Sanibel author to discuss his debut novel, ‘The Bricklayer of Albany Park’
When Sanibel resident and author Terry John Malik came up with the first paragraphs of his debut novel, “The Bricklayer of Albany Park,” he had no intention of it actually turning into a book.
Malik, who moved to the islands with his wife six years ago after retiring, explained that he was participating in a writer’s conference. Surrounded by “pseudo intellectuals,” the former English teacher came up with the most edgy and shocking copy he could for a read-your-manuscript assignment.
“Just to thumb my nose to them,” the former Chicagoan said, adding that he only signed up for the conference because he thought it might be interesting. “I was looking for something to do.”
When his turn came up, Malik read aloud the six paragraphs of his nonexistent book.
“Silence, and then they applauded,” he said, adding that the instructor wanted to see the rest.
When Malik later relayed the story to his wife, she told him to “write the damn book.”
“So I wrote the damn book,” Malik said.
On March 29, he will speak at 2 p.m. at the Captiva Memorial Library about his novel, which was published in August, and about writing in general. The audience will be able to ask questions.
“We’re going to talk about how did I come to write what is a psychological thriller, a murder mystery, since it’s inconsistent with everything else I’ve done professionally,” Malik said.
“The Bricklayer of Albany Park” follows Chicago’s first serial killer since the Killer Clown. Francis Vincenti, a Chicago PD detective, is known as a cop with an uncanny insight into a killer’s psyche. Until the Bricklayer of Albany Park. Vincenti studies the murderer and his victims, reconstructing the brutal slayings and burials by day and, at night, recreating the murders one by one in his nightmares.
It is a runner-up in general fiction in the 2017 Great Midwest Book Festival and a finalist in popular fiction for the 30th Annual Independent Book Publishers Association’s Benjamin Franklin Award.
Prior to writing the novel, Malik had not written a word of fiction.
Born and raised in Chicago, he graduated from the University of Notre Dame with an English major, then taught for three years before becoming a computer programmer at Arthur Andersen. Malik joined the First National Bank of Chicago next, then graduated from the Loyola University’s School of Law.
He practiced law in Chicago for 28 years, before becoming president of a parochial high school.
“It was in financial distress,” Malik said, adding that he helped to turn it around.
Afterward, he and his wife relocated to Sanibel, where Malik started a website design company.
He noted that attendees to his discussion may take away a few lessons, especially retirees.
“There’s the lesson of you can actually do stuff that you didn’t think you could do,” Malik said. “You can do work that’s inconsistent with that you’ve done throughout your life.”
Depending on how many have read his book, there may be a discussion about the ending.
“It’s fun to be able to discuss what really happened in the book,” he said.
Asked about writing the novel, Malik explained that he finished it in four sections. Unfamiliar with psychological principals and police procedures, he let those in the industries review the sections.
“I had to do a lot of research,” he said.
Malik noted that one of the big writing tips is, “Write what you know.” While he did not know much about psychological principals and police procedures, he leaned on what he did know of Chicago.
“It takes place in a neighborhood where I grew up,” Malik said.
His process also entailed identifying the ending and defining his characters.
“Then, I take the characters through the story,” he said. “Novels are all about characters. Readers want to identify with a character or characters.”
Malik estimated that it took him about nine months to write the book.
“I probably spent like six hours a day writing, usually like six days a week,” he said, noting that the majority of his daily hours were spent researching and going back over previously written copy.
“Rewrite, revise, rewrite, revise,” Malik said.
He added that some portions of his novel were written about 100 times.
“Trust your editor when you finally do have an editor,” Malik said for those new to publishing. “I’m a writer on training wheels and my editor was very helpful.”
“Also, you have to have thick skin because you’re going to get rejections,” he added.
Malik has already completed the sequel to “The Bricklayer of Albany Park.”
No tentative publishing date had been set as of March 21.
“What I’m writing now is the prequel,” he said.
“The Bricklayer of Albany Park” can be found on Amazon, in Barnes & Noble stores and exclusively in-store at MacIntosh Books and Paper, at 2330 Palm Ridge Road, Sanibel.
For more information, visit www.terryjohnmalik.com.
For more on the program, call 239-533-4890 or visit www.leegov.com/library/branches/cv.
The Captiva Memorial Library is at 11560 Chapin Lane.