Merz Brings His Lawson Vampire to Area Bookstore ... and the Little Screen

Jon F. Merz is one prolific dude.

The Medfield-based novelist, screenwriter, producer and martial artist has released 20 books and multiple short stories during the last decade.

On Feb. 19 Merz read signed copies of and read from his fifth entry in his Lawson Vampire series, “The Kensei” at  on Centre Street in West Roxbury.

In addition to the Lawson Vampire novels, Merz has written 11 entries in his Rogue Angel series, several stand-alone novels and a pair of non-fiction books, one of which he co-wrote with his mother.

He’s served with the United States Air Force, worked for the US government, handled security for several Fortune 500 clients and has taught defensive tactics to some high profile groups. Then there’s the production work …

“There's nothing like operating without a safety net to get you motivated,” Merz said during our recent exchange. “I work for myself, so if I don't get my projects done, I don't make money.  It's that simple. But I love what I do.  And I wanted this life, so now that I have it, I try not to complain...well, not too much anyway.”

Go With What You Know

Merz acknowledges his luck in having found a loyal fan base and says additional motivation comes from wanting to keep them engaged. Although he also has an easier time getting to the meat of his plotlines by often using a setting that he knows intimately — Boston. It’s where the Lawson series takes place.

“I love the way Boston is just as much an incredible piece of history as it is on the cutting edge of the future,” he said “For me, it was a no-brainer to set my creation here. I know the city very well, which comes across organically. The setting of a story translates much more powerfully when you don't have to try and convey a description,” he said.

The ability to visualize his stories so naturally lends itself to his dual print/screen career quite well: the Lawson Vampire series is being made into a television series filmed here. Book one, "The Fixer," is about to go into production and Merz is at the helm with his production outfit, New Ronin Entertainment, something he’s put together with longtime friend Jaime Hassett.

Preserving the Plot

“Continuity between the Lawson Vampire books and the forthcoming television series has always been of paramount importance to me,” he said. “Earlier, I had the option of selling the series to several production companies, but concern for the outcome always held me back. I'm pleased to be doing this independent of the Hollywood system, but the final cut will be just as well produced – if not more so - than what they do.  Fans can go from the books to the TV show and back without there being any bizarre changes that would ruin the universe I've created.”

Merz says he’s worked in other situations when a production company has improved upon a story and some when the plot has suffered. He cautions that writers need to be prepared to surrender their work once they accept the money, something he characterizes as potentially frustrating but also par for the course.

The process of producing his stories for the screen, however, is much like working in reverse since the visual comes first… he knows what they're supposed to look like.

A Keen Visual Sense

“I used to call them the movies in my mind,” he said. “I was very much into art and cartooning when I was younger, and when I was at Boston Latin I was lucky enough to attend the Museum of Fine Arts after school program.  As I moved more toward writing, that visual inclination followed me and that's actually how I write: I see the scenes and try to capture them using words.

Inspiration to write often comes from the visual world as well.

“My office has a strange assortment of knickknacks and oddities that I purposefully use to just lob ideas about,” he said. “Old toys, souvenirs, etc. are all laying around on shelves, juxtaposed and arranged in ways that stimulate what-if questions.”

And if that fails? “Sometimes a good shower helps.”

Power from being Pushed Around

Merz, now 41, grew up in Jamaica Plain at a time when bullying wasn’t illegal — it was a fact of life. For him, it fostered a inner drive to become stronger which informs so many of his choices… including his stories, descriptions of combat and characterization of struggle, both mental and physical.

“It's all part of the process and evolution to becoming a writer, I think,” he said. “Dealing with bullies while growing up steered me toward martial arts, which then led me to want to challenge myself in other ways. That’s where the military and security work came in.  Frankly, without those childhood catalysts my writing wouldn't be nearly what it is today."