Photos courtesy of Stephen Russell.
Stephen Russell
Stephen Russell (above) will publish his third book, “Control Group,” this March.
Writers are often encouraged to write a draft and give their work some space before making final edits. Local author Stephen Russell took that advice to heart with the first book he ever wrote. From the first draft in 2004 to a publication date this March, Russell has waited nearly 13 years to publish “Control Group.”
“I was very impatient after I wrote my first draft of this 13 years ago, but I can see the wisdom that I was given,” Russell said, who is also an associate professor of internal medicine and pediatrics at UAB. “I didn’t want to hear the wisdom I was given at the time, which was ‘set it aside, let it rest, come back to it and you’ll see it with a whole different set of eyes.’”
“Control Group” is Russell’s third novel and follows Dr. Cooper “Mackie” McKay, the main character in his previous books, “Blood Money” and “Command and Control.” The Cooper McKay novels are medical thrillers, Russell said, and combine his personal experience as a physician with his love of thriller novels.
When Russell first wrote the draft of “Control Group,” McKay’s character did not exist yet. His character was developed in the previous two novels, Russell said, so he had to return to the draft and both fit McKay into the story while rebuilding the world to fit McKay. Returning after 13 years and two other novels also allowed him to build some of the parts Russell said he could not articulate the first time around.
“That distance of having written other things and continuing to come back to this manuscript has helped me see the shortcomings and hopefully offer some improvements,” he said.
The story of “Control Group” has stuck with him for the longest amount of time, Russell said. Not only because it was the first manuscript he completed, but also because of the themes of the story.
“In many ways, it’s a redemption story, which in the medical field is not something that we spend a lot of time thinking about,” Russell said. “But it’s a universal story. It’s a universal tagline. I couldn’t really articulate that in the first draft.”
In the novel, McKay is on the verge of becoming a well-known surgeon when his son dies. Amidst this emotional turmoil, he attempts to redeem his loss and family tragedy by working for a drug company developing a drug that could have saved his son’s life. As the novel progresses, however, McKay realizes the drug is not as safe or effective as it seemed.
“That twist, of betrayal, I think drives the novel,” Russell said, “and that discovery of betrayal drives the novel, but then what Mackie does with it is the redemption aspect of it.”
As he looks toward the publication of a third novel, Russell said he sees the process as more fun than stressful.
While the publication of a first book is thrilling, it is also frightening and leaves room for worry about who will read the book and what they will think, Russell said. The process has also made him more comfortable with edits and criticism, which in turn help improve his writing.
“I hope, if we’re talking about three books from now, that I can look back and still see I’m growing as a writer,” he said. “If anything, I think my perspective with my third novel coming out three years after the first is it’s a journey, not a destination.”
That journey is set to continue, Russell said, with future novels on which wheels are already turning.
“Mackie will have another story, and then hopefully he’ll step aside and make some room for some other characters,” Russell said. “Maybe a spinoff character.”
“Control Group” comes out this March and will be available in print, eBook and audiobook formats.
“Control Group” will be released on March 21, and Russell has two signings planned for April. On April 4, he will be at Little Professor Book Center’s new Homewood location from 5-7 p.m., and on April 9 he will hold a book talk at Emmet O’Neal Library from 2-3 p.m.
