Ask the Author: Shane McIntire
Answered Questions (7)
Shane McIntire
Middle-Earth. I would visit with Tom Bombadil, venture to the peaks of the Misty Mountains, see the Shire, and you know, do tourist stuff. George R. R. Martin and Peter S. Beagle put it much more poetically than I ever could and said everything I could ever want to say about it. I would highly recommend reading Beagle's (now-standard) introduction to the Lord of the Rings ("Let us at last praise the colonizers of dreams.") and listen to Martin's explanation of why we love fantasy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hJhm...).
If they do not make you homesick for a place you've never been, then I feel sorry for you, as nothing ever will.
If they do not make you homesick for a place you've never been, then I feel sorry for you, as nothing ever will.
Shane McIntire
I don't want to say too much here (as I don't want to jinx it!), but I will give a preview of what's to come. The novel I am currently writing is Lovecraftian in nature, taking us into the depths of another plane of reality where one girl is battling the darkness and ungodly beings to save her the life of her father, who has disappeared mysteriously from their home after researching some ancient tomes once thought lost to time.
The novel, I hope, will be allegorical of a depressive episode all the while showing the depths that people fall to and how they try to come out the other side, forever changed but hopefully, still alive.
The novel, I hope, will be allegorical of a depressive episode all the while showing the depths that people fall to and how they try to come out the other side, forever changed but hopefully, still alive.
Shane McIntire
Creating art with words, crafting worlds and exploring the depths of darkness all from inside your own mind.
Shane McIntire
Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all profound piece of advice I could give here. Always be perceptive to your own thoughts and surroundings. Take your inspiration from there. As I said in a previous answer, I used to be a security guard. No one wants to read a book about a security guard. Now if that security guard gets caught up in a plot to hide a dead body, only to find himself ensnared by reality bending nightmares reminding him of his sins... Well, then, now it sounds like you have something.
Once a good idea comes along and takes hold of me, I can't turn it off. From that moment, I have to begin chipping away at my work, no matter what, whether it's 200 words or 2,000 of them. When I sit down, initially, I'll start brainstorming and making notes on the project to make as well as leaving enough time to make sure it is something I truly want to pursue.
Once I know I want to continue writing the work, I will take a seat in front of the keyboard, crank up the rock music (usually Chris Cornell, my idol) and starting writing.
Once a good idea comes along and takes hold of me, I can't turn it off. From that moment, I have to begin chipping away at my work, no matter what, whether it's 200 words or 2,000 of them. When I sit down, initially, I'll start brainstorming and making notes on the project to make as well as leaving enough time to make sure it is something I truly want to pursue.
Once I know I want to continue writing the work, I will take a seat in front of the keyboard, crank up the rock music (usually Chris Cornell, my idol) and starting writing.
Shane McIntire
I had always wanted to write a book about the psychological state of the mind that follows guilt. We are all human and we all make mistakes. And sometimes we have darker thoughts, flashes of anger included. Have you ever had someone cut you off in traffic and feel that sudden flash of anger? Or hear of a friend or family member being hurt by a significant other? What would happen if you made a terrible mistake in one of those moments and got away with it?
Would your conscience let you off the hook?
In essence, that is where The Graveyard on the Hill came from.
And on one of those latter notes is where the theme of domestic abuse came from. I studied criminal justice in college and in policing courses we examined the state of domestic abuse in the U.S.
I was greatly disturbed by the extremity of the issue, and as I say in the foreward of the Graveyard on the Hill, it is an issue that affects a vast number of people, regardless of race, gender, religion or ethnicity.
One of my central characters, Molly, is the victim of extreme verbal and physical abuse and one night, when she had enough, she killed her abusive, scumbag husband in self-defense.
Yet no matter how justified we are, the lights inevitably fade and we are still haunted by our actions.
I worked as a security guard, as one my other characters James does and found myself in situations where I wasn't comfortable with what I was doing and was forced to take actions that sometimes still come back to me in dreams.
While I never hurt anyone, I can only imagine, that no matter how justified, those who have taken a life must feel.
That's what I've tried to cover here, as well as bringing light to the seriousness of domestic abuse in my own writing.
I hope I have accomplished that much, if nothing else.
Would your conscience let you off the hook?
In essence, that is where The Graveyard on the Hill came from.
And on one of those latter notes is where the theme of domestic abuse came from. I studied criminal justice in college and in policing courses we examined the state of domestic abuse in the U.S.
I was greatly disturbed by the extremity of the issue, and as I say in the foreward of the Graveyard on the Hill, it is an issue that affects a vast number of people, regardless of race, gender, religion or ethnicity.
One of my central characters, Molly, is the victim of extreme verbal and physical abuse and one night, when she had enough, she killed her abusive, scumbag husband in self-defense.
Yet no matter how justified we are, the lights inevitably fade and we are still haunted by our actions.
I worked as a security guard, as one my other characters James does and found myself in situations where I wasn't comfortable with what I was doing and was forced to take actions that sometimes still come back to me in dreams.
While I never hurt anyone, I can only imagine, that no matter how justified, those who have taken a life must feel.
That's what I've tried to cover here, as well as bringing light to the seriousness of domestic abuse in my own writing.
I hope I have accomplished that much, if nothing else.
Shane McIntire
Put pen to paper and let the muse take over. Don't think too much or over complicate things. Always write for yourself and let the words flow easily. If you think about the consequences of your prose, your writing will be become disingenuous and your readers will know. Write for yourself, always and if others check it out, dig it and decide to stick around, that's cool too, but don't go out of your way or think about what others will say, be they friends, family or fans.
And never stop writing. Word by word, day by day. It is a slow and arduous process, but never give up, take the right risks, and you'll make it.
Also, don't wait for an invitation to write. I've heard way too many people say that they want to finish their degree or "for the right opportunity" to come along. Here's my suggestion; the "right opportunity" never comes.
The only opportunities in the business of writing are made by those who took that first step, putting pen to paper. Keep on writing and when you get to the next step.
Remain persistent and vigilant.
And never stop writing. Word by word, day by day. It is a slow and arduous process, but never give up, take the right risks, and you'll make it.
Also, don't wait for an invitation to write. I've heard way too many people say that they want to finish their degree or "for the right opportunity" to come along. Here's my suggestion; the "right opportunity" never comes.
The only opportunities in the business of writing are made by those who took that first step, putting pen to paper. Keep on writing and when you get to the next step.
Remain persistent and vigilant.
Shane McIntire
As Ray Bradbury once wrote in his book "Zen in the Art of Writing," it is best never to chase an idea, but rather to let the idea chase you. When I sit to write, I try to ensure that I get (at least) 2,000 words a day as my personal quota. However, with this in mind, sometimes the words are simply not there, and the more you try to force your creativity the more you damage your own productivity. When I sit down and the words aren't there, I don't pursue. I simply get up, turn off the word processor and walk away. Maybe I'll read a book, or go for a walk outside, pursue a hobby, anything but stare at a blank page. Eventually (and more times than not), the words will come back to me, and usually sooner rather than later.
Now, if I have a deadline to make, things are a bit different. I will try to move ahead within a project, or take a step back to editing a part that's already been written or brainstorming a scene to come. If you have an idea for something yet to come, open a new word document and try writing the future scene. So long as you are doing something to push yourself forward, it's all baby steps and that is okay.
Like the Stephen King said when asked about how he writes: "One word at a time, man."
Now, if I have a deadline to make, things are a bit different. I will try to move ahead within a project, or take a step back to editing a part that's already been written or brainstorming a scene to come. If you have an idea for something yet to come, open a new word document and try writing the future scene. So long as you are doing something to push yourself forward, it's all baby steps and that is okay.
Like the Stephen King said when asked about how he writes: "One word at a time, man."
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