It’s July, and that means it’s time for ClearanceJobs visitors to crack open a book and join us as we read our next book club pick, Dodgebomb: Outside the Wire in the Second Iraq War, a book written by Darin Pepple, an Iraq War vet who currently lives and works near Washington, D.C. The book is a fast-paced summer read similar to our August 2020 read, The Heart of War: Misadventures in the Pentagon – not similar in topic or location perhaps, but similar in the sense that it takes real life events and turns them into a fictional account. It’s an easy book for civilians and service members alike to pick up, and a great read as we launch into the July 4th weekend and the heat of summer.
Interested in reading with us? The first 10 people to email lindy.kyzer@clearancejobs.com will get a free copy of Dodgebomb.
Here is a short Q and A we did with Pepple about his book, his return from service, and the craft of writing military fiction.
1. This is a fun genre – military fiction – in what ways was it easier or harder to write a war novel than a work of nonfiction?
I chose to write a novel rather than a true account because it’s easier to tell a compelling war story if you control the events rather than nonfiction where things may have been slow or not happened. Although we as veterans remember most of our time in the military as waiting for things to happen, nobody wants to read about soldiers struggling with boredom for weeks before something interesting pops up. Fiction allowed me to embellish areas, add personalities that came into my career later, and add some humor and satire. Overall too I think fiction allowed me to describe the Iraq War without having had a Medal of Honor epic experience but rather with my regular experiences that the vast majority of us had.
2. You’ve written that the book came out of your transition period and the difficulty in explaining your service – explain that more. Do you think the book helps to educate non-military, or was it more personal catharsis – or both?!
It definitely was both. It started as a transition mechanism to reflect on the good and the bad of the military and to come to terms with what my service meant. But I quickly realized that no one outside of a few niche military people would want a story about inefficient or ridiculous military and government bureaucracy, that the larger story to tell was what a deployment to Iraq felt like and was about. And then after creating this story I realized it would fall short if it wasn’t digestible to a civilian reader and told a more realistic narrative of what serving overseas was like. I feel that most Iraq/Afghanistan stories fall into hero worship and Hollywood clichés of every service member being a Navy SEAL sniper with PTSD. I felt that the “regular guy” narrative was missing and that with Dodgebomb I could finally explain my service, my experiences, and get the closure I needed from ending my Army career.
3. Okay, call me crazy – but do you think the Iraq War already falls under the category of historical fiction? I’m not sure if Gen Z even realizes we were ever there (I’m just joking, sort of) – have you found that Iraq already seems like last decade’s news?
Funny you should say that – I think Iraq was yesterday’s news even when it was happening. During those years I felt that unless Americans had a family member or were directly involved they had no clue it was happening. It’d just be a muted news story to them in the background. I agree that it does seem so odd that something that happened relatively so recently is now “Historical Fiction.” Maybe that’s part of why I wrote the book – to draw attention to this conflict that many people didn’t notice and to preserve some stories from it for the future.
4. Talk about the title – Dodgebomb – where did that originate/how does that fit into the context of the book?
This title came from how the real SSG Corefelt described some of his Iraq tours to me before I showed up in 2008, He said “We’d get in our trucks and drive around and play Dodgebomb.” I thought this was the most poetic and brilliant description of Iraq I’d ever heard and I always remembered it. Later when searching for the perfect title for my book, Dodgebomb just made sense compared to all the other pretentious, bravado that people try to name their war books. It fits into the context because that’s exactly what the main character is doing for half the book, driving around and dodging bombs. In the beginning some soldiers are also quoting the movie “Dodgeball” which draws the connection for the reader.
5. You’re a working author – and by working, I mean I think you have a different day job. How did you fit writing the book into your schedule, and what advice would you give to other veterans who feel similarly inspired but overwhelmed at the prospect of writing a book?
As an aspiring author who needs to hold a regular day job I think you need to treat writing as a hobby. Write on the weekends, write in your spare time, chase that artistic expression inside you but don’t let it interfere with paying the bills. Few people can ignore obligations and live that Bohemian author’s life. But don’t be intimidated, just recognize that it may take a few years to put it all together. Start mapping out the plot and characters, draft poignant scenes and messages, and then start to fill it out. There are so many resources out there and fellow veteran authors who have cracked the code that you have a huge support group to help you finish your book. Reach out to me on LinkedIn or others you know and we’ll help you with best practices. Just don’t give up.
