Interview with Martin Slevin, Author of MURIEL’S MONSTER
At what point did you decide to be an author and what was your path to publication?
I decided to become an author when I realised I couldn’t sing, dance, play an instrument, tell a joke or cook. English is the only subject I was any good at. I was very lucky as far as publication goes, the first publisher I sent my first manuscript to accepted it.
What do you do when a new idea jumps out at you while you’re still working on a book? Do you chase the squirrel (aka “UP syndrome”) or do you finish your current project first?
I have a notebook, which is full of half-ideas, crazy plots and even single conversations between two random characters. Everything goes in there, then when I am ready to start a new project, my notebook is the first thing I look at.
Who is your favorite character to write, and why is that person your favorite? If picking a favorite character would be like picking a favorite child, which character seems to be the most demanding or your attention and detail as a writer?
Characters are real people who exist in their own universe, so I try and make them as rounded as possible. I don’t have a favourite as such, I try to make them all believable to the reader. I take character traits from people I meet every day. I was having lunch a few weeks ago, and an old man was sitting at the next table who looked interesting. All his character traits went into my notebook, I am sure I will “write him up” one day.
Describe your writing process. Do you outline, plot and plan, or is your writing more organic?
I wouldn’t dream of beginning to write the first line of the first chapter, until I knew the last line of the last chapter. Everything is planned out in advance, from start to finish before I ever start to write. I would never try to build a house before I was happy with the plans.
What are some books or authors that you would recommend to our readers?
That would depend on what your reader liked to read. However, I would recommend David Copperfield, to anyone.
Tell us what you enjoy most about writing your genre.
Telling the story. I imagine I have just one reader, who is sitting next to me, I have their full attention, and now I am going to tell them an amazing story. I will whisper into their ear a saga of love and betrayal, murder, magic and mayhem, and when I have finished, they will know they have been entertained.
What have you found to be most challenging about writing in your genre?
Creating a close and personal relationship with the reader, whoever they are. I won’t continue until I can establish that. That relationship of trust, will allow me to take them by the hand and lead them wherever I want to take them, if they’re not with me, that won’t work.
Have you been able to incorporate your previous experience in your jobs/education in your writing?
Always, we are all the sum of our yesterdays. Previous experiences, thoughts, emotions, successes and failures all contribute to whatever I am writing today.
Do you identify with your main character or did you create a character that is your opposite?
The characters I create are a mix of many ingredients, some are mine, and some are the traits of others. I suppose there is at least a little bit of me in each of them.
Describe the book in 10 words or less for people who are just learning about it.
A young girl discovers a world inside her to explore.
Is there anything you would like people to take away from your book?
A feeling that there is more to man than molecules. We are children of a universe trying to know itself. The possibilities within each of us are limitless.
Do you have any odd (writing) habits?
I often wake up in the middle of the night with an idea, I reach for my notebook, and scribble it all down in there, until the spirit has been exorcised, and I can go back to sleep.
What has been the toughest criticism you have received as an author? What has been the best compliment?
With Muriel’s Monster a lot of reviewers said it was slow to start, but because they were intrigued they stayed with it, and they were glad they did. That’s the worst anyone has said about it. Someone else said it was “Seriously Brilliant!” I was chuffed with that.
Share some advice for aspiring authors. What advice would you give to your younger self?
Don’t try to write a story, until you have a story to write.
What is your favorite line from your book?
If you wish to explore the wonders of the Universe, then learn to travel through yourself. A journey through the subconscious is a journey through the whole of creation; all the Universe is, and all it has to offer, is already hidden inside each of us, for we are the stuff the stars are made of.
To date, what is your favorite (or most difficult) chapter you have ever written?
The next one.
What is your take on book boyfriends? Do they actually exist? Or do they set the bar for “real life men” impossibly high?
Never accept someone else’s standards as your own. Create your own book boyfriend, give him the character you want him to have, once you have done that the bar is set right for you.
Have you ever experienced writer’s block? How did you deal with it?
With careful planning before hand, writers block never arises, because you know the entire story before you begin. Then it’s just a case of writing it out.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
When I’m not writing I am observing people, it’s fascinating.
by Martin Slevin
If you wish to experience the wonders of the Universe, then learn to travel through yourself…” says Patrick in the Garden of Idols.
This is the story of a young girl’s journey of self-discovery as she battles with illness. A teenager with everything before her, and surrounded by loving family and friends, Muriel must explore the inner depths of her being to learn how to deal with the traumas facing her.
In meeting and facing up to her demons she comes to a self-awareness denied to most of us through our own self-imposed limitations. In the process she discovers hidden talents that she might never otherwise have found.
This light-hearted and entertaining allegory is a voyage of self-discovery that will have the reader on the edge of their seat, and certainly emotionally involved. As the author himself says, “It is a process of development which will leave you wiser than it found you.”
About the Author
I love discovering how authors go about creating their works. Great interview ?
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