Topic: Author Interview
Marvin the person:
1. What three words do you think describe you as a human being?
One being human.
2. How do you think others would describe you?
Jeez, I don't know. If I knew someone like me, I'd have to think he was an eccentric nut; capable of speaking everything from wise sayings to wisecracks, someone who can tell a good joke and also be a joke, too.
3. Please tell us what you are most passionate about outside of writing.
Music. I love listening to, writing, performing and recording music.
4. Do you have any pets? If so, introduce us to them.
My wife is allergic to cats and can't put up with dogs in the house, so, no ... no pets. If I achieve my retirement goal of a large house on a lake on a wooded (min) 10 acres, I will have two large dogs with a doghouse large enough for me to visit with them during a good rainstorm.
5. What is your most precious memory?
The home-birth of my second daughter, China, followed by the home-birth of my son, Blue Moon-Sky.
6. What is your most embarrassing memory?
Having to admit, in my mid-fifties, that I was a broken down shell of my former self, lost and without my God, a hopeless narcotics addict, and having to turn myself in and submit to rehabilitation.
7. If you weren't a writer, what would you be doing with your life?
Finding some other way to make a positive impact on our world. Maybe raise donor funds so I can run a free breakfast program in the inner city. Start a youth center for healthy fun, emotional and spiritual growth. Run a foster home.
8. In two paragraphs or less write your obituary.
Here lies Marvin D. Wilson, a man who loves God, family, friends, community and peoples of all nations. A spiritual being that enjoyed the human experience with all its lessons, tears and joys, he did what he could to promote peace; love and understanding between all people, and shared his thoughts on Divine Unity. If you get quiet and listen, you can still hear him singing.
Marvin the writer:
9. Can you describe the time you realized you were indeed a "real" writer?
That would be when my first book, I ROMANCED THE STONE was read during pre-publication by the editor assigned me by my pub house. Stone is a self-pub, so other than having to pass their basic quality requirements during the query/submission process; they had no invested interest in just how well the book would sell. She (the editor) raved about how well it was written, my writing "voice," the entertaining nature of the manuscript coupled with its depth of meaning. Editors are editors, of course, there was plenty of "fixing" to do, but no major re-writes. That, plus the endorsing reviews I got from other more established authors let me know I have the ability to write well. However, I still consider myself a rookie writer with a vast amount to learn about creating a truly first rate novel.
10. What is going on with your writing these days?
I have a completed manuscript, a fictional novel titled OWEN FIDDLER that is currently in the submissions/acceptance process. It has gotten past the "gatekeeper" of three trad pubs, waiting on a final answer. It also has been accepted by a couple self-pubs, so if I don't get a traditional contract, I have the option of going that route. Should see it out one way or the other by midyear 2008. I am about half the way through writing a third novel and have begun sketching out a fourth.
11. What are your future goals for your writing?
Well, number one, I want to get much better at my craft. The more I get into this industry, really dissect and understand what the great authors do and how well they do it; it can be humbling. There are plenty of masterful authors already, but I want to evolve into one counted among their ranks. That would be my working goal. My financial and recognition goal for my writing future is to have a national best-seller that brings me in enough money to write full time in my retirement years. My spiritual goal is that what I write will bring some enlightenment to the readership and add some to the measure of unselfish love between people.
12. Can you describe a typical writing day for you?
There are days when I "have it," that zone where I can't write fast enough to keep up with the inspirations and ideas. Those days are often started at 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning when I wake up with an idea and can't get back to sleep so I just fire up the computer and get at it. I sometimes irritate my wife because the keyboard is clicking so loudly it wakes her up. Except for e-mail checking breaks, eating and potty breaks, I can write for hours and hours. If I hit a lull, an impasse, I'll listen to some music, read a book or watch a good movie. Maybe go sit in a park and just meditate on nature if the weather is nice. If the weather is inclement, I will sit on my covered terrace and marvel at how many different and powerful ways the lake can look.
Days when I don't "have it," when the writing seems forced, not flowing at all, I spend a lot of time re-reading, editing and re-writing passages that could be better in what I wrote during the free-flowing frenzies. If nothing is working that day, I just blow it all off. I might work a bit on marketing/promo tools on the internet, do some networking, e-mailing, etc., and then go visit and play with my grandkids. And I always read books on those days, too.
13. Why do you write?
God told me to.
14. What writer most inspires you? Why?
Hard to pick just one, but if you insist, I would say Richard Bach. We always consider those who agree with our own thoughts to be wise, but I consider his writings to have a lot of the same spiritual impetus behind them as I want mine to have. And his writing style, his voice, it's just uncanny. He can turn broken English into a poetry of prose. He breaks every rule in the book, yet gets away with it because the overall read is one that flows naturally. Great story lines and plots, real life characters, sometimes greater than life but always believable, tons of meaning to boot, he's just got it all going on.
15. How do you define your writing?
Strong voice, very direct. Fairly simple and easy to read on the surface, entertaining, but with more depth of meaning just below the plot and story line if you want to look there.
16. In one sentence-what do you want people to say about your writing in fifty years?
He wrote engaging stories that entertained the reader and gave him or her pause to wonder and reflect on life, afterlife, the universe and the interconnectedness and meaning of it all.
Marvin The details:
17. Can you tell us where to find more information on you? Website? Blog?
You can purchase I ROMANCED THE STONE (Memoirs of a Recovering Hippie) on http://www.amazon.com/
You can read excerpts and learn more about it at: http://www.rockofallages.com/ - on that site, you can order a signed copy directly from me thru PayPal.
For info and excerpts on my upcoming novel, OWEN FIDDLER, go to: http://www.owenfiddler.com/
I also have a MySpace at: www.myspace.com/115444554
And I have a blog site at: http://inspiritandtruths.blogspot.com/
18. Is there a place where readers can reach you?
Yes, you can send me messages through either my websites or MySpace, and if you desire a more personal communication and request it, I will reply with an e-mail address.
19. Can you list all your book titles so people can look for them?
I ROMANCED THE STONE (Memoirs of a Recovering Hippie) is the only one out so far. Look in the near future for OWEN FIDDLER.
20. For new readers-what can they expect when they read your book(s)?
Expect a full range of emotions; sometimes you may be shocked, even disgusted, other times you will chuckle and laugh. Expect to have fun, but also expect your thoughts to be provoked, perhaps your beliefs to be challenged and/or questioned. My books are intended to generate healthy dialogue about spiritual matters in an engaging and entertaining way.
In conclusion:
21. Take as much space as necessary to speak to our readers-what would you like them to know about you and your writing?
The best way to do that is to re-write here the Afterword from the upcoming book Owen Fiddler:
"There is an insidious and constitutional addiction that estranges mankind from interconnectedness and universal love. All other addictions, including the obvious; substance abuse, alcoholism, bad habits, gambling, pornography, etc., and the more subtle; anger, depression, needy relationships, eating disorders, thrill-seeking, power-seeking, amassing money for the sake of money only, and so on. They can all be traced back as symptoms to the primary disease, the one fundamental addiction that pervades our societies and has since the dawn of man and the fall from grace.
That basic addiction is the clinging to the delusional notion that the ‘self,' the ‘ego' is an isolated being, separated from and, in most cases, at odds with the universe; having to look out for its' self-preservation first, taking from the world and the others in it to satisfy its' personal desires and fulfill its' needs. The extent to which a human being can see through this delusional and errant state of mind is the measure of one's spiritual enlightenment. To put it simply, the more selfish we are, the further we are from God, and, conversely, the more selfless we become the more we draw closer to God.
This elemental axiom of the universe was the major impetus for the writing of this book. It is the author's intent and hope that the reader of this tale will have been entertained along the way, and that he/she will also have gained some spiritual insight and inspiration at its' conclusion."
