29 June, 2015

#SpecialFeature :: An #Interview with Christopher Slater, #Author of Pup


*** Special Feature - June 2015 ***

A Quick Recap:

1st June - Introducing the Author (bio & random facts)
8th June - Guest Post on What makes 'Pup' different?
15th June - Guest Post on "Pup-isms"
22nd June - Guest Post about The difference between a Writer and an Author

An Interview with the Author:

When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer/ a storyteller? 
I have probably always been a storyteller. Whether or not I have been a good one is a matter of debate. I was probably in college when I realized that I enjoyed writing when I started writing short stories to pass the time and entertain my friends.

What inspires you to write?
Almost anything that I see or hear can inspire me to write. Just the way that someone words a sentence or something I see as I walk by may plant the seeds of a story idea.

How did you come up with the idea for your current story? 
Several things gave me the idea for Pup. Probably the biggest influence was when a fellow reenactor told me “Chris, I’m glad that they didn’t have a draft when you were growing up. I’d be scared to know what you would have been like in the army.” That got me thinking about the ways that I would have messed up and the ideas kind of snowballed from there.

Are there some stories tucked away in some drawer that was written before and never saw the light of the day? 
I think that everything that I have ever written has been seen by someone. Maybe not many someones, but someone. Why write and not have it read. That’s like painting and then covering the frame.

What is your favorite scene in the book? Why? 
I find it very difficult to pick out a single scene as my favorite because I can relate to so many of the things that happen in Pup. I suppose that many of the events that occur when he is on R and R in Australia stand out to me. His behavior at the bar is something I could definitely understand. Also, his attempt to go diving speaks to me a lot. I had that same issue when I tried to dive a couple of years ago. I’m hoping some readers will read what happened there and say “I’m glad that I’m not the only one that has happened to,” so that I don’t feel like such a wimp! 

Did any of your characters inherit some of your own quirks? 
It almost frightens me to think of how much Pup is like me when it comes to quirks. Being a creature of habit, not knowing how to behave in a group, and telling people things for reasons that even I don’t understand are all things that Pup was unfortunate enough to inherit.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing? 
The best piece of advice I can give someone that wants to get into writing is also the simplest: keep writing. Don’t quite the job that you have or get grandiose ideas of what you need to do to succeed. Just keep writing. Your early writing is not going to be up to par. That’s fine. Learn from it. Move on to your next idea. You will get better each time so long as you keep writing. Find people that will give you honest critiques so that you can take those critiques and use them to improve. There is no magic bullet. There is only determination to find your own voice.

What would be the Dream Cast for you book if it was to be turned into a movie? 
I actually did this on my Facebook and Twitter account. It was a lot tougher to find people than I thought, but I think that I finally managed:
Nickel- John Boyega
Jethro- Colton Haynes
Rabbit- Jordan Hinson
Shaggy- Jim Parsons
Hannibal- Chris Hemsworth
Professor- Benedict Cumberbatch
Boom- Freema Agyeman
Mayumi Ogawa- Jamie Chung
Pup- Colin Morgan

If you were to be stranded on the famous deserted island, what three things would you carry? 
I think that if I were stranded on a deserted island I would want a good pen, lots of paper, and a pocket knife. I would want the pen and paper to pass the time writing stories and keeping a journal, and maybe learning to draw stick people that don’t look like they need a plastic surgeon. The pocket knife I would want for two reasons. The first reason is its infinite utility as a tool. The other reason is because I fidget a lot. Flipping it open and closed would give me something to do!

Can you share with us something off your bucket list? 
I don’t want to climb Mt. Everest or skydive or anything like that. Mt. Everest is too cold and jumping out of a perfectly good airplane doesn’t appeal to me. Getting published was a definite bucket list item and that is now taken care of. Most of the rest of my bucket list goals are far from elaborate. I want to see at least one of my student’s lives change for the better each year. I want to see my son realize his potential and reach it. I want to hear someone that I am not related to or friends with tell me that something I wrote impacted them. I suppose at least one thing that is a little elaborate is that I would love to be able to fly first-class just once. 

Contact the Author:
Website I Facebook I Twitter

About the Book:

This is not the story of a hero.

So begins the story of one of the most distinctive heroes you'll ever meet. Drafted into a war he barely comprehends with no taste for combat, Pup will find himself thrust into the very center of the conflict. How he affects that conflict, and how this changes him and everyone around him, is the soul of this utterly unique war story.

Equal parts adventure and farce, tragedy and comedy, PUP introduces an unforgettable accidental hero to war literature, and announces Christopher Slater as a resonant new voice.





Giveaway:
1 Signed Copy of Pup by Christopher Slater (US Residents Only)
1 Signed Copy of Pup by Christopher Slater (Indian Residents Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

3 comments:

  1. Very interesting book, hopefully I wont to win this book, so will write review in my blog

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  2. I wish you the best of luck. I always look forward to reading reviews. How else can I learn what I'm doing right and wrong?

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  3. Congratulations to Kelly and Nitin on winning a copy of Pup. Your books are on their way. I'm sure that you'll enjoy it!

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