365 Interviews

Interview 73: TheMcGuffin

1. Can you tell me a bit about yourself? 

Well, I Googled myself today and found out that I’m a writer on Wattpad and I’ve rated quite a few books on Goodreads. So, apparently I like books. Who knew?

2. What inspired you to write?

I have no idea. I was writing and storytelling and creating before I’d ever picked up a book to read. I wasn’t encouraged to read as a child but creativity poured out of me anyway. Once I did start reading I felt like I’d come home and knew that was something that I wanted to do. Write.

3.Do you have a specific writing style?

I think we all do to some extent. But I bounce around I guess.

4. How did you come up with the titles of your stories?

Sometimes they come to me as I write the story. Sometimes, when I’m really lucky, they come to me before I’ve written a word. Just pop into my mind. I find this both awesome and a little creepy.

5. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Beware of children. Seriously, though, I don’t think No More Fairy Tales has any real message. It’s just creepy fun. Other novels that I haven’t posted have more of a message in them.

6. How much of your book is realistic?

It’s about children eating the survivors of a mysterious apocalypse, so for parents it’s very real. But no, not really.

7. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

The idea came to me while standing in line at a Walmart pharmacy and I wondered what would happen if everyone just fell over as if they were switched off. I mentioned this to my girlfriend and we brainstormed. Fast forward and you have what I’ve posted online so far. But everyone and everything in it is pure fiction.

8.Imagine your characters are on survivor. Who will they vote out of the book?

Funny you should ask that. I have a group of survivors with one obvious nutjob (more about him later in the book). So I think they’d want to get rid of him.

9. What job did you want to be as a kid?

I think part of me wanted to be a writer before I even understood what that meant. But ‘what did I want to be when I grew up?’ An astronaut.

10. What is your main goal with writing?

To entertain. I’m a storyteller and I want to entertain people with the telling of these stories. Which I hope will lead me to taking over the world.

11.Do you ever experience writer’s block?

Yes. But I don’t stand for it. I take a hammer and chisel and I chip away at it until I find what is blocking me.

12. Do you work with an outline, or just write?

I’ve done both. Honestly, it depends on the story for me. No More Fairy Tales is just writing. Seeing where all this madness takes us. I’ve outlined a couple of other stories and that can work well too.

13. Imagine your main character dies on page one. Everything else remains the same. Describe the new plot to your book.

Interestingly enough I don’t think much would change at all. He’s just one of a group of survivors and the only real reason he’s the MC is that I happen to identify with him the most.

14. What do you do when you are not writing?

I read, I work, I love movies, I spend time with my family and I’m a gamer. I’m also stalking Scarlett Johansson but don’t tell her.

15. Do you see writing as a career or a hobby?

Both. It’s a career I hope to make into a hobby. Or maybe the other way around.

16. Is there any book are you ashamed to have read? Why are you ashamed you read it?

Yes. Twilight. It should be obvious but I’m not as much embarrassed that I read it as how embarrassed I felt while reading it. Like watching a nude scene with your parents in the room.

17. What is the weirdest thing that has ever been said or done to you by a fan?

Lived with me. My girlfriend is my biggest fan (or so she says) and since I’ve not had too much experience with people who’ve read my books, I guess that’s the weirdest.

18. Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

Yes. I learned that I can do it. I used to restrict myself to short stories for fear that I couldn’t fill up the pages of a book. I learned that I was wrong, oh so wrong.

19. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Thank you. Time is precious and if you spend time in my stories and my twisted imagination. I say, Thank you.

20. Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write. Don’t stop. You should probably be doing it now. Either that or reading. If you have a story, tell it.