Author Interview

World of Writing - Author Interview

*Today's guest comes to us via Leslie Barrett of PRByTheBook.com.

We are joined by Arthur Swan who was raised in North Carolina and now resides in Los Angeles, where his day job is a Character Supervisor for DreamWorks. He has contributed to films ranging from A Beautiful Mind to How to Train Your Dragon. In his spare time, when he’s not writing or swimming his morning laps, he volunteers for Young Storytellers, enjoys fishing and fireworks with his favorite niece and nephew, and on weekends he can be found hiking high climbs in early fog before the sun burns through as mist vanishes to blue sky. His first novel, Before the Sun Hits, won the Reader Views Reader’s Choice Award.

To learn more about Arthur, he invites you to visit: 
https://swanfall.com

https://www.facebook.com/ArthurSwanAuth




Q: So let us start, Arthur, by having you share what motivates you to write?

I want to tell a story that captures readers' imaginations, that they will identify with and enjoy. Also, I find writing to be a very relaxing means of travel. I can cross the universe yet return in time for breakfast. I can experience a whole different life for a while. Pretending to be someone else helps me understand their point of view.



Q: How do you spend your writing time?

Drinking tea. Staring into space. Furiously typing before a fleeting thought escapes. Swimming—yes, sometimes while exercising it occurs to me what to write.

Q: What are your favorite genres to write or read?


I love to write fiction. But I read some nonfiction, and I love novels, such as Fair Warning by Michael Connelly, which incorporate some truth about relevant issues along with a good story. I’ve been reading about some of the shocking problems with the criminal justice system to see if there is a story there that I can tell.




Q: Do you use certain tricks that help prevent you from straying from your goal?

Don’t start something new until I finish the thing I’m doing. This applies to short-term tasks, such as finishing a paragraph before taking a tea break, as well as long term projects, i.e., finishing a novel (or giving up) before starting a new one.


Q: Where /how do you or what recharges your batteries?

In a number of ways including: swimming, hiking, paddle boarding, reading, going to new places, staring at the horizon and sleeping.


Q: How do you deal with literary criticism?

I try to set it aside until I don’t feel overwhelmed, until I can take it in without a visceral reaction and think about what’s really being said. Even when I disagree with the exact statement, I usually find that whoever said it has indeed pointed out a problem or something that could be better. Once I realize what that is, I’ll change it if I can. Or if it’s too late, at least I can learn from it for next time.


Q: How many unpublished or half-finished writing projects are sitting on your "to-do" shelf?

I’d like to say none. If I abandon something, then it’s not worth going back to.
Although there is one exception. One science fiction novel that I started but don’t have a good ending for which I take off the shelf every few years and tinker with in the hopes of solving what seems to be an insurmountable problem. Don’t know if I ever will. For now, it’s just an exercise. A little reminder which seems like a good idea might not actually work in practice.

Q: What business challenges have you faced as a writer?


My main challenge is time. 

Creative endeavours require time to fail in order to succeed. Every writer I’m aware of who became successful, owes their success in part to all those who helped them along the way. These relationships take time to develop.

And, of course, it takes time to write. That’s the main thing. Time to write and rewrite.

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