Interview with Self Published Author of The Hungering Light, Micheal Boyd.
First of all Thank you for agreeing to this Interview!
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To begin with why don’t you tell us a little about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled? etc.
MB: I was born in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, and I've lived my entire life here. It's a quiet sort of place where not much ever happens one way or the other. I had lived my whole life in the same house until very recently, when I moved into my own apartment. Even though I was happy at home I feel this is a move for the better. My parents have been very supportive of me and my writing, which I am very grateful for. As for school, grade school and high school were Hell for me, but fortunately college has been a wonderful experience. I am currently studying both creative writing and visual artwork.
What inspired you to start writing?
MB: I had always come up with stories in my head, alternate versions of the past and future. I think that's why fantasy and sci-fi are the two genres that appeal to me the most. That said, the first stuff I wrote was fanfiction. Yeah, it wasn't very good.
You write Fantasy. What do you love the most about this Genre?
MB: I love the limitless potential for creativity. While some fantasy writers use magic as a lazy way of writing their way out of dead ends, for a good author the imagination afforded by fantasy worlds can pose a challenge: "how do I make a fantastic world that seems like it could be real, even if it exists only in this book"?
If your book could be a movie. What Actor/Actress would you love to see play the role of your main characthers?
MB: I'd love to see Orlando Bloom play Tyran Logos, largely because he played a similarly effeminate-looking male character as Legolas in my favorite fantasy movie series of all time, The Lord of the Rings. As for the others, I'd be open with pretty much anyone playing them provided they looked like the characters, but I'd actually rather have some unknown actors or indie/arthouse stars play them instead of big-name actors.
Do you have a favorite Quote or passage you would be happy to share with us? It doesn’t need to be deep but something that meant a great deal to you.
MB: My favourite quote actually comes from the prologue:
"Always ask questions, and never be fully satisfied with the answers. Complacency makes both dangerous thinkers and mindless automatons out of men."
They say that a part of the writer leaks into their story. Which character can you relate to and why?
MB: I can relate to all my characters, even the villains. The two I feel most serve as avatars of me as the author are Tyran Logos and Pyke'arrash Ashavad.
What other Hobbies do you have if you’re not busy writing?
MB: Asides from music appreciation (I have several thousand dollars invested in iTunes), I am trying to take up drawing, mostly in digital media.
Who are your biggest Hero and Why?
MB: My mother is my hero. She has literally saved my life, and everything she has done for me has been with the best of intentions.
If you could go anywhere, where would you go and why?
MB: I'd love to visit Vatican City, or possibly the catacombs in Paris.
We all wanted to be someone or something extraordinary when we grew up. What or who did you want to do or be when you grew up?
MB: I wanted to be a scientist when I was a kid. As I aged, seeing how "science" is frequently distorted and misrepresented to serve political or personal agendas did a lot to shatter my illusion that being smart automatically makes you a better person.
What do you hope people take away with them after they have read your work?
MB: I just hope they're entertained. I set out to write an enjoyable piece of pulp fantasy, the literary equivalent of a nice steak and a glass of wine. It's not fine art, but it's a welcome taste regardless.
Whom do you admire the most in the realm of writing and why?
MB: I respect Stephen King for his storytelling ability, and H. P. Lovecraft for his boundlessly unconventional imagination.
Many Artists set themselves very ambitious goals. What are yours?
MB: I would love for my stories to be adapted into a visual media. It's probably not going to happen, but it would be amazing if it did.
What advice would you give your younger self as an aspiring writer?
MB: I would tell myself that the first few stories I write will be garbage, but writing that garbage is an essential step in the creative journey. No one is a good or even a passable writer right off the bat.
First of all congratulation on your book! Tell us a little more about it and what your Fans can expect.
MB: Thank you! Here's a little blurb about the book:
"Although not a horror series, The Hungering Light is inspired heavily by the work of August Derleth and to a lesser extent H.P. Lovecraft. Cues in the writing style are taken from a wide-ranging variety of sources including modern Japanese literature, Abrahamic religious texts, Dungeons and Dragons, Christian fantasy authors, and pagan myths."
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Thank you so much for taking the time out of of your busy Schedule to do this interview. We are so happy to have you on a Bookish Review!
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