Moll Laurie looks like a scary story. Any plans to turn it into a series?
There is no plan for that now. In the sense of making a
series, I’m more focused on mythos building. Moll Laurie, while being a stand
alone work, is the introduction to the bigger world building of my stories.
Can you tell us a little about Elmo Heffley?
Elmo Heffley is the anti stereotype of typical male hero
tropes. Doubtful and edgy, he represents the male persona of wanting to appear
strong while being deeply flawed inside. There is nothing that would describe
him as being a desirable alpha male. This is intentional as I wanted to feature
one aspect of male gender role mostly overlooked in today’s action hero trope;
that is by being a very responsible person.
If you had to compare your book to another which would it
be?
I suppose that would be Stephen King’s Carrie. As a child in
the 1980s, watching Carrie the film on tv was quite engaging to me simply
because the story was very simple to follow. I first read the book in 1993 when
a friend borrowed it to me. The eloquent thematic use of ‘blood’ was like a
symphony. It wasn’t disgusting. The feeling was more like ‘blood’ having a
personified character of its own and that it weaved itself in and out of the
story giving an aura of ‘something happening, something coming, something
already here but you can’t see it yet.’
What inspired you when writing Moll Laurie?
Supernatural goings on are abound in every culture on earth.
More often than not, the subject is viewed from our own cultural lens and
nothing else. So Moll Laurie attempts to present a point of view that is valid
in another sense but unknown due to readers having never known about it before.
When did you decide to become a writer?
The decision didn’t come easy to me. I’ve always been a
talented boy who can read good at age 8 and went on to sample everything that a
young boy could sample from reading and recall at the drop of a hat. But as an
adult, this ability became dulled as it was not actually needed in my everyday
job and everyone’s expectation of me. So what began as a pastime writing hobby
in adulthood became an introspection of myself., of how much I have strayed far
from the boy that I was. It was a painful realization that I had ended up on
the cookie cutter. So now, I would like to reconnect back to the eager boy that
I was, to restart everything anew.
When writing Moll Laurie did anything stand out as
particularly challenging?
It’s trying to make sense of the story. I can understand it.
The real challenge would be whether my readers can understand it or not. I
cannot expect my readers to immediately perceive how a particular plot element
became so. I had to guide them to make sense otherwise everything would just
end up as ridiculous and far fetched.
What do you like to do when not writing?
I’m a homely person so cooking is always a favorite. When I
travel, I’m more inclined to avoid tourist traps. Going off the beaten path is
a lot more exciting. I find my writing inspirations simply by talking to people
in their natural elements.
Where can readers find out more about your work?
They can follow me
at my Amazon Author page. I’ve just starting out so please be on the lookout
for me of me