Today we have author Christopher Geoffrey McPherson joining us to talk about his book, News on the Home Front.
Christopher, welcome!
Please tell us about News on the Home Front;
Newson the Home Front is a look at what was happening in the states
while war raged overseas. It focuses on two women who have been
friends since childhood and how the war affects them.
Who
or what inspires your writing?
Everything
inspires me. I am always looking for some neat story to relate to
people. In the case of "Home Front" I have always been a
big fan of America between the wars (roughly 1918 - 1945). A lot has
been written about the military aspect of the second world war, but
very little about how people coped at home when their loved ones were
overseas.
When
did you know you would be a writer?
I
have been a writer most of my life -- from writing animal stories
when I was a child to later working professionally at newspapers,
magazines, in radio, for stage and some television.
How
long did it take you to write your novel?
The
actual writing only took a couple months; the research part took over
a year.
What
is the hardest part of writing for you?
I
rarely have any trouble writing. I hear about all those people who
have trouble starting or ending a story, or writer's block. That has
never affected me. Probably the hardest part of writing is getting
people interested in reading it.
Do
you have any writing rituals?
I
spend a lot of time researching everything I write. One ritual I
have is allowing all that research to stew in my brain for a while --
until it eventually sorts itself out. For my third novel that I
expect to come out later this year I did research for a couple years,
and then let it stew in my brain for another couple years. Finally,
last year, it began to sort itself out. I think you need to let a
story stew for a while.
Have
you written any thing else?
Thousands
of newspaper and magazine articles, hundreds of hours of radio
documentaries and a couple short plays. As far as long-form writing,
my second novel just came out. It's called, The Life Line
and is about the big earthquake that levels San Francisco and how
this affects a handful of characters.
Any
advice to aspiring writers?
I'm
sure I'm repeating what others have said, but it's true: the only
way to be a writer is to write. It also helps to read a LOT of other
writers.
Who
are your favorite Authors?
I
love Ayn Rand the best (The Fountainhead and Atlas
Shrugged) and F. Scott Fitzgerald (especially his Pat Hobby
stories about Hollywood).
What
are your favorite books, or which book has impacted you the most?
Easily, Atlas Shrugged. Not only is it a sweeping epic story, but
Rand's characterizations and setting of scenes is some of the best
writing in the history of writing.
What
are you currently reading?
A
biography of Ernest Hemingway. I'm not a huge fan of his writing,
but he led a very colorful life.
How
do readers find out more about you?
They
can read a little biography of me at
http://www.plasticliving.com/aboutme-02.html but you can certainly
learn more about me in my writing. There is a lot of me in everything
I write.
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