How large is
the room where you write and how much of the space is covered with
notes on different worlds and timelines and such, or do you keep all of
that information in your computer alone?
My writing study is very small - eight feet by sixteen feet. My desk
takes up most of the room. All of my notes are in different files in my
computer, the curse of living a very ordered life. I do have a few
creatures that serve as muses for my inspirations. One is a dragon that
sat on my desk for years as I wrote the Conor and the Crossworlds
series. I recently gave him away at a book talk to a young student in
Escondido, California. Maybe he'll inspire him to write a story.
The other is a new inspiration, a warrior cat I discovered at the
CONDOR 2008 in San Diego. He hangs on the wall guarding my flank. I
like him a lot, he reminds me of Surmitang. Perhaps he will encourage
me to write the next five books in the Conor and the Crossworlds series.
What made you
decide to use characters from the Cat world for the Crossworlds
Champions, rather than people or other creatures…and why these
particular cats?
I've always loved cats, small ones and big ones. Something about
them has always captured my fancy. I have four at home. They are my
children, and they never cease to amaze me. I've watched nature shows
for years as well, and big cats always keep me riveted. Also, it just
seemed to be a natural progression since Purugama was giant cougar. I
also live close to the San Diego Zoo, and I often walk up Cat Canyon
and talk with the characters in my story.
Why is Purugama
the only one of the Crossworld Champion cats who can fly? Why
were the other cats not gifted with this ability?
Purugama is a creature I've dreamed about for nearly forty years.
When I was eleven or twelve, I used to imagine him flying down to my
bedroom window and waiting for me to climb aboard him. I would become a
great warrior and fly away with him towards a wonderful destiny. I
waited almost thirty five years to write a story about him, so he gets
to enjoy certain abilities the other Champions can't exhibit. It just
didn't seem right to give any of the other Champions physical powers
that matched Purugama's.
How long did it
take you to work out all the details of the strange and unusual world
where the shape-shifting master of darkness, Seefra, took Conor to do
battle, because that world had no forests which Conor could use to his
advantage, now that he was infused with the powers he acquired from
Ajur?
It took quite a long time to think of it, because what you've
said hit the mark. Seefra had to bring Conor to a place where the
jaguar's skills would be of no use to him. Seefra's castle had to be a
very special and confusing place, a place that confounded Conor at
first. It had to be a place where Seefra would hold a tremendous
advantage, somewhere the reader would think Conor had no chance of
survival.
Do you read
what you write to your children and receive their feedback about the
characters and scenes and so on? How often do you take
their advice on any potential changes?
That would be a magical feat in itself. You see, my children are
all cats. Our 20 year old died last year, a very traumatic event. He
was very special to us. We have a 19 year old, a 10 year, and a 3 year
old, who has caused my wife to forget I exist. Here's a picture of him
- Toby. We also have a 5 year old neighbor cat who spends quite a bit
of time at our house. She's so special.
My feedback comes from teachers and librarians. I let them read the
books and suggest changes. One grade school teacher caused me to change
the storyline of the first book completely. I'm very glad I let her
read the book!
Having lived in
San Diego for a very short time, I can FEEL some of it in your
writing…what other parts of the country have influenced your writing
and become the basis for some of your scenes?
I grew
up in Rolling Hills Estates, just down the hill from Palos Verdes,
California. When I was a boy, there were no video games, computers,
i-pods, nor the type of television shows you see today. We made our
adventures out of the places where we lived. We went outside in the
morning and didn't come back home until dark. We explored so many
different fields, canyons, bluffs and countless other places. All of
that, plus the beaches of San Diego have fallen into my stories over
the years.
Will Conor ever
spill the beans and tell a single person (besides the “cat persons” in
his family) about the Crossworlds…and if he did, what would the penalty
be?
You'll find out in Book Three.
How many
Creators are there in all, and will Conor get a chance to meet them in
his future exploits?
Yes,
he gets to meet them under dangerous circumstances in Book Four and
Book Five. There are seven powerful creators - the Council of Seven -
guided by the Lord of all Life, the Lady of the Light's superior.
If you could
give your book to one person who would it be and why?
Besides Andrew Adamson, I would give all the books in the series to the
younger sister of a student of mine. Her sister has cerebral palsy, and
when her family finally took her to the hospital, she asked for only
one thing - the first book in the Conor and the Crossworlds series. You
can't buy devotion like that anywhere.
What is your
writing process?
I edit and then I write, every day. First I edit what I've
written the previous day, and then I write the next segment of the
story. Editing helps me get my mind back into the story. Knowing I'm
going to edit allows me to write with abandon, which is the true secret
of great storytelling.
What advice do
you have for new authors?
I guess it's what I said at the end of my latest newsletter - the
important thing is to never let anything or anyone knock you off the
path. If you want to write, then do so with all of your heart. If you
want to publish, remeber- they know a lot more than you do. Patience is
key.
If anyone wants
to sign up for Conor's newsletter, send me an e-mail at
mrsaruman@aol.com.
Onward!
Kevin Gerard
The Conor and
the Crossworlds Series
http://www.conorandthecrossworlds.com