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This interview with David Tucholski, author of
"The
Good I Stand On", was first published in February 2006. To find out
even more about this author, you can visit our David Tucholski page.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Virginia and grew up there in Fauquier
County. It's a rural county at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
What was it that first got you into writing and when did
you start writing?
I started writing at a very early age, beginning with
comic books at around nine years old. The first actual fiction story I wrote
was a
murder mystery for my ninth grade English teacher that ended
with three strategically placed blood droplets (actually red food coloring) on
the last page because I couldn’t decide who done it! I then tried my hand at
screenplays in my teenage years and after having four rejected by Hollywood agents
more times than I can count, I tried my hand at fiction once again, and it has
become my life’s passion.
Which writers have influenced you the most?
Unfortunately, I was not what one would consider an avid
reader until my college years, and not terribly interested in literary works
until I read “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway. There was something
about his simplistic style that hooked me and I would have to say he was my
first major influence, although there have been several others. M. Somerset
Maugham I consider to be brilliant, and although not a fiction writer, I love
Frank McCourt, there is an honesty to his writing that amazes me.
Where do you stand on the nature v. nurture debate? Were
you born a writer, or were there factors in your environment
that enabled you to become a writer?
I don’t think nature and nurture should be seen as two
opposing forces in the development of a writer, or any artist for that matter,
because I believe they work together. It takes the combination
of a nurturing environment and natural-born talent to create the artist.
With out nurture, talent would flounder, and if the natural
talent is not present, there’s no amount of nurturing that can create it. They
are both equally important.
There are a lot of courses teaching creative writing
nowadays, but do you think that good writing can be taught?
I think certain technical aspects of writing can be
taught, such as plot structure, character development, but there is a limit to
what you can teach when it comes to creative writing. I think a college course
can create discipline in a writer, hone skills and sharpen the raw talent into
something more. But as I said, I don’t think you can nurture or teach the
natural ability to tell a good story.
Have you entered writing competitions? If so, have you won
any prizes?
I have entered competitions, and have lost those
competitions. That was disappointing to me at the time, but as with receiving
rejection letters from literary agents, I used it as
motivation to make my writing better. I have not yet entered my novel into any
competitions, so I am excited to see how it does.
Do you have any short stories or poems published online?
(If so, please provide the URLs):
I do have one short story published on my own website called
“The Prison Chaser”, but none anywhere else. I have really focused on my novel
since I began seriously writing fiction.
Here’s the link to the story at my site: http://www.davidtucholski.com/prisonchaserPF.html
What kind of things do you write?
Literary fiction. Not that I hold anything against writing
in other genres, but I get a sense of wholeness with literary fiction, more
with
anything I’ve ever tried.
What, for you, is the best piece of prose that you have
ever written?
As I said, I have focused on my novel more than anything
else, and since it is my only one (so far) I think it is by far my best work. I
do hope to top it with the next one, however.
What are you working on now?
My second novel. It will hopefully be quite different than
the first one, particularly if the first one reaches any type of major success.
I would love to be able to reinvent myself with every book. It’s more exciting
I think, but also a possible kiss of death for sales, oh well!
What is your writing day like?
I write whenever I can. Unfortunately, at this point, I
don’t really have a “writing day”. I have a 9-5 job that is completely
unrelated to
writing and so as a result I have to have “writing hours”
after work and on the weekends. It can make writing difficult, but never a
chore!
Where would you like to be in 10 years time?
Having a full time career as a writer is my biggest dream.
Hopefully it will happen much sooner than 10 years, but we’ll have to see.
What’s the most exciting thing about writing for you?
I have never felt more excited than the moment I typed the
final sentence to the first draft of my novel. There is a tremendous sense of
accomplishment there. I think writing in general is exciting, to see your
imagination create these characters and situations and to have other people
experience this with you. I just love every bit of it.
What’s the most frustrating thing about writing for you?
Not having enough time to do it.
What’s the best piece of feedback that you’ve had from your
audience?
People seem to talk about my attention to detail more than
anything else, positively and negatively. I love descriptive language and I
want to give the reader the opportunity to experience everything
that is happening with all of their senses. However, this can be a bad
thing as it can really slow the story down. So, I try to cut
out excessive descriptive passages whenever I can. It’s just so hard to do!
Do you write for a particular audience, or is your first
priority to satisfy your own creativity?
I am always cognizant of my audience while writing, but I
don’t try to cater to a specific type of reader. I get so deeply involved in
the creation process that it is difficult sometimes to step away from it and
look at it through someone else’s eyes. But I will always try to have my fiancé
or someone I know read a first draft to make sure I haven’t stayed completely
in my own little world with no regard for keeping the reader’s attention. My
fiancé can be brutally honest and I actually had to cut an entire chapter out
of my novel because it droned on with an inner monologue that bored her to
tears.
Do you have a homepage? If so, what’s the URL?
For the novel - www.thegoodistandon.com
My author site - www.davidtucholski.com
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