Ask the Author: Ramsey Hootman
Answered Questions (6)
Ramsey Hootman
I'm working on it!
Ramsey Hootman
Hey Rimple! I'm glad you enjoyed Courting Greta! I know said in a previous answered question that I was working on a Courting Greta sequel, and I absolutely am, but it is currently on hold while I work on another project. I'm really bad at estimating how long things are going to take, but I will say that in September both of my children will finally be in school and I'll be writing full time for the first time in a decade - which should definitely translate into more books!
In the meantime, Samuel does have a role as a secondary character in my other book, Surviving Cyril! I hope you'll check it out.
In the meantime, Samuel does have a role as a secondary character in my other book, Surviving Cyril! I hope you'll check it out.
Ramsey Hootman
Ask and ye shall receive! Both are short stories I wrote in college, both printed in minor periodicals which are now defunct. I put them up on Kindle a few years ago as a promotional thing, but I felt like it was kind of weird to sell individual short stories. Anyhow, I believe I just re-activated them and they should go live again in a day or two. Once that happens I can make them "free" for a few days... I'll come back and let you know when that happens.
Also, thank you for your lovely reviews! I'm extremely flattered and I'm glad my books found their way to you!
Also, thank you for your lovely reviews! I'm extremely flattered and I'm glad my books found their way to you!
Ramsey Hootman
Yes! I'm working on another project "starring" Sam & Greta right now! Hoping to wrap that up this summer. In the meantime, Samuel appears as a secondary character in my newest book, Surviving Cyril. :)
Ramsey Hootman
My publisher retains the rights for a standard audiobook, so I have no control over when or if that happens! There is, however, a talking book version available via the library for the blind for those who have access. I was able to listen to it, and it was wonderful!
Ramsey Hootman
This is the one question I get asked more than any other - and it's the hardest to answer. I feel like people want to know if I'm disabled, or if I've had a close relationship with someone who is, along with some inspiring story. The answer is no on both counts.
Honestly, I think it's looking through the lens in the wrong direction. I'd ask: why are protagonists with disabilities so freaking hard to come by? And why are representations of people with disabilities in contemporary media either non-existent or totally inaccurate? My job as a writer is to get into someone else's head. Writing from the point of view of an elf or an astronaut isn't a big deal. But a person with a disability? Outrageous! Ha. People are people. Writing a book is basically just asking the question, "Under this set of circumstances, how would this person react?"
But I realize that's not really a satisfying answer, and given that our culture DOES "other" people with disabilities, it remains a valid question. So here's a bunch of semi-answers which might add up to a more satisfying conclusion:
- If I don't see what I want to read on the bookshelves, I write it. To me, Courting Greta is much more of a critique of our collective cultural ideas about romance and love than it is about a disabled guy. I like to call it my personal "fuck you" to the Romance genre. (Pardon my language.)
- When I see something wrong, I want to fix it. I have had friends who are wheelchair users, and I worked as an assistant to a couple of blind guys. It was obvious to me that one of the biggest hurdles faced by people with significant physical disabilities is not the disability itself, but other people's (often completely absurd) assumptions about what their lives must be like. I mean, look in the comments of any news story about someone with quadriplegia and you'll see pages of "Oh my God, if that ever happens to me, just shoot me." Really? Lose X set of physical functions and life becomes completely worthless? That's our culture's attitude towards disability.
- When I get interested in a topic, I get REALLY interested. Like obsessive-level. My mom is a nurse, so I've always been interested in medical stuff, and my dad is a carpenter, so I've always been interested in how things work, physically. Disability plus adaptive technology hits that sweet spot between medicine and craft.
- My idea of romance has always been... unconventional.
And now I've written a novel to explain my novel. Thanks for the question; sorry for the excessively verbose reply!
Honestly, I think it's looking through the lens in the wrong direction. I'd ask: why are protagonists with disabilities so freaking hard to come by? And why are representations of people with disabilities in contemporary media either non-existent or totally inaccurate? My job as a writer is to get into someone else's head. Writing from the point of view of an elf or an astronaut isn't a big deal. But a person with a disability? Outrageous! Ha. People are people. Writing a book is basically just asking the question, "Under this set of circumstances, how would this person react?"
But I realize that's not really a satisfying answer, and given that our culture DOES "other" people with disabilities, it remains a valid question. So here's a bunch of semi-answers which might add up to a more satisfying conclusion:
- If I don't see what I want to read on the bookshelves, I write it. To me, Courting Greta is much more of a critique of our collective cultural ideas about romance and love than it is about a disabled guy. I like to call it my personal "fuck you" to the Romance genre. (Pardon my language.)
- When I see something wrong, I want to fix it. I have had friends who are wheelchair users, and I worked as an assistant to a couple of blind guys. It was obvious to me that one of the biggest hurdles faced by people with significant physical disabilities is not the disability itself, but other people's (often completely absurd) assumptions about what their lives must be like. I mean, look in the comments of any news story about someone with quadriplegia and you'll see pages of "Oh my God, if that ever happens to me, just shoot me." Really? Lose X set of physical functions and life becomes completely worthless? That's our culture's attitude towards disability.
- When I get interested in a topic, I get REALLY interested. Like obsessive-level. My mom is a nurse, so I've always been interested in medical stuff, and my dad is a carpenter, so I've always been interested in how things work, physically. Disability plus adaptive technology hits that sweet spot between medicine and craft.
- My idea of romance has always been... unconventional.
And now I've written a novel to explain my novel. Thanks for the question; sorry for the excessively verbose reply!
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