Author Interview, Andrew Joyce
Who would you most like to sit next to on an airplane?
I don’t fly anymore. But if I did, I’d prefer an empty seat. If I couldn’t get that, then I reckon Jesus would do. I’m sure he would have some good stories.
Who would play you in a movie?
Depending on the day, either Matthew McConaughey or Jabba the Hut.
What is the one thing you can’t live without?
Oxygen.
What's the best writing advice you've ever given?
READ, READ, READ, and then READ some more. Read every book you can get your hands on. Read Steinbeck . . . The Grapes of Wrath and Tortilla Flat.
"The afternoon came down as imperceptibly as age comes to a happy man. A little gold entered into the sunlight. The bay became bluer and dimpled with shore-wind ripples. Those lonely fishermen who believe that the fish bite at high tide left their rocks and their places were taken by others, who were convinced that the fish bite at low tide."— John Steinbeck, Tortilla Flat
That is some damn good writing. And when you read stuff like that you can’t help but become a better writer.
In Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck has one long paragraph that is just one sentence. It is beautiful writing, writing at its best. For those of you who are interested, it is the first paragraph of chapter three. Read it a few times to see the genius of it.
What would be a typical working day for you? When and where do you write?
I wake up around 2:00 a.m., then sit down at the computer and go to town. About the time the sun is coming up, I take my dog for his morning walk and shake the cobwebs outta my head. Then I go back to work for another few hours. I live on a boat and that is where I do my writing.
When and why did you first start writing?
Five years ago, I threw my TV out the window. Then sat down at the computer and wrote my first short story—140 short stories and three novels later, here I am. I started writing because I had to.
Are you a big reader? If so, what are you reading now?
I have read all my life. But I found that I could not read a book during the writing, editing or marketing process. When I did so, I neglected my work to finish the book I was reading; especially if it was a Lee Child or Baldacci novel. However, between writing books, that is all I do, read.
What was the first book you remember making an indelible impression on you.
Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke.
What are you working on right now?
Making a big, tall drink that is 90% vodka.
Author Bio:
Andrew Joyce's MOLLY LEE is the sequel to his best-selling novel REDEMPTION: The Further Adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. It is the story of a woman who knows what she wants and starts out to get it. Molly is about to set off on the quest of a lifetime . . . of two lifetimes.
Andrew Joyce lives on a boat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with his dog Danny
Author Links:
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