…you’re in luck! Recently, I was interviewed about my new novel The Unremarkable Squire by my friend and fellow writer Nathan Marchand on his vlog, But I Digress…. We talked inspiration for the novel, examined why it took me so long to finish it, read an excerpt, and discussed various other writerly things.
Also, we banter with the incomparable Leo. Enjoy!
And, for fun, I was asked to write a Top Ten List for the show. I think you’ll enjoy.
That was a fun interview, with some good questions and banter.
Nick- it’s interesting to hear about the process behind The Unremarkable Squire. Like you, I sometimes write on the seat of my pants. I’m trying to utilize outlines more, but I think that will come when crafting longer works than short stories. I’ll be sure to check out The Unremarkable Squire once I finish my final project.
Leo was an entertaining co-host, but I don’t think I can afford the rates he’s asking for.
Also, if Nick dies as the final sacrifice, does that mean an ancient city will rise out of rural Canada?
As far as outlining, I’ve started doing it (out of necessity) for Children of the Wells. I find it nice for capturing the main points and forcing myself to find conflict/an ending/etc. But, I’ve also found that the moment I start writing, the outline is a sketch at best. I hit most of the main plot points, but the characters wiggle and change and cry out for different shades or interpretations than I had planned. Things are much more complex on the ground.
And though I have a seat-of-the-pants mentality for Strin & Fred and A Girl Called Snort, I usually have broad strokes outlines in my head. For Strin & Fred, that’s about as much as I can manage, because I have so many different characters working at the plot as I write. 😉
And don’t be silly. When I’m offered as the final sacrifice, an ancient pirate armada will rise from Lake Michigan and a temporal rift will open somewhere on SR 6 leading into the ruined land of Azekaldjaldi.
You know, one of these days I need to travel to Indiana to visit Tim. If I do, we’ll all need to get together and watch an MST3K movie.
Sounds good to me. BTW, you’ve seen Santa Claus and the Ice Cream Bunny, right? Because if you haven’t, get it now.
I actually got to see it earlier this year at my friend’s house. I love the Santa Claus bits, but wasn’t expecting Thumbelina to feature so heavily in it.