Realizing his half-pipe dream: Under Crutcher’s guidance, Harmon’s ‘Skate’ debuts

Before his first novel “Skate” was released in October, Spokane’s Michael Harmon was like any would-be writer.

He dreamed of success. He read good books. He wrote and revised and continued to write. He talked to other writers.

But there was one important distinction. The instant one of the writers he questioned – best-seller Chris Crutcher – responded with enthusiasm, Harmon went from typical to exceptional. He listened.

When Harmon and Crutcher speak tonight at Auntie’s Bookstore, they will reveal what happens when a new author resists his fragile ego, and his fear of success, to move toward publication. They’ll talk about the relationship forged between a student and a mentor.

How was the relationship born?

“He found out there was a published writer in town that didn’t live far from him,” says Crutcher, 60, a nationally known author of novels for young adults. “So he called me and asked if we could meet. I’m not much of a teacher, but I knew from his first drafts he was good.”

Dozens of writers ask professionals for help, without developing the will or determination to accept it. But Crutcher knew almost immediately that Harmon was different – serious about his goals.

“Actually, I knew within about five minutes,” Crutcher says. “The first day we were to meet, his car wouldn’t start. It was miserable outside and he ran about two miles with his manuscript to get to Great Harvest before I left. No running shoes; I don’t even know if he had a coat.

“Nobody puts themselves out that much to see me, so I knew it was the passion for writing.”

Harmon, 37, credits that meeting with moving him from desire to full-out action.

“I loved writing, but I didn’t know if I was good at it from the standpoint of the craft,” says Harmon, a hairstylist and father of two teenagers.

“Chris Crutcher was the first person who actually said I was, and as I put in the acknowledgments of ‘Skate,’ he really believed it. He’s not the kind of guy that shines you on.”

“Skate” (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 256 pages, $15.95) tells the story of Ian McDermott, a troubled teen with a fondness for skateboarding, a drug-addicted mother and a younger brother, Sammy, who relies on him. After an incident at school lands him in trouble with the authorities, Ian decides to take off with Sammy in search of their father.

As with most first-time novelists, Harmon’s critical reviews have been mixed.

Kirkus Review, a respected trade publication geared toward book sellers and educational professionals, said: “This remarkable first novel features a rebellious, smart outcast who’s battling life as he struggles to take care of his little brother … a marvelous debut.”

School Library Journal, another professional trade publication, said Harmon had “created a main character who (was) confident and tragic,” but wished the novel had a little more “zip.”

Because novelists often see their works as newborns upon release, less-than-glowing reviews can leave a mark, as Harmon admits. Even short negative comments can send a new writer into full retreat, and inspire them to consider “living in a cave,” he says.

After nearly 25 years of experience, Crutcher knows that sting, but has learned to takes it in stride.

“Critics are as varied as readers, and who you get to review your book has a lot to do with the luck of the draw,” he says. “So you take the hit, set it aside, then go back and read it after the sting goes away to see if you think the writer had a valid point.

“You have to remember, if one critic likes it and another doesn’t, it proves their reviews are as subjective as any target readership,” he continues. “Besides, no one critic ever ended anyone’s career – that I know of.”

Considering “Skate” is the first of three novels Knopf has agreed to publish, Harmon has plenty of time to prove his work has enough “zip” to be consistently “marvelous.”

And Crutcher still has Harmon’s back.

“I’ve written 13 books in the last five or so years,” Harmon says. “Chris has given feedback on most of them.

“But he once told me he wasn’t teaching me anything I didn’t already know. He said he was simply showing me how to understand it. His belief in my craft has been inspiring, and I can only hope to pass to other writers.

“We’re friends now,” Harmon concludes, “but he’ll still set me straight when I need it.”