This week I have the pleasure of hosting author (and ex-pastor) Charles McGarry. A few months back, I reviewed his book, Breaking the Mold: Confessions of a Hippie Ex-Pastor, and really wanted to have him for the AIS. I'm glad he accepted my invitation. Just like his book, his answers were short but insightful. Without further ado, Charles McGarry.
Information about the giveaway will follow the interview.
Have you always written or is it something that came later in life?
I did some writing in my early teens, but nothing of much substance. My real drive for writing sprang up within the last few years, although I have always been a creative type.
Your book Breaking the Mold: The Confessions of a Hippie ex-Pastor is a very personal (and short) piece of non-fiction. Is this a genre you prefer? Are you interested in writing fiction?
My main interest is writing fiction. While I am open to writing more non-fiction, the majority of what I write will be Fantasy fiction.
Painter Chuck Close Once said, "Inspiration is for amateurs - the rest of us just shows up and gets to work." How do you "get to work?" Do you have any ritual or specific requirements to get the juices flowing?
I like to do my writing at Starbucks. Believe it or not, I like being in a hub of activity and distraction to get my juices flowing.
Are you working on a new book at the moment?
My current project is a book of short fantasy stories that I plan to have published by summertime.
If you could sit and have a chat with any writer that has ever lived (or is still alive,) who would it be? What would you talk about?
J.R.R. Tolkien, no doubt about it. I would ask what he thinks about the literary phenomenon he started. He really is the father of modern Fantasy after all. I would also ask his advice for writing Fantasy, specifically for creating something uniquely original in an age when fantasy literature has permeated the market.
What is the one advice you would like to share with aspiring writers?
Never let anyone tell you how hard it is to become an author, and never let anyone tell you what you can’t do. The possibilities are endless if you stay true to yourself.
Our last guest, swing dance instructor (and so much more) Owen Hortop would like to know: How do you think people find or lose faith? Is it circumstance, or do they follow internal patterns?
Some would say it’s circumstance, but I really think that circumstance only serves to clarify what a person was oblivious to before. In my case my circumstances caused me to search deeper within myself, and I discovered that so much of what I believed and taught was so different than what I knew to be true in my gut. My circumstances set me free from my religious mold, so that I could hear what my inner self knew to be true all along about the universe.
Our next guest is Andrew Sauvageau, baritone and actor. What would you like to ask them?
What is most challenging to you personally when preparing for a performance, and what do you do to rise to that challenge?
GIVEAWAY
To win a copy of Charles book, leave him a question in the comment section. Whoever asks the best question wins! Giveaway ends on Tuesday April 22nd 11:59PM ET. Answers to the questions as well as the winner's name will be announced on Thursday April 24th.
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