Ask the Author: Gianluca Cameron
Answered Questions (9)
Gianluca Cameron
My debut novella Utopia (which I definitely have become more critical of in my mind over the years) was originally a concept for a cartoon I had in my head. I feel that this origin impacted it a little negatively. I think I thought of things too visually.
Gianluca Cameron
YOU KNOW IT'S BLACK!! - a book about a world where there are anthro furry animals and human people. That's all I'll say at the moment.
Gianluca Cameron
Other books, walking in the park, music, plays, conversations with friends, films. Sometimes I put music on when I'm trying to write, sometimes I engage in aleatoric techniques to influence my work. You just kinda write when you can. Thing is, this mode of working is a little slow and I likely will never have the attention span to make a doorstopper. Sometimes, you just can't write or you have nothing but bad ideas. But overall, writer's block is silly. Logic, chance and intuition are very propulsive elements.
Gianluca Cameron
Expressing where you're at mentally at a particular moment in time and having people engage with that in an honest manner. Having people come up with alternate interpretations that you didn't think of. Making a wholly separate object neither I nor the reader can fully grasp. Confusing people.
Gianluca Cameron
I like this material world far too much. Besides, what would exercising power or accruing resources in an alternate world do for me? That's assuming I don't immediately die from the overarching source of conflict in the narrative exercising its power.
Gianluca Cameron
The time I hallucinated not drinking milk from the top closet in nursery and abruptly awoke when people were coming back into the class.
Gianluca Cameron
write sentences that sound good
avoid using the same word too often in the same general area
writer's block is for cowards. just have something cool happen when you're stuck
read and watch a wide variety of stuff. don't just read literature, non-fiction and playscripts are also fantastic
never get too married to a certain story structure. there are many different kinds all over the world, not just the kinds talked about in seminars
don't beat yourself up if you go a long period not writing because of grave sadness. at the end of the day, the motivation to work should be there. work when you can work
avoid saying things that sound true but aren't
avoid using the same word too often in the same general area
writer's block is for cowards. just have something cool happen when you're stuck
read and watch a wide variety of stuff. don't just read literature, non-fiction and playscripts are also fantastic
never get too married to a certain story structure. there are many different kinds all over the world, not just the kinds talked about in seminars
don't beat yourself up if you go a long period not writing because of grave sadness. at the end of the day, the motivation to work should be there. work when you can work
avoid saying things that sound true but aren't
Gianluca Cameron
Thank you for the question, Samantha. Non-binary is a subject that I am interested in and the "Second Sexism" book shares an author with "Better Never to Have Been" which is written by South African philosopher David Benatar. The latter book details his controversial anti-natalist philosophy where he assigns a negative value to being brought into existence and argues for the extinction of all life. I am interested in pessimistic philosophy and that is about as pessimistic as you can get. I do believe that individual people can be sexist toward men but I don't necessarily think it is a widespread or major social issue (I do think circumcision at birth is wrong, though). Perhaps Benatar will change my mind. In regards to non-binary, it is a concept that is hotly debated and seems to me like an interesting idea/experience to explore.
In regards to the religious aspect, I am interested in the occult and got offered a free Bible by a Christian society at university.
I thought "How could I turn down a free Bible?"
So I didn't. Satanism appears to be this weird mix between self-help, philosophy and anti-theism. Due to its unique nature, I was attracted to it although I must confess I have not at this point read any Satanist texts.
In regards to politics, I am somewhat left-wing and am currently reading the Communist Manifesto so I suspect I will have more sympathies with that manifesto than the Anarcho-Capitalist one. It was the opposition of Ayn Rand to commonly held cultural beliefs about altruism that attracted me to read some essays from her. From what I have read, not that big a fan. Still, I did at one point inspect and lurk around in certain radically libertarian online spaces due to this seeming opposition to the moral norm.
I am under no delusion that I will read all of these works within my lifetime. Some I will read, some I will put off forever and never have the pleasure of gazing upon them. That is life and that is also my weakness. In a sense, it is just works I would maybe like to read at some point because they seem quite interesting to me. Sorry, if the answer's vague or contradictory but that is all there is to it.
In regards to the occult, I sought a greater understanding of the symbols I often cribbed for my stories. A dash of "symbolism" here and there. But there's also the fact that the idea of symbols/thoughts having a direct effect on reality is intriguing.
I never thought that I would receive a Goodreads question from the author/developer of Oracle of Tao. Needless to say, I am also intrigued by your work and would love to play the game/read the book at some point. Although, maybe I'll die before then. I don't know. Again, not making any promises.
In regards to the religious aspect, I am interested in the occult and got offered a free Bible by a Christian society at university.
I thought "How could I turn down a free Bible?"
So I didn't. Satanism appears to be this weird mix between self-help, philosophy and anti-theism. Due to its unique nature, I was attracted to it although I must confess I have not at this point read any Satanist texts.
In regards to politics, I am somewhat left-wing and am currently reading the Communist Manifesto so I suspect I will have more sympathies with that manifesto than the Anarcho-Capitalist one. It was the opposition of Ayn Rand to commonly held cultural beliefs about altruism that attracted me to read some essays from her. From what I have read, not that big a fan. Still, I did at one point inspect and lurk around in certain radically libertarian online spaces due to this seeming opposition to the moral norm.
I am under no delusion that I will read all of these works within my lifetime. Some I will read, some I will put off forever and never have the pleasure of gazing upon them. That is life and that is also my weakness. In a sense, it is just works I would maybe like to read at some point because they seem quite interesting to me. Sorry, if the answer's vague or contradictory but that is all there is to it.
In regards to the occult, I sought a greater understanding of the symbols I often cribbed for my stories. A dash of "symbolism" here and there. But there's also the fact that the idea of symbols/thoughts having a direct effect on reality is intriguing.
I never thought that I would receive a Goodreads question from the author/developer of Oracle of Tao. Needless to say, I am also intrigued by your work and would love to play the game/read the book at some point. Although, maybe I'll die before then. I don't know. Again, not making any promises.
Gianluca Cameron
It's usually not a problem I struggle with for long. I simply consider either what would logically happen next or jam in an unrelated idea that I think is cool. If I feel as if a plotline is ending earlier than intended, I let it resolve itself and begin a new one after it has ended. Usually, I either end up reaching a point where I could keep writing indefinitely and so end it when I feel that I have gone on long enough or ending the story abruptly because I feel I have done everything I need to with the story's concept.
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