Here it is, part two to having an interview with myself. Again, these are questions from the TeacherVision website. But if you have anything in particular you’d like to ask, feel free to leave a comment.
Well, as long as it’s within reason. I’m not going to hand over my social security number or bank account information.
However, you might be amazed at just how open and honest I truly am.
Another 10 Questions for Michael Brockbank, the Author
Can you describe your writing space?
A mess. Then again, whose writing space isn’t? I try to keep the clutter down as I tend to perform better (for both job and creativity) when things aren’t strewn everywhere. But it can be quite the chore some days.
I have a small office in my house where I try to hide from the kids. But it’s right next door to their bedroom and everyone still finds a way into my space. At least I can keep an eye on them, even though they’re teenagers now and really don’t need me as much.
Anyway, I have two monitors set up so I can research on one and write on the other. This was something I started doing while writing content for Textbroker clients. It was so much easier and faster than trying to flip back and forth through browser tabs.
Behind me, I have my mascot from the Witcham series. Currently, he’s wearing a red Christmas hat and is featured all over my Instagram account.
What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?
For me, it’s time. Because I’ve spread myself so thin, rustling up enough time to write a book in a timely manner is often exceptionally difficult. Then, there are the days when I have to drive someone to school, deal with car issues, or have to put out yet another bushfire for a client.
Outside of time, I’d say that marketing is probably the most difficult. No one is going to read your book if they don’t know it exists. As a self-published author (without using a vanity press), marketing needs a bit of time, effort, and money to get the book out there. I’m lacking the time and am trying to learn more about what I can do to get the book in front of more people.
What’s funny is how a lot of authors on social media constantly complain about the editing process. I love editing as it gives me a chance to polish up the story so I can put out a much better manuscript at the end. Plus, I love reading my own books, and editing gives me a chance to dive into it yet again.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
When I’m not writing, blogging, or editing other people’s work (I’m an editor for one of my clients), I like to play games with the kids, binge-watch random shows online, or just take a moment to myself and gather my thoughts.
This past year, I’ve spent a bit of time at the gym working on losing the last 30 pounds (I’ve already lost more than 80). The idea is to see if I can “Magic Mike” myself. I know I don’t have the commitment to sustain a ripped physique, but I was curious to see if I could do it at least once in my life. I also view the gym as my sanctuary…it’s the only place where I can go for an hour without being interrupted. Well, on most days, anyway.
As I am single and really don’t have a social life, most of what I do centers around home. So, I love to grow pumpkins every year for the kids, I take care of an armada of squirrels and blue jays, and I LOVE going to stores during Halloween and Christmas to see all of the decorations. I’m a bit of a big kid throughout the last few months of the year.
What does your family think of your writing?
To be honest, my family really hasn’t said much about my writing. My oldest son and sister-in-law have been the only two who have said anything about A Freelancer’s Tale, and no one has read Kingmaker. At least that I know of.
I am still relatively new, mind you. The author copies come in from Amazon in a couple of weeks and I am shipping them out to family once they get here. So, who knows who will read what?
I’m not offended or anything. I’m really not sure if anyone in my family likes dark fantasy. I know Dad is more about horror in general, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen him read anything related to fantasy.
My oldest son, though, he’s pretty excited to dive into it. He glanced through a few of the pages recently and can’t wait to get his own copy. Aside from that, though, no one really says much outside of my best friend and her mom when it comes to “family” opinions. And she’s one of the people who helps with beta-reading the drafts.
What types of questions do you ask yourself when planning a new book?
So, let’s do this question with an example. With this new book I’m writing for the Reedsy master class, I thought to myself, “What dark creature do I want to feature this time?” It gave me an opportunity to expand on The Crate, which I mentioned in a previous series of questions.
Then, I thought to myself, “Where and when will this one take place?” Since I wanted to embellish The Crate, I decided to go with a Western. As for Atlantic City in 1874, that was inspiration from the song, Sin City. I can actually see the final scene of the book as the music is playing.
I think those two are perhaps the biggest questions I ask myself…what creature haven’t I written about yet, and where is this one taking place?
Do you base your characters on real people?
I did for VII, the book I am trying to finish writing on Wattpad. VII was more about therapy than anything. I started it when I was in a very dark place in 2016 (featured in A Freelancer’s Tale) and everyone in it was someone in my life at that moment.
The only story in VII that isn’t based on someone in real life is Wrath. Everyone else was a real person who had most of the traits featured in the story. I’ve known a lot of really messed up people.
There is a character in Fury that I am using myself as a character model. But I’m not going to say any more than that…you’ll have to wait for the book. Maybe we’ll make a game of identifying who I am in Fury.
Have you experienced writer’s block, and how do you handle it?
Writer’s block, for me, isn’t really all that much of a problem. A lot of that is probably because of how I write. I do a lot of things that either inspire, drive ideas, or otherwise keep me moving forward.
Now, there have been times when something in the book causes me to slow my pace. At that point, I’ll go for a walk and listen to music to deflate. I also have a habit of writing out of order. Then, it’s all about connecting the dots. Of course, the progression of the story often changes what I wrote for later. But for me, that’s part of the fun.
I wrote the ending of Kingmaker before I was finished with chapter one.
I also find that sticking to a certain block of time keeps the ideas fresh. So, I’ll work on Fury for about two hours and then stop and pick it up the next day. Even if I know I could still continue writing, I’ll force myself to take a break from it. That way, it feels like a constant flow of storytelling while the break gives me time to process the tale for additional ideas.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
That I have a really messed up sense of humor. There are times that I’ll write a few paragraphs and think to myself, “What the hell is wrong with me?” There have been a few stories when I just went completely dark, but they are some of my favorite moments.
I know I could never write a children’s book. If I did, it would be more like what would happen if Dr Suess was a homicidal maniac wielding a butcher’s cleaver? Well, he’d be slaughtering Whoville while rhyming parodies of everyone who crossed his path.
I guess I often gravitate toward the absurdity of various situations and see if I can dial them up to 11 somehow. Sure, I have nice parts in my books. The love interest in Kingmaker is still one of my favorite romances. But I am also realistic. Life isn’t always about sunshine and rainbows, and things often go off the rails.
How important are book reviews?
It’s funny that this question came up this week. I recently received a two-star review on Reedsy Discovery. And although I think reviews can be helpful for authors, in this case, I’m wondering if the man read the entire book. Some points of the critique just didn’t make sense if he had read the ending.
More than 90% of people will read reviews before making a purchase. So, they have immense sway over how much an author will make in sales. Plus, a properly thought-out review can help an author understand what is wrong with the book, especially if more than one person is having the same problem with it.
For instance, nearly every beta reader for Kingmaker said the exact same thing about a certain character’s development. At that point, I made sweeping changes to the book and increased its word count by 12,000 words. It made for a far better read, according to everyone involved in the second round of beta reading.
So, yes, I think reviews are quite important in a couple of different ways. However, an author still needs to draw the line as to what is a proper critique and what is not. I’m not going to please 100% of the people 100% of the time. This means that some people are just not going to like the book, and that’s OK.
The trick is to not let those negative reviews dictate how you carry yourself. Sure, some can be enlightening and help you grow. But others are just going to be there because someone thought you misspelled the proper spelling of a name.
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
So far, I’ve only published the two: A Freelancer’s Tale and Kingmaker. However, I am nearly halfway through the first draft of Fury, a good chunk of the way through the new book, and about halfway through the rewrites of VII.
Out of all of the books I’ve published or written thus far, I’d have to say Kingmaker is definitely my current favorite. Although, I think Fury is going to surpass it in almost every way.
I wanted to try something new with Kingmaker, and I did accomplish a couple of goals according to the readers. Fury, I think, just has a stronger base for what it is while diving into what is happening in the world of Witcham.
With that being said, I am also falling in love with this new Western. It requires a hell of a lot more research, but the story is coming together quite well.
Part 3 to Come Soon…
The conclusion of this series only has a few questions left. So, I am going to sift through the YouTube channel and blog to see if anyone has asked me a question about writing books. That is unless some of you have something you’d like to know.
Again, feel free to comment and I’ll probably feature your question in the last part of the “interview” series.
This has been a lot of fun thus far, and I hope you’ve enjoyed it.