About The Author:
Find Richard Long on the Web:
Interview:
What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?
“Buy the ticket. Take the ride.” Hunter Thompson. Once you commit to something…commit to it. We so often second-guess ourselves, regret what we consider to be unfortunate choices. How do we know what’s really in our best interests? Make a choice. See what happens. Learn from it.
What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?
If I could live forever – and I fully intend to – I’ll never create anything else as perfect and beautiful as our two children.
When did you first know you could be a writer?
I always knew I could write clever lines, which is the epitome of creativity in advertising. I had a good ear for dialog as well. So does my son. He writes the most incredible dialog: kids, adults, men, women…he just nails it all perfectly. I was insecure about my narrative writing when I started. I guess I knew I could really write when my narrative didn’t suck.
What inspires you to write and why?
My curiosity is unquenchable, so I never run out of things I want to write about. Having a curious mind is the greatest gift any artist can have. Otherwise, you can easily get stuck in your own ego. When you enjoy looking outside yourself, there’s always something interesting to see.
What do you consider the most challenging about writing a novel, or about writing in general?
I love to write. If I could be left alone all day long to write or do my research, I’d be the happiest man on the planet. But I have a wife and children and friends and family, so I need to balance my time with the people that matter me to me even more than the work. The hardest thing about writing is not doing it, particularly when all the marketing work that constantly demands attention has to come before the writing itself. If I don’t sell books, there’s no writing career – and no more Happy Richard.
Did writing this book teach you anything and what was it?
The Book of Paul is my first novel, so it taught me a zillion lessons. The most important takeaway was finishing what I started. Even though there are six more volumes in the series!
Have you developed a specific writing style?
I keep coming back to the word “voice” even though my “voice” changes with each character. I don’t want to write like anyone else. If I’m truly inhabiting a character, they tell me what to say, and how to say it.
What is your greatest strength as a writer?
I think I do a good job of setting a scene with a minimal amount of narrative description. You can’t write a good story without interesting (though not necessarily likeable) characters. If I’ve done well with the character development, the reader should be able to inhabit them in the scene and actively participate in the action.
Can you tell us about your main characters?
The main characters in the book are modeled to some degree after my own family. The protagonist and narrator is a geeky teen named Chris. He’s trying to connect with his autistic sister Daisy, who is able to speak perfectly in the dream world. His dad is also geeky and teaches Chris how to dream lucidly, which essentially means retaining your waking consciousness in the dream world. The mom is somewhat skeptical about their dream adventures, but eventually gets drawn into the mystery and action.
Do you have any advice for writers?
Write only what you want to write – exactly the way you want to write it. If you can’t get an agent, or your agent can’t sell it, go Indie – though be prepared – being a publisher is almost a full time job in itself.
When you wish to end your career, stop writing, and look back on your life, what thoughts would you like to have?
End my career? Not going to happen. Have you read about the Singularity? We’ll all be aging in reverse soon. Ben Button here I come. But if I miss the immortality boat, I can tell you one thing: when I’m on my deathbed, I won’t be thinking about success or awards or reviews. I’ll be holding hands with the people I love most in this world. Because in the final analysis, the only thing that really matters about a person’s life is how well they have loved.
The Book of Paul:
Title: The Book of Paul
Author: Richard LongRelease Date: June 7, 2012
Publusher: Open Eyes
"Everything you've ever believed about yourself...about the description of reality you've clung to so stubbornly all your life...all of it...every bit of it...is an illusion."
In the rubble-strewn wasteland of Alphabet City, a squalid tenement conceals a treasure "beyond all imagining"-- an immaculately preserved, fifth century codex. The sole repository of ancient Hermetic lore, it contains the alchemical rituals for transforming thought into substance, transmuting matter at will...and attaining eternal life.
When Rose, a sex and pain addicted East Village tattoo artist has a torrid encounter with Martin, a battle-hardened loner, they discover they are unwitting pawns on opposing sides of a battle that has shaped the course of human history. At the center of the conflict is Paul, the villainous overlord of an underground feudal society, who guards the book's occult secrets in preparation for the fulfillment of an apocalyptic prophecy.
The action is relentless as Rose and Martin fight to escape Paul's clutches and Martin's destiny as the chosen recipient of Paul's sinister legacy. Science and magic, mythology and technology converge in a monumental battle where the stakes couldn't be higher: control of the ultimate power in the universe--the Maelstrom.N
A best-selling novel, The Book of Paul is the first of seven volumes in a sweeping mythological narrative tracing the mystical connections between Hermes Trismegistus in ancient Egypt, Sophia, the female counterpart of Christ, and the Celtic druids of Clan Kelly.Find The Book of Paul Online:
Happy reading until next time!
Wonderful interview. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview!
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