SIX MINUTES WITH ANDREW DEMCAK:
Joining LitPick today for Six Minutes with an Author is poet and novelist Andrew Demcak, author of Ghost Songs. Be sure to check out the video review of this title (http://bit.ly/LP-GhostSongs).
***How did you get started writing?
I've always been a good liar (ever since I was a little kid). Eventually, I discovered that writing and lying (storytelling) are very similar. Now I can use my storytelling powers for good, rather than try to convince my mother that I didn't break our neighbor's window.
***Who influenced you?
The biggest influencers on my work are the poet, Anne Sexton (her Collected Poems is marvelous), Flannery O'Connor (I love her really gritty short stories, especially Good Country People), and Shirley Jackson (especially, We Have Always Lived in the Castle.)
***Do you have a favorite book/subject/character/setting?
Ghost Songs is my favorite book that I've written. It's very thinly veiled autobiography. But my favorite character that I've written right now is my teenage Yeti prince, Falling Star, from my upcoming novel, DarkFeather (Harmony Ink Press, 2019). I love paranormal stories and I love happy endings (because they happen so rarely in real life.)
***What advice do you have for someone who wants to be an author?
Do what you love to do. If it's writing, don't let anything come between you and your work. I don't believe in criticism. If it's criticism, it is petty. I believe in editing. Editing assumes there is something of value worth reshaping. Throw out all advice and write your own rule book.
***Where is your favorite place to write?
I write in the morning, so my east-facing desk in my bedroom on my new 27" iMac is my favorite place.
***What else would you like to tell us?
Art is a dialogue. The dialog between the artist and the audience is paramount. It's not about money, it's about connecting with an audience.
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Andrew, thank you for inspiring others to have the courage to write their own rule book. May each voice be heard.