Terry Evers has lived most of his life in Oregon’s Willamette Valley and has spent the past 33 years in various roles in elementary education. His passion for spending time on the water has led him to the commercial fishing industry, the U.S. Coast Guard, and many miles navigating fresh and salt water by kayak.
When he’s not working with elementary age children or on the water, he enjoys biking, cooking, grilling, hiking, reading, and working out. He’s a big fan of the Portland Trailblazers and Oregon State University athletics. Terry has been married to his wonderful wife, D’Ann, for 36 years, and has two daughters and two granddaughters.
Fifteen Seasons book summary
A school textbook salesman buys a commercial salmon dory boat and takes his thirteen-year-old son out on the cold Pacific Ocean waters off the Oregon Coast for an entire summer. What could possibly go wrong?
Take a voyage with Bruce and his son Terry as they begin their first season with harrowing gear tangles, poor decision making, repulsive fishing gear, and a salmon run that fell way below expectations. As they find their way to becoming successful fishermen on their fifteen-season sojourn, they discover that there is more to the industry than just fishing. The people, the culture, and many adventures capture their hearts, all while father and son carve indelible bonds through an unimaginable experience.
An interview with Terry Evers
Why do you write in the genre(s) that you do?
I briefly considered writing a fictional book based on my fifteen seasons of commercial salmon fishing with my father, but it made much more sense to write it as a memoir. There was so much content to share that I felt would interest not only those who enjoyed fishing but for other aspects included as well.
Do you keep a notebook of ideas?
My memoir, Fifteen Seasons, came together from several angles. First and foremost were the fishing logbook and data books that I kept which chronicled notable events as well as weather, sea conditions, and locations.
Fill in the blank: People will like your book if they like stories about…
relationships that change over time, challenges, changes, personalities, adventures, and popular music-experience connections.
What are your thoughts on typewriters?
I learned how to type on an IBM Selectric typewriter (the one with the keys in a ball rather than individual ones) in high school. I remember thinking how high-tech they were in our class vs the ancient key-strike one I fiddled around with at home.
I think it was a good experience using a typewriter as it makes me greatly appreciate the word processing tools we have now. I still remember having to place a one-page job app in a typewriter off kilter because it had been photocopied crooked. Getting the text to fit into the boxes on that app was a nightmare.
I didn’t get an interview, which was probably a good thing considering how poor form the app was. Thus, I really don’t miss typewriters.
Would you rather own a bookstore or run a library?
A bookstore by a mile. There’s an element of creativity and vibe you can add to a bookstore that I don’t think you could do with a library.
I always thought it would have been cool to run a record store back in the day before CDs. I think a bookstore would be a similar experience. Nothing against libraries though!
How do you name your characters? If you write nonfiction, do you ever change the names of your characters, and if so, how do you decide what names to change them to?
I’m currently in the very early stages of writing an upper elementary-early middle school children’s book. Thus far, characters have come from past experiences from many directions as well as terms related to the content/plot.
I used to write short stories along with my students to serve as examples and modeling of the writing process. I did much of the same in naming characters in those works.
In my memoir, I gained permission to use most of the names. A few I just used a variation of the original name or, in one case, came up with a random one that seemed to flow.
What is your favorite website that you use to promote your writing?
Thus far, I have used social media sites Facebook and Instagram for promotion. To a much smaller degree, I have used Bookreads and some discussion boards related to fishing industries.
If Hollywood bought the rights to your book, would you want it to be turned into a movie or series?
Movie. My story would be best as a one and done production.
Who is your dream audiobook narrator?
I would have to go with Tom Hanks. He’s a storyteller and has proven to adapt to any voiceover or character. If he was unavailable, then I would go with Chris Pine.
How many words or pages do you typically write in one writing session?
I never really have kept stats but probably anywhere from 200-1000 on average. Very few times have I written for hours on end. If I had deadlines, I’m sure that would be different though.
Do you have any writing rituals?
Not many. Sometimes I write when I am home alone, other times in the family room when my wife and I are just chilling out in the evening. Sometimes, I even write while watching basketball games, although if it’s a close game, it is hard to focus as you can imagine. Many of my thoughts and ideas are generated while commuting to and from work.
What writing rules do you look up the most often while you are editing?
I look up dialogue rules often as well as grammar with adverbs. I despise semicolons and avoid them at all costs. I use online thesauruses a lot!
Have you made any public appearances to promote your book?
Yes, several. I have participated in six solo book signings at libraries, bookstores, fairs, and bazaars. Two other events were signings with multiple authors. At three of the events, I was a featured speaker about my book and experiences.
Who would you most want to read your book?
While it’s wonderful to have current/former fishermen read the book, it has been especially rewarding to have people with little or no connection to the fishing industry read it. I have received a surprising amount of positive feedback from people from non-fishing backgrounds. I’m hoping for more readers from that demographic.
Who is on your Mt. Rushmore of greatest/inspirational authors?
Wow – tough question. I really don’t binge on any one author.
Delia Owens, Stephen King, Roald Dahl, and Lemony Snicket.
The imagery Delia Owens paints in Where the Crawdads Sing was very inspirational to me.
I’m not a Stephen King fanatic, but I love his detail and writing style.
As an elementary teacher, when I led homeroom classrooms, these were my two favorite authors. Their writing is very unconventional, and I always enjoyed children’s unexpected reactions to their stories.
Do you ever use dreams as inspiration for your writing?
I should as I often have really bizarre dreams, which I sometimes analyze within the dream itself. I haven’t yet, but responding to this question has me thinking that I may have to apply it to my current piece of writing.
Are you a big reader? Do you own a large collection of books, or are you more of a borrower?
Since the pandemic, I’ve ramped up my reading quite a bit. I usually purchase my own books. I always have a book I’m reading now and read most nights before turning out the lights.
I wasn’t an avid reader in my younger years, and it was much the same while raising a family, going to grad school, and working long hours. It feels empty to not have a book on hand these days though.
Have you ever gone away to work on a piece of writing? If not, where would you go if you could?
It always has sounded appealing, but I really haven’t ever done that. Given the content of my first book and current project, any tranquil place by the ocean would be ideal to be immersed in the sensory experiences.
How do you measure the success of your writing career?
My writing career is still in its infancy. Success ultimately is for my reading to resonate on a personal level with my readers in a positive way.
In Fifteen Seasons, a couple of my big goals are for the readers to become immersed in the sensory details – to feel as if they are actually there. I’ve had some readers express that this did happen, and it was very pleasing.
I included references to pop music and set lists for each chapter in Fifteen Seasons. Readers have connected with them as they transport people back to that particular time period. Also, resonating with a personal relationship.
Fifteen Seasons also grapples with the loss of a loved one. It’s my hope that the text will help readers in navigating their own way through grief.
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Love the title of this book and the story it tells! In response to the imagery Delia Owens creates with her writing, I could not agree more. 😊
Thanks for reading! Hope you check out his book!
Thanks for reading the interview, Layla!