Ask the Author: Evan J. Corbin
Answered Questions (5)
Evan J. Corbin
Currently, I'm working to market my first novel. I'm learning new things about the industry every day. There are so many tools to master. I experiment with things and see if they work. Most of all, I love connecting with the readers and hearing what they think about the work itself. Eventually, I want to write a sequel. The first book sets the stage for what comes next. Rick's journey throughout the first novel leads him to embrace his identity as a gay man. Gay men know that's just the start the real adventure that follows. We struggle with internalized shame and seek out validation, only to eventually realize that the things we use for validation don't always truly help. Alan Downs writes about this in his book, The Velvet Rage. I recommend it to any gay man who can read. It's a road map for being gay in a world that doesn't give us the acceptance we seek. It's also a clue into how Rick's character may continue to evolve in the future.
Evan J. Corbin
I’ve always been inspired by big questions that don’t have easy answers. Writing fiction is a fun way to explore those questions and, hopefully, get closer to underlying truth.
Evan J. Corbin
I lean in to writer’s block. If I write my characters into a puzzle I can’t solve, I know I’m on the right track. Some of my most inventive and creative writing seems to come from giving deliberation to those challenges and having inspiration after a few days. I think this results in more satisfying reading with plot twists and unexpected solutions.
Evan J. Corbin
If you asked me a year ago, I’d say it was the art of writing itself--world building and artful attempts at weaving symbolism into a plot to give it depth. Now, I’d change my answer. I was delighted to appreciate having people read it, knowing it made them laugh or fall in love with a character. Hearing how the story impacted them and learning that it took on meaning for them I never intended or saw myself is absolutely the best part.
Evan J. Corbin
I considered what would happen if an old copy of a Gospel were found and Jesus ministered to homosexuals and found no sin in the love they had for one another. How would that change society, particularly fundamentalist Christians who've long held contrary beliefs? The idea snowballed. Perhaps LGBTQ individuals would have greater standing in a society that now seeks to atone for their past transgressions. Naturally, not everyone would share the same belief. How would the LGBTQ community itself react? Would everyone in our community embrace change if it meant they would be assimilated by society and loose sacred LGBTQ spaces that defined the community? What would happen when Christian faith traditions liberalize their doctrine? Would every member of each community necessarily even benefit in the way we may expect?
Writing Atonement Camp for Unrepentant Homophobes was the perfect laboratory to explore those questions and more. The atonement camp itself is intended to socialize society’s most recalcitrant homophobes with LGBTQ individuals and our culture. At first, I thought the camp may take the form of a restorative justice model, somewhat similar to the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission established at the end of apartheid. Instead, I thought it would be more appropriate to recognize that many of society’s most homophobic men are just self-hating, closeted gay individuals. This being the case, such individuals would need to atone to themselves just as much as they would to their victims.
The novel also explores religious hypocrisy. Even if Jesus never actual ministered to homosexuals, would He not still command us to love one another in the same way? Readers will hopefully not see aspects of the plot as antagonistic to the Christian faith, only challenging those who use the faith as a means to advance agendas contrary to the forgiveness, love, and redemption Christianity teaches.
Writing Atonement Camp for Unrepentant Homophobes was the perfect laboratory to explore those questions and more. The atonement camp itself is intended to socialize society’s most recalcitrant homophobes with LGBTQ individuals and our culture. At first, I thought the camp may take the form of a restorative justice model, somewhat similar to the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission established at the end of apartheid. Instead, I thought it would be more appropriate to recognize that many of society’s most homophobic men are just self-hating, closeted gay individuals. This being the case, such individuals would need to atone to themselves just as much as they would to their victims.
The novel also explores religious hypocrisy. Even if Jesus never actual ministered to homosexuals, would He not still command us to love one another in the same way? Readers will hopefully not see aspects of the plot as antagonistic to the Christian faith, only challenging those who use the faith as a means to advance agendas contrary to the forgiveness, love, and redemption Christianity teaches.
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