**Note: The author is currently running a Goodreads giveaway for 5 copies of his book, Mostly Human, through January 7th. Be sure to hop on over and enter for a chance to win: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/213914-mostly-human
Welcome! Please tell us your name and a little bit about yourself.
Born and raised in South African, I wanted to be a writer since I was seven years old after I found a fictional character in a video game who was a writer and I wanted to be him, more than anything else. I didn’t actually start writing things down right away, but I always had a whole different world in my head I would spend a lot of time in. I’ve never been much of a sleeper so I used to say that I’d tell myself bedtime stories until I fell asleep.
What motivates you to write?
It makes sense to me, stories fit the way I think and really I love doing it. Escaping to my own world and exploring by write stories about it.
What is the title of your most recent book? Give us a brief overview on what the book is about.
‘Mostly Human’ is the coming of age story of Alex Harris, as he goes from an adventures ten year old to the lead singer of the world famous band the WaterDogs. But he has a secret that he and his family have painstakingly kept since he was ten years old.
While playing in the woods on his grandparent’s farm, Alex stumbles across the body of a giant wolf. Driven by a naive love for all things dog and believing the animal dead he approaches the beast and quickly realises it wasn’t as dead as he though, nor was it a normal wolf.
What makes it unique from the other books out there?
There are a few simple ideas in ‘Mostly Human’ which I’ve never come across in other books of this genre. The main one being though that, wolves are very nurturing creatures who live in close knit families. They mate for life, raise their young and even collect food for the elderly when they are too old to hunt for themselves. Equally humans (mostly) do the same, so the idea that a creature that is part man part wolf being a murderous monster never really sat well with me. So I decided to do something about it.
What is the title of your current work-in-progress or the most recent manuscript you’ve completed apart from your most recent book? Would you mind sharing what it is about?
I’m currently working on a couple of things. One being Mostly Human 2 (working title) which is a sequel following on just a few months after the end of the first book.
The other is Poetry Club Vol. 1, an anthology of short stories and poems with some friends of mine, who I started a writing group with. Once a week we meet in a bar and read out the short story or poem we’ve written based on that weeks theme.
How often do you write?
At least once a week for Poetry Club either Sunday afternoon or Monday night, frantically on the train on my way there.
What famous author would you compare your own writing style with?
I’d really like to think Robert Rankin, just because it was after reading The Armageddon Trilogy that I realised that you really are allowed to write what every your heart and imagination desires.
Who are five of your favorite authors?
Anne Rice
Robert Rankin
Jim Butcher
Oscar Wilde
Jane Jensen
What are you currently reading?
Ready Player-One
Fight Club
Esper Files
Time for some quick questions:
- Favorite Quote?
Groovy – Ash from Evil Dead
- Favorite Book?
Frankenstein right now, but that might change
- Favorite Book Series?
Dresden Files – Jim Butcher
Vampire Chronical – Anne Rice
Armageddon Trilogy – Robert Rankin
I love them all equally but differently.
- Favorite Movie?
Dark Knight (Probably)
- Favorite TV Show?
90s Batman Cartoon
- Coffee or Tea?
Coffee
- If you could have one superpower what would it be?
The Force
If you could be one character from your own writing, who would it be and why?
My knee jerk reaction is Jones P.I. from A guy a girl and a voodoo monkey hand. But when I think about it he is a fairly under developed character written by a teenager (me at 19), and I believe it shows. So I think really it’s Alex Harris from Mostly Human, his life isn’t close to perfect or easy, but he’s smart and capable, and doesn’t always get things right but has come out the other side of his mistakes smarter and more capable.
Finally, what advice would you give to other writers?
Practise and don’t accept unconstructive criticism. Anyone who says “Oh it’s just ****” or “I didn’t like it.” or “Yeah it’s great.” Without a follow on explanation, isn’t helping. Any comments on your work, good or bad, should come with an explanation so that you can learn what to grow and what to cut away.
And keep at it, the more you do something and get feedback from people, the better you’ll become at it. I know there is the desire to be perfect at something right away, or get it spot on in the first draft but almost all the time, that isn’t how it works, and that’s fine. A painting isn’t a single layer of paint, and a novel isn’t a first draft.
*****
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Bio:
Born and raised in South African, I wanted to be a writer since I was seven years old after I found a fictional character in a video game who was a writer and I wanted to be him, more than anything else. I didn’t actually start writing things down right away, but I always had a whole different world in my head I would spend a lot of time in. I’ve never been much of a sleeper so I used to say that I’d tell myself bedtime stories until I fell asleep.
As I got older I started to write these stories out but always found I’d lose the plot and couldn’t finish anything, until A Guy, A Girl and A Voodoo Monkey Hand that is, which actually started as a joke e-mail to a friend.
Finishing that story was a revelation in my mind, I finally felt justified to really start concentrating on my writing and started writing short stories, poems and setting about on the next novel, and the one after that. Since then I have always been writing something, and I never want to stop.
One day someone will find me lying dead on my keyboard, probably smiling.