Ask the Author: Simon Mustoe
Answered Questions (6)
Simon Mustoe
Go with your gut instinct. Don't listen to the nay-sayers. Stick with what you believe. If your message is strong and you truly believe in it, then you are the best person to write it down. Anyone can be an author.
Simon Mustoe
The best thing is discovering when someone else has thought the same thing and your words have made it real. Conservation is full of scepticism and negativity ... it doesn't have to be that way. Most people are compassionate, optimistic and understand more than they realise about how the world works. It's awesome when they realise they are right to feel the way they do!
Simon Mustoe
I don't really get writer's block. I get periods of time where science doesn't enthral me. Much of the science I read is so doom-saying. A lot of it doesn't recognise the power of animals. I go through periods where there seems to be a dearth of any stories about wildlife and everything is consumed by climate change messaging. Then all at once something peaks through and I'm inspired again. I wrote three blog articles last week!
Simon Mustoe
I always have my blog. There are a couple of ideas I have for books that are in the back of my mind. One is on the powerful areas where oceans collide. The other is on the impact of various animals on nature. Mostly I want to do a kids' book based on 'Wildlife in the Balance' as I think the story is quite simple and would appeal to a young audience looking for hope.
Simon Mustoe
It can come from anywhere but it usually comes from other people's enthusiasm for nature. A question someone asks me, either after an experience we have together, or something I see online. It's usually a simple question that I cannot help but think about. Like the other day when someone's son asked 'Why don't plants have brains'. I thought ... aha, I can answer that!
Simon Mustoe
It's been 30 years in the making really. It was about 10 years ago that I started to ponder the question 'why do animals matter?' It's the ultimate unanswered question. There was a moment of epiphany that I speak about in my book (no spoilers here) and I sat down once-and-for-all to tackle the question. It turned out to be one of the most cathartic things I've ever done as an ecologist.
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