Ask the Author: Colin Gigl
Answered Questions (6)
Colin Gigl
Thanks very much! I'm always happy to hear that someone enjoyed the book.
So, as far as a sequel goes, that's a great question and unfortunately there's not too much I can share on this. To give you some answer, though, I don't think one is likely any time soon. FERRYMAN just didn't do well enough from a sales perspective. A couple years from now (when I have a little more free time), I may try to pursue self-publishing it as I would very much like to finish the story, but right now I'm just trying to get my writing back out there.
I very much appreciate the support though!
So, as far as a sequel goes, that's a great question and unfortunately there's not too much I can share on this. To give you some answer, though, I don't think one is likely any time soon. FERRYMAN just didn't do well enough from a sales perspective. A couple years from now (when I have a little more free time), I may try to pursue self-publishing it as I would very much like to finish the story, but right now I'm just trying to get my writing back out there.
I very much appreciate the support though!
Colin Gigl
Great question. Most definitely. I've been working on other books (yes, plural), it's just that publishing can be... complicated. Hopefully I'll have news to share sometime in the near future.
Colin Gigl
Hey Victoria—
Thank you so much for the kind words. As someone new to the whole "author" thing, it really means a lot, and I appreciate you spreading the word! Hopefully there will be a sequel one day, as there's one more story I'd like to tell there (if the end didn't make that perfectly clear), but we shall see.
Great question: the world came in bits and pieces, to be honest. The weird truth about this story is that there’s a hidden (at least, I hope hidden) autobiographical core to it, and that’s sort of what the book is built around. Specifically, the question “What would you do if you wanted to kill yourself, but couldn’t?”, which is where Charlie came from — the irony of someone who helps the dead but can’t be dead himself. The title actually came next, which was lucky in the sense that it was evocative enough to play around with but still have sources to draw from.
I’ve always liked the idea of twisting established stories and myths a bit — a “familiar but new” thing, I guess — and so the world sprung up around the mythology of Charon, the Ferryman (Easter Egg: “Charles Ronald Dawson”, “Charles Ronald”, “Cha Ron”, “Charon”… Yeah, not very clever, I know, but I did it). That led to the idea of “psychopomps”, those who guide the souls of the dead to the afterlife, and from there it was just messing around with stories and characters I liked and trying to make them a bit more my own.
Sorry for the long answer, but hope that makes some semblance of sense. Thanks again for the fantastic question and hope our reader/writer paths cross again soon!
Thank you so much for the kind words. As someone new to the whole "author" thing, it really means a lot, and I appreciate you spreading the word! Hopefully there will be a sequel one day, as there's one more story I'd like to tell there (if the end didn't make that perfectly clear), but we shall see.
Great question: the world came in bits and pieces, to be honest. The weird truth about this story is that there’s a hidden (at least, I hope hidden) autobiographical core to it, and that’s sort of what the book is built around. Specifically, the question “What would you do if you wanted to kill yourself, but couldn’t?”, which is where Charlie came from — the irony of someone who helps the dead but can’t be dead himself. The title actually came next, which was lucky in the sense that it was evocative enough to play around with but still have sources to draw from.
I’ve always liked the idea of twisting established stories and myths a bit — a “familiar but new” thing, I guess — and so the world sprung up around the mythology of Charon, the Ferryman (Easter Egg: “Charles Ronald Dawson”, “Charles Ronald”, “Cha Ron”, “Charon”… Yeah, not very clever, I know, but I did it). That led to the idea of “psychopomps”, those who guide the souls of the dead to the afterlife, and from there it was just messing around with stories and characters I liked and trying to make them a bit more my own.
Sorry for the long answer, but hope that makes some semblance of sense. Thanks again for the fantastic question and hope our reader/writer paths cross again soon!
Colin Gigl
Thank you! There's been a lot of ups and downs about the whole process of releasing a book into the world, but I have to say, messages like this really make it worth it. I'm really glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for spreading the word!
Colin Gigl
Thanks so much, Tracy, I'm very glad to hear you enjoyed it. Honestly, question or not, I'll gladly take feedback like that anytime. Also, for what it's worth, I think Alex Trebek would be very proud of your phrasing.
Feel free to rate the book and share it with your friends. Thanks again!
Feel free to rate the book and share it with your friends. Thanks again!
Colin Gigl
That's a great question. I'm going to be deliberately and annoyingly noncommittal and say that I'm really just trying to survive this first one. As a debut author, I think a lot depends on that. But hopefully things go well with it, as I'd love another opportunity to put out more work in the future.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more