Interview with Eric Rosswood, Co-Author of “Strong”

Can you describe the experience of writing a book with the person the book is actually about? What parts came naturally and what parts were more difficult to navigate?

Rob was great to work with. We talked on the phone a few times and did a deep dive into his life to figure out what moments would make the best story arc for a picture book. There were so many big things that happened in his life, but we couldn’t include everything. We had to keep things streamlined for the best story, so one of the difficult parts was trying to figure out what to cut. 

What did you enjoy, and find challenging, about co-writing a book? What do you enjoy, and find challenging, about writing on your own?

For me, I think the most difficult part of co-writing a book with someone is coordinating around each other’s schedules. When writing on my own, I can work at my own pace, but when writing with someone else, sometimes we’ll need information from each other in order to move on, but we can’t get that information until the other person is available. But there are so many great things about co-writing with someone, too. For example, it’s great to be able to brainstorm with someone when you’re stuck. And when you’re able to bounce things off each other, sometimes you’re able to come up with something way better than what you started with. 

Did you know much about Strongman competitions before working with Rob? What did you come to learn and/or appreciate about it after working with Rob?

I didn’t know much about Strongman competitions before working with Rob and working with him helped break a lot of stereotypes I had in my own head. I had a horrible experience with sports in school. I was teased for being too effeminate, and no one wanted me on their team because I was gay. I was expecting strongman to be hypermasculine and filled with the types of people who teased me in school, but I was wrong. Everyone was so nice and inclusive. I’m sure Rob breaking barriers within the sport had a lot to do with that. This whole experience was a good reminder not to prejudge people before getting to know them. 

You have two books for adults, as well as another children’s book called My Uncle’s Wedding. How does writing for adults compare with writing for children? What is similar and different about the process for each? 

I would say there’s a lot of research that needs to be done when writing non-fiction regardless of whether it’s for a children’s book or an adult book. But the writing piece is very different. When drafting picture books, so much of the story is portrayed in the art. It’s a marriage between words and pictures, and they both have to tell a piece of the story in order to make the whole story work. That’s not necessarily true for adult books.