiction titles. He’s been writing — not always successfully — since he left college and allegedly still keeps all 192 of the rejections he received pinned on the wall in his writing den. But Ben kept at it and success came. He sold a few novels then finally hit it VERY big with Bringing Down the House, a true story about a group of M.I.T. students who swindled a series of Vegas casinos out of millions by counting cards (the movie version was called “21”). The book sold over two million copies in twelve languages. Most recently, Ben published The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal, which spent 12 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List.
 
Now, here’s where you come in. For the next week (or so), you get to ask Ben questions in the comments area below. About what? Well, anything, but Ben is a working writer who struggled to make it at first — like so many others — so maybe start there. In any case, Ben will pick the questions he finds the most compelling and answer them, Q&A style. If the questions are really good (or quirky or straight bizarre), maybe they’ll even be two parts to the Q&A. It all depends on you, the asker. Want to know a little more about Ben, to fine-tune your questions? He wrote a piece for the Boston Globe a while back that details how he got his start in writing.

So ask away. Ben is now listening...

--John

* * *

Join WEbook Today

Sign up for WEbook today and start reading, writing, and feedbacking.

Comments

[Somebody Bear]

HALP! MAJOR writer's block! I have a plot, but as for actions and dialogue, I am blank. A little help, please?
Somebody Bear
ps meow.
pps I am a cat sometime. Please don't mind.
ppps meow.

[Audrey Lewis]

My problem is with rewriting, always trying to make it sound better. I spend so much time doing this that i never seem to get anywhere. For example, i thought i had completed my first novel. Thought is a key word in that sentance. When i mailed my first three chapters to the agent i wanted, i just knew she would see how great it was. Ha-ha. I got back the standard letter saying thanks, but no thanks and i pouted for a while and now am in the process of rewriting the thing. It's insane i know and i am glad to read that you recieved your fair share of rejection letters yourself. But now i find i write, then rewrite, then rewrite some more. I don't know if i am making it better or worse. Any advise or have you experienced anything like this.

[Shaya Luckless]

i'm writing a new story, and i was wondering... how do you come up with inspiration?
i mean, i do re-writes of other stories, as well as my own ideas. i really need to know how i can get inspirationfor my new story. i'm stumped!

[D. Sterner]

So, I've always wondered something about writing, or aleast my writing in genral. What do you do about writers block and other blocks known to the arting world? I heard that people travel to places and it seems to work for them. I'm just not sure. Can I have you're opinion?

[Rachael]

Hello Ben,

It's nice to meet you!

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed "Bringing Down the House" and, in my opinion, is one of the best books taking a look at what happens behind the scenes in Vegas. How did it feel to immerse yourself that deeply into a culture? And how did it feel to see it on the big screen? Were you pleased with the results or did you think "I could have done a better job"?

Thanks in advance and best wishes for the future. I'm looking forward to the new book!
Rachael :)

[Rebecca L]

192 rejections and you still kept at it, that, anyone has to admire... I'm working on getting my first book published, and well... 8 rejection letters later I'm almost ready to give up.

How do you keep your spirits high after getting rejection letters? Each one seems to just shatter me.

I am planning on getting an agent, which I've heard will help a lot, but it's a lot of work and I've got my studies to concentrate on...

Also, do you ever have it... where you're writing one book, but then another idea pops into your head for another one, and you can't write anything else except for that idea? I hate and love when that happens... I can never seem to finish a book cause of that

Congrats on all your success!! :)

[muso_artist]

im only a new writer, young and still in school...but my imagination is boiling over i want to write all these things down and i can visualise my stories coming together...but i just cant write it down day after day after day its like i dont want to but i do...should i concentrate on school and finish that then should i concentrate on my stories?? i just cant juggle it all

also, i find it hard to put a story to some of the things i imagine...names, people, places, any aspect of the story and those kind of things i can simply whip up and write about them too, but making a compelling storyline is what i want to create

how can you help??

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=609862010]

It seems as you begin to study the publishing business that there is always a chorus of experts that determine what is in and what is out. I understand that as writers, if we want to play on the team with the big kids, we have to learn the rules, but did you ever disregard what the experts were saying? How do you know when to follow your own instincts instead?

[Kathy Ziolkowski]

Hi Ben,
Your books are awesome! Who is your agent? Does he take new writers. I find that no matter how great your book is there are those that will still reject it - what finally worked for you - was it a killer Inquiry Letter or what?
Thanks for your insight!
Kathy

[derrick burton]

What type of book are you writing next if you are tellinng... and what motivates you to create stories and ideas.

[brittany meyer]

hey, ben
well im starting a new project on webook obviously any way and i was wondering how did you get your start? i mean iv always done short stories poems proses simple stuff but never really attempted a book any suggestions would be apreciated.

thank you,
brittany

[Zoe]

Hello Ben-
Great to see you here on WEbook. I have certainly heard of your work and have great respect for all you have accomplished. Some questions:

Let's ease in here: What three authors, dead or alive, would you like to have dinner with and why?

-You claim that you write at least 10 pages every single day--for you is writing like a 9-5 job? If it is just a hobby (say, for late nights or lazy Sundays) can one still find success?

-On your website you mention that you have gone through several agents, editors and publishing houses. Was it them or you? For those lucky enough to land a spot with any of the aforementioned, what advice can you offer to establish and maintain healthy and successful relationships?

-You write that keeping a career in the industry is like winning the lottery over and over-with such a risk, what keeps you going?

-You bravely admit that you have gotten over 190 rejection letters. As someone looking to submit a manuscript to the new AgentInbox service on WEbook, what advice can you give to perfecting my work? When do you know that something is DONE?

-What is the most rewarding part about having published (not to mention highly acclaimed) novels?

-How do you research for your work? Site exploration, interviews, background?!

-Who are your heros--literary or otherwise?

Thanks so much! Cannot wait to hear more from you.

[Bonnie]

I have written professionally for years and have a book written but vascillate between first and third person. One critic writer friend said first person as the reader wants to know more about the character-writer, I say third to let the writer fade into the background and the tale reveal itself. Any opinion or thoughts on what publishers currently prefer¿¿¿¿¿

[Tommy]

I have a question about your writing technique, do you plan and structure your books before you write them, or do you just start and see where it ends? I know a lot of writers structure their work before writing, but there are writers that don't, like Stephen King for instance.

[reeree]

Hi i want to became a famour writer. how do you publish a book for free?