Thomas J Gebhardt III has been seriously writing for nine years after long days in healthcare, doing occupational therapy in the hospital setting. He lives with his wife and son in his hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii.
He published his debut novel two years ago, an anti-school shooting novel, and has talked with educators, survivors, and concerned citizens, as well as donated to various charities. His work is heavily influenced by pop culture, including movies, music, shows, video games, comic books, anime and manga.
Interview with Thomas J Gebhardt III, the author of Washington
TBE: What inspired you to write a story centered around the difficult topic of a school shooting? How did you approach balancing the heavy subject matter with moments of hope and resilience?
Thomas J Gebhardt III: To be honest, I wasn’t planning to publish WASHINGTON. It was an idea I had from when I went to high school. Columbine happened in my freshman year, and stuck with me and weighed on me until graduation. I would walk through the halls and wonder what would I do, where would I go? What if that happened to me and my friends? When I came around to it, all these years later, I only intended it as “practice.” I had done a lot of shorter works then: novellas, novelettes, short stories, poetry. This was my first official novel but it was going to remain on a shelf or in a drawer or on a flash drive because I didn’t think it would be worth trying to publish. However, when I started writing it, a sort of magic took over and pulled me in…
Because I understood how difficult it might be to publish due to the subject matter, I approached it with the utmost respect. It was (and still is) kind of a taboo topic. It was a very fine line to walk as an artist, even as a person. I knew it had to be realistic but at the same time, I aimed not to glorify anything or cross any lines. This is a story not about a shooter, not about a shooting, but about the students affected. I wanted to capture the innocence of childhood, the nostalgia of the 90s and 2000s, and from that, naturally, all these positive themes emerged.
TBE: The dual timeline structure of your book Washington is incredibly effective for building suspense and emotional investment. What made you decide to alternate between the pre-shooting flashbacks and the day of the shooting itself?
Thomas J Gebhardt III: I don’t know why but that was how the idea came to me, from the beginning. If I had to guess, it could have been a way for me to make it more exciting. To go from the first day of school through each semester, each semester, in straightforward linear fashion, building up to an eventual attack, I don’t think I myself would even want to write that so who would want to read that? For some reason, early on, I envisioned this storyline about growing up, friendship, falling in love, and then bouncing back and forth between this action sequence unfolding.
TBE: Evan and Judith’s relationship is the heart of the novel. Can you share your process for developing their complex dynamic and using it to explore themes of identity and social pressure?
Thomas J Gebhardt III: I kind of set out to write this epic love story. I was inspired by movies like Titanic and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, where the two love interests are opposites in a way. Because of their differences, there is a clash but also a spark from that clash. To kindle and develop that genuine spark on the page is such a wondrous experience. Two distinct characters. Two distinct viewpoints. I think it was the perfect method to dig further—about life, about dreams, about finding yourself. Each cares so much for the other, it seems inevitable that we also care. As for social pressure, writing about teenage angst reminded me of what it felt like back then.
TBE: The aftermath of the shooting is portrayed with such nuance and empathy for the different ways people process trauma. What kind of research did you do to capture those long-tail psychological impacts so realistically?
Thomas J Gebhardt III: When I got to the climax, I wanted to see more. What happened to everybody and how did they handle it? It was born out of sheer curiosity. Over time, there had been Columbine, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, and then Las Vegas. I kept up with a lot of the major events but I did extensive research on those in particular. So there are different elements from each in this book. As for the characters and trauma, I tried to put myself in their shoes. It turned into sort of a massive undertaking. I went on to write Washington Reunion as part of EVERYDAY RAINBOWS, my story collection. That explores these characters ten years in the future.
TBE: Your prose is so crisp and evocative, with vivid descriptions that really transport the reader. Do you have any tips for aspiring writers on honing that kind of immersive, sensory storytelling?
Thomas J Gebhardt III: Shortly before beginning the manuscript, I thought to myself how much I missed that time period. Arcades. CD stores. DVD rental stores. Cartridge video games. Having friends like that, where you’re so close you just wrap your arm around them, lay an elbow on their shoulder, wrestle each other out of nowhere. I have a really good memory so I can still recall the small details, the sights, the sounds, the layout of it. And I also did prep work for certain elements. I visited two old high school campuses, walked around my old community college and my old university libraries. I drew this map of Washington High School which was only meant for me. And it’s still right there in my head.
Every writer will have their own methods and tools, but these are mine. I have a pretty good memory and I like to go and see, do and feel things for myself to get the creative juices flowing. For instance, I went to the gun range on multiple occasions during the writing of WASHINGTON.
TBE: Your ability to create hauntingly human portraits even of minor characters who don’t get much page time is commendable. How do you approach crafting layered, memorable characters and giving them each a distinct voice?
Thomas J Gebhardt III: When I create characters, I do almost like a composite sketch. I take bits and pieces of different people, stitch them together and make someone entirely new. From there, I can think of their face and their body, their mannerisms, their personality. I mentioned having a good memory. I also have good hearing. So I can remember distinct ways that people talk, words they used or jokes they said.
One detail I brainstormed for this story was the background of each character. I thought about the contrast amongst the group of friends. Who had both parents in a nurturing family, overprotective family, versus a dysfunctional family? Who had only a single parent? And who was raised by someone other than a parent like their grandmother? That informed their outlook on life and their individual choices. For minor characters as well, I try to put enough thought to them that they can argue with each other, that they’re unique.
TBE: Pacing is another strength of the novel, with seamless shifts between introspection and action. Can you give us a behind-the-scenes peek at your process for outlining and structuring a story with this level of complexity?
Thomas J Gebhardt III: I am a discovery writer. I don’t outline, plan or plot. I go from scene to scene and in order from the first page to the last. It all begins with the idea, then the characters then the setting. Another aspect is the structure. I had to think about timelines and where they intersect, where they lead. There is usually a few specific scenes I am trying to build to and from and in between. I also don’t rush introduction of characters or information. I consider the learning curve of the reader.
TBE: What was the most challenging aspect of writing this novel? Were there any scenes or emotional beats that were particularly difficult to get right?
Thomas J Gebhardt III: Every project is different. Some are front loaded and some are back loaded. The hard part of WASHINGTON was the editing. I did a lot of revisions and changes after the initial drafts, based off feedback from my writing partner, a handful of beta readers and a professional editor. Thousands of words deleted. Thousands of words added. There were whole chapters I ended up removing. Now, luckily, I take all these considerations forward so I did learn and I did improve, making it easier. As for specific scenes, the auditorium scene was the hardest to write due to its intensity.
TBE: School shootings are such a heavy and politically charged topic. Did you have any hesitations about tackling the subject in a YA novel? What kind of response have you gotten from readers, educators, or parents?
Thomas J Gebhardt III: Like I mentioned, I wasn’t going to publish it. It was “practice” and I accidentally stumbled upon my debut novel. Since publishing, I have had the chance to talk with a range of concerned citizens, from parents, to educators, to people who worked at Columbine and at Parkland, went to Virginia Tech. I even had the chance to talk to survivors, which has been profound. Believe it or not, those were some of the most positive and uplifting conversations. I never feared the topic per se but I was aware of the importance of getting it right. I was very conscious to balance out light and dark, to carefully cover every angle, but also remain neutral.
TBE: The review describes your book as feeling eerily prescient and socially urgent. As a writer, do you feel a sense of responsibility to engage with difficult real-world issues in your work? How do you balance that with telling an engaging story?
Thomas J Gebhardt III: I did feel responsibility to a degree, which is why there was so much thought put into it, almost like walking a tightrope lined with eggshells… But at the end of the day, I have to say, I am not a political commentator and I am not an activist. I’m a novelist. It always comes back down to storytelling. It is about the event and the people in that event, nothing else. That is what I am interested in as the author. That is what the reader, the audience is interested in.
TBE: “Washington” is an incredibly accomplished debut. Can you tell us a bit about your journey to publication? Were there any big challenges or learning curves along the way?
Thomas J Gebhardt III: I actually was all set to reach out to literary agents in March 2020. It was difficult to time it right, play it right, to fight through all the madness going on. I’m a healthcare worker too so it was especially rough. I came close a couple of times, with personalized and positive responses. I could tell agents really considered it and were tempted to take it on, which is pretty good for a controversial novel in the middle of a pandemic. In the end, I faced the difficult choice of abandoning it or independently publishing. I ran a crowdfunding campaign and am very happy and proud of the end product. There was so much to learn then: how to work with an editor, cover design, formatting, marketing, promotion, all the legal and business side.
TBE: What’s next for you? Are there any upcoming projects or themes you’re excited to explore in future works? Do you plan to continue writing in the contemporary YA space?
Thomas J Gebhardt III: Funny, the age of the protagonist and cast of characters make WASHINGTON a young adult book by default. But I never wrote it as such. I consider my work for adult readers, which is why there is so much violence and profanity, even sex. Those are common elements throughout all my coming works. I am finishing revisions on my next novel now. That one explores more of a college setting so it has similarities like romance, like coming-of-age.
At the same time, I am beginning research for my next, next novel. So I have a few projects in my pipeline. I’ll be expanding in scope and genre a little bit, but still with the same realistic contemporary style. I’m a very secretive writer, but these works in progress, like WASHINGTON, are ideas that I have carried with me for a long time. And those are always special, always the best kind.
