Why Do Authors Write Special Edition: Michael Cargill
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1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from and when did you start writing?
I’m a 300-year old balrog from Kazakhstan. Or not. I am 33 and live in the UK, just outside London. I’m not close enough to have a proper London postcode, but if a nuclear bomb was dropped on Big Ben, I’m close enough to get flattened by it.
I actually only started writing in mid-2011. Prior to that, I didn’t really have much of an interest in it at all. For a short while, I was a reviewer for a computer games website, but that was out of a desire to get free games, rather than ‘cos I wanted to unleash a masterpiece onto the world.2. Tell me about the books you have written and the most recent ones. How did you come up with the ideas?
So far, my stories are mostly thriller/suspense stuff. I started out with short stories at first, with each one being longer than the one before it, and I published my first novel in June. I find it impossible to resist throwing in some humour into a story somewhere, which always goes down well.
As for where my ideas come from... I honestly have no idea. Really, I don’t. They just pop into my head, sometimes when I am down the gym, other times when I am playing Angry Birds on the toilet. To be honest, answering this question is always a struggle. Imagine a kid who suddenly turns to his parents, and asks where babies come from. The parents just stand there awkwardly, not knowing what to say. I sort of feel like the parents, but unlike them, I genuinely don’t know what the answer is.
3. How did you get so interested in Historical fiction?
I’m a bit of a WWII nut, and my shelves are filled with books about the subject. In fact, I have several megabytes of WWII books on my Kindle as well. I’ve only written two WWII stories so far, and I’m not really planning on becoming a WWII author – ultimately, it just depends on what ideas pop into my head. The thought of writing a series of books like Band of Brothers doesn’t really appeal much, but I do have an idea for another WWII-based story.
4. What is the hardest part of writing to you?
Possibly the editing process, as it can be incredibly tedious. Diligently going back through every page, and every paragraph, and every sentence is mind numbingly depressing. I already know the story off by heart, and forcing myself to read through it again, and again... someone come and slit my wrists please, I no longer have the energy to do it myself.
5.What is a typical writing day for you? When and where do you write?
I’m not actually a fulltime author/writer, so I don’t really have a typical writing routine. By day, I work in IT and fix ‘puters, so all my writing is done in my spare time. Some people probably think that I have a special room setup, with pictures of bunnies, sunshine and butterflies all over the wall, to help inspire me. Honestly, I don’t.
6.What advice would you give young writers who are reaching their goals to be an Author?
Don’t panic. Patience. Practice. Remember, your favourite author has hordes of editors and proof-readers going through their work long before it gets anywhere near the shops. If you write something, and then feel embarrassed about it when you look at it a few days later, then congratulations! That’s just how your favourite author works. The first run through is more about getting the ideas down on the paper – all the fine tuning comes afterwards.
7. Are you working on anything right now?
Yes! But it’s a secret, so you will have to guess. Okay, here’s a clue: there are no goblins in it, nor any space ships. I have only just started writing the second chapter, so I’m still not entirely sure where it’s going yet. I have some characters in my head, along with some vague plot points, but that’s it so far. Storyboards, and plans, they are for wimps.
8. Do you have any favorite books or authors?
My favourite author is Stephen King, and I quite like some of Michael Crichton’s stuff. John Grimshaw as well. I really liked King’s The Stand, and his recent one, 11/22/63, was top stuff as well.
9. Which book of yours would you most recommend?
I would recommend Shelter from Thunder as an ideal starting point. It’s short, and can be read in about 10 minutes, and it’s also available free. Free is always good, unless it’s someone’s finger poking you in the eye. Mind you, it would be worse if someone wanted you to pay them to do something like that.
10. Why do you write?
It’s probably a combination of things really. Seeing my work listed on Amazon is quite satisfying, and it’s also a nice ego boost when people tell you that they really enjoyed your work. Translating the ideas in your head, to words on a page is quite challenging, and there is a feeling of accomplishment when you do it. It’s also a place to vent. If someone annoys me on the way to work, then there is a good chance that they will make an appearance in one of my stories... usually getting run over by a bus, and then farted on by a pack of dogs.
11 - Is it true that you were microwaving some eggs, and they exploded in your face?
Yes, it is true! How the devil did you find that out?
Me: Hahaha!
From Michael:
Me and my bald head on Amazon US - http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=michael+cargill&x=0&y=0
Amazon UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=michael+cargill&x=0&y=0
Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/mcargill
My satire humour blog (which currently has an amusing item on 50 Shades of Grey) - http://michaelcargill.wordpress.com/
Interestingly (or not, depending on your point of view) I did a couple of trailers over the weekend! It's up to you what you do with them really - feel free to embed them somewhere, post a link to them, or just ignore them and pat me on the head and say what a clever doggy I am. I'm not really sure of the effectiveness of book trailers, but it was quite fun making them.
Thank You so Much Michael for letting me interveiw you, you are one funny man! Anyway, so if you guys want to know more about Michael and his books just click on the link he added after the questions.
Thanks agian Michael!
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That's me!
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Oh, im sorry! But it is sorta funny, haha! Just tell me if you want to take that part ot :)
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