Today I have another interview for you, with new author Aaron Galvin. He stops by to talk about writing, his debut book, Salted, and his other passion, filmmaking. Enjoy.
Interview
With Aaron Galvin
I
remain wonderfully confused at both who I am, and who I am meant to be.
The
larger part of me will always be Peter Pan, yet becoming a father has forced me
to grow up somewhat. I’m a country boy who can pass for a city guy when/if needed.
The actor in me enjoys being the center of attention, while my author side
prefers the quiet escape of a hermit’s existence.
My
wife is a saint for tolerating me.
Can you tell
us about your debut book, Salted, a
YA urban fantasy novel?
Definitely!
Salted follows a crew of Selkie slave
catchers charged with recapturing an elusive runaway. When their target leads
them to deeper, darker secrets, the Selkies face a moral quandary. Secure their
own freedom, or return empty-handed to face the grisly consequences.
It
also features a unique take/twist on mermaids. Most books I've seen about
Selkies and mermaids are of the paranormal romance sort. Mine has little/no
romance involved. I wanted to write a story about merfolk and Selkies that male
readers could enjoy too.
Why do you find
most appealing about the fantasy genre?
Anything
is possible. You can go to Hogwarts and learn magic, journey to Mordor with
hobbits, elves, and dwarves, or even transform into a seal and swim in the
realm beneath the waves. Fantasy has always been my favorite genre. I don’t see
that ever changing.
You also dabble
in writing thrillers and horror. What difference and similarities do you find
between the three genres?
That’s
a great question. The easy answer in how they’re different is fantasy contains
magic, paranormal, and/or an imaginary world/universe. Thrillers promote
suspense and/or excitement. Horror is, well, scary.
I’m
not fond of breaking them down like that, however, because I think it’s
limiting. I especially don’t like the stigma associated with the horror genre
that it must contain gore. Gore can be frightening, sure, but to me it’s often
thrust into a story like an annoying kid trying to draw attention to
themselves. The best horror lives with you after the book/movie is finished.
Better yet, if you couldn't finish because it scared you that much.
As
for their similarities, I think the best stories contain a blend of all genres.
No one does this better than Stephen King. Take my favorite King novel, The Stand, for instance. The idea of
Randall Flagg embodies a twisted blend of fantasy/horror. Flagg also makes you
nervous for the characters aligning and defying him, which builds the suspense
all the way up to the final glorious end.
That’s
the kind of writing I aspire to create.
Can you tell us
about your writing process? Where do your ideas originate? Do you have a certain writing routine?
I’m
not sure where my ideas originate, honestly. I could be out to dinner when a
new voice pops into my head, or even rocking my daughter to sleep. Ideas come
to me all the time. The trick is learning which ones to pursue and which to let
go. Most times I don’t have a choice. The voices demand to be heard.
As
for my writing process, I like to script a loose outline first. It could be a
single sentence, paragraph, or even thirty pages, but I almost always need one
in place.
That
doesn't mean I stick to it. Sometimes a new character’s voice will become
stronger that takes me into unknown territory. My character Chidi (pronounced
Chee-dee) for instance. In my initial outline, she was a background player
only. As I continued writing, however, I found that I couldn't contain her
spirit. She burst onto the pages until I gave way. I can’t imagine the story
without her now.
For
routine, I like to make a fresh pot of coffee. Then, I reread the previous
chapter to get me in the right mindset. If nothing is happening, I stare at my
computer screen until something does.
What is your
greatest challenge as a writer?
My
prose. I’ll improve, but no one will ever consider me the next Cormac McCarthy.
You've also worked in film, as an actor, producer and
writer. Do you find the two creative endeavors (novel writing and filmmaking)
complement each other? Are there certain aspects in common to both disciplines?
They’re
both great creative outlets, but two very different animals.
I
love filmmaking because it physically brings your ideas to life. The tradeoff
is you lose autonomy. Unless you’re James Cameron, (and even he probably
experiences this), there will be others who have say in the final product. Now,
not only are you trying to do justice to what the characters in your head want,
there are physical voices added into the mix; the director, producers, and
actors who bring their own insight to the characters/world you've created.
Filmmaking
also limits you with budgetary constraints, schedules of the players involved,
and length of time you have to tell the story.
When
I produced an indie feature film, I was frustrated at times by how long
everything took for completion. I had to accommodate other’s schedules. As an
author, I only have to look in the mirror if something isn't being done and
needs changed. It’s all on my shoulders to sink or swim. I enjoy that freedom
immensely.
Who has inspired you as a writer and author?
Stephen King, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S.
Lewis, Lloyd Alexander, J.K. Rowling, and George R.R. Martin have all been
major inspirations to me as an author. I've also been inspired by J.J. Abrams,
Damon Lindelof, Vince Gilligan, and I am in awe of how well David Benioff and
D.B. Weiss have translated GRRM’s Song of
Ice and Fire series into HBO’s Game
of Thrones.
What’s next for you?
I’m currently working on Taken With A Grain of Salt, the sequel
to Salted. I’m around 10k words in
and it’s flowing well. I can’t wait to share the story with readers.
About the Author:
Salted is Aaron Galvin's debut novel.
He first cut his chops writing original stand-up comedy routines at age thirteen. His early works paid off years later when he co-wrote and executive produced the 2013 award-winning indie feature film, Wedding Bells & Shotgun Shells.
He is also an accomplished actor. Aaron has worked in Hollywood blockbusters, (Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, and Clint Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers), and starred in dozens of indie films.
Aaron is a proud member of SCBWI. He lives in Southern California with his wife and daughter.
You can find more on Aaron and his writing at these sites:
Website/Blog: www.aarongalvin.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saltseries
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aarongalvin5
Salted is available here:
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00JSKYEB4
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/427935
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21528339-salted
About the Author:
Salted is Aaron Galvin's debut novel.
He first cut his chops writing original stand-up comedy routines at age thirteen. His early works paid off years later when he co-wrote and executive produced the 2013 award-winning indie feature film, Wedding Bells & Shotgun Shells.
He is also an accomplished actor. Aaron has worked in Hollywood blockbusters, (Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, and Clint Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers), and starred in dozens of indie films.
Aaron is a proud member of SCBWI. He lives in Southern California with his wife and daughter.
You can find more on Aaron and his writing at these sites:
Website/Blog: www.aarongalvin.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saltseries
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aarongalvin5
Salted is available here:
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00JSKYEB4
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/427935
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21528339-salted
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