Mark is a computer tech that hates working on computers. One day, a friend told him that if he didn't love what he did, then he wouldn't go very far. So when he went home, depressed, he wondered what to do with his life. His eyes drifted to his book shelf and he started counting. He had nearly two hundred books on writing techniques! Thinking back, he had written over two million words worth of stories (for fun). That was when he knew he was a writer.
The best book on writing is " The Anatomy of Story," by John Truby. He has read most everything else. No other book has as many useful techniques as this one.
Can you tell us a little about your novel, The Dream Crystal?
The Dream Crystal is a fantasy about a changeling faerie who decides to rescue the human child she was exchanged for. Along the way, she encounters the Shadow People, who are fighting a war with the faeries over the power to control the dreams of mankind. There's also a love story.
*Favourite book as a child?
My mom took me to the library and taught me how to read before I started school. When I got into class, "See Spot run" was.... annoying. I loved reading but don't remember any of the titles.
*Favourite book as a teenager?
My favourite books were Science Fiction stories by people like Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, and Fred Saberhagen. A few years ago, one of my writer friends (George Clayton Johnson) asked me if I wanted to go to dinner and Ray Bradbury was there! I discovered that Ray is best friends with George. It was fun listening to them talk about Rod Serling and the Twilight Zone (George wrote eight episodes).
*If you could be any character from a book who would it be?
Characters in books have too many bad things happening to them. I'd prefer a nice, happy life instead, though it would be cool to be Gandalf. If I were a comic character, I'd want to be Snoopy.
*If you could have written any book which would it be?
I can't imagine doing any other book.
*Favourite book you have read this year?
I love Harry Potter and keep reading them again and again.
Are you currently working on any projects at the minute?
The next novel in The Dream War Series. It's called, "The Dark Mirrors of Heaven." It's about a Faerie Changeling that's struggling to remove a curse that destroys all desire in the world. The next thing I'll do is a series of novella's called, " The Garden of Dreams." In Irish it's called "Gairdin na nAislingi." These will tell the story about what caused the Dream War between the Shadow People and the Faeries. I'm working on two series of short stories: "Good Fairies" and "Bad Fairies." And I'm also writing a series of short-short stories about traditional Irish Faeries. Oh yes, I want to write a "barbarian" story that take place in Celt Iberia.
Anything else you would like to add?
I can juggle! :)
Check out Mark:
http://www.markobannon.com/
http://www.betterstorytelling.net/
http://www.BetterStoryTelling.Net/blog
http://www.thefairyshee.com/
http://www.TheFairyShee.com/blog
Follow on twitter:
@BtrStorytelling
@TheFairyShee
@Mark_OBannon
No comments