Ask the Author: Patrick Michael Murphy
Answered Questions (9)
Patrick Michael Murphy
Mary Kate Danaher and Sean Thornton, The Quiet Man. Because they come from a different time, she very much held by tradition, him, quite brash, but truly a gentleman and willing to prove it. There is a magic between them that is very real.
Patrick Michael Murphy
Hi Elaine!
Thank you for your interest in Italy, My Travels With Chief: Our Not So Ordinary Vacation.
Our journey was in Northern Italy. San Gimignano (a wonderful medieval town) in Tuscany was our southern-most spot. We somewhat explored a swath from Venice and the Dolomite Mountains north of that fabulous city, over to the western coast and Cinque Terre. Next time we will head south in the country... just because!
I would have to say my favorite place on the trip was the little mountain town of Zorzoi. My grandfather, Casimiro, and his family came from there, and I wanted dearly to visit the land of my Italian heritage. It was a moving, educational, experience. For hiking, the serrated, vertical Dolomites were incredible. And the little Roman town of Asolo was like a dream. Finally, our Italian host, Agnese, did so much for us, it was truly heartwarming.
Thank you for writing. I hope you enjoy the book, and I look forward to your thoughts on it.
Good for you, living in such a magical country... what an adventure!
Patrick
Thank you for your interest in Italy, My Travels With Chief: Our Not So Ordinary Vacation.
Our journey was in Northern Italy. San Gimignano (a wonderful medieval town) in Tuscany was our southern-most spot. We somewhat explored a swath from Venice and the Dolomite Mountains north of that fabulous city, over to the western coast and Cinque Terre. Next time we will head south in the country... just because!
I would have to say my favorite place on the trip was the little mountain town of Zorzoi. My grandfather, Casimiro, and his family came from there, and I wanted dearly to visit the land of my Italian heritage. It was a moving, educational, experience. For hiking, the serrated, vertical Dolomites were incredible. And the little Roman town of Asolo was like a dream. Finally, our Italian host, Agnese, did so much for us, it was truly heartwarming.
Thank you for writing. I hope you enjoy the book, and I look forward to your thoughts on it.
Good for you, living in such a magical country... what an adventure!
Patrick
Patrick Michael Murphy
Hi Kathleen... thank you for reading Across The Desperate Miles and writing to me. Yes, you may use quotes for the purpose you state, whether you like those passages or not. :)
Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have, and again, thank you for going along on the journey with Kera and Rand.
Patrick
Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have, and again, thank you for going along on the journey with Kera and Rand.
Patrick
Patrick Michael Murphy
I am not sure I have ever had writer's block. Life is very deep, and full, and it presents so much to consider, to feel, to participate in. I see aspects every day I would like to write about. And do. When on a specific project, such as the novel I am currently writing, I try not to judge too critically what I've put on paper. I know I will go back in an edit and make changes. For me, editing is writing. Rewriting is writing. It's all part of a process and each step holds good energy for me. If something doesn't feel right, I stop and look at it, say it aloud, feel my way into a better expression, if I can. Otherwise, I move ahead... keep going.
My issue is not so much that I "suffer" from a blockage, but rather the knowledge that I lack the talent, the ability to artfully convey what I feel, or think I see, in my mind's eye. Now THAT is frustrating. To lack the words, the power, the vision to say what you want to say in a way that you feel truly gets it, hammers it, that is a humbling and disappointing moment. And they seem to keep coming! And so, perfection cannot be the total aim. We do the best we can do. Hopefully readers will enjoy it, understand it, and take the journey with you.
Letting something breathe for a time is a very powerful medicine. I have let drafts sit on the shelf for years before they finally show me what is needed, or I learn what I need to learn in order to put it together. Some just never get finished.
If you feel blocked, relax. Move forward. Go on vacation or have a new experience, or simply one you love and haven't done for awhile. Find a new perspective. Maybe that will help.
Writing teaches me. It has taught me my limitations, and that many others will not appreciate what I thought was art, or clear communication, or an epiphany, if you will. It has taught me about myself, what kind of person I am, and am not. It has also taught me about the world around me and the people in it. I wouldn't trade away my writing experience, even though it is not always easy.
My issue is not so much that I "suffer" from a blockage, but rather the knowledge that I lack the talent, the ability to artfully convey what I feel, or think I see, in my mind's eye. Now THAT is frustrating. To lack the words, the power, the vision to say what you want to say in a way that you feel truly gets it, hammers it, that is a humbling and disappointing moment. And they seem to keep coming! And so, perfection cannot be the total aim. We do the best we can do. Hopefully readers will enjoy it, understand it, and take the journey with you.
Letting something breathe for a time is a very powerful medicine. I have let drafts sit on the shelf for years before they finally show me what is needed, or I learn what I need to learn in order to put it together. Some just never get finished.
If you feel blocked, relax. Move forward. Go on vacation or have a new experience, or simply one you love and haven't done for awhile. Find a new perspective. Maybe that will help.
Writing teaches me. It has taught me my limitations, and that many others will not appreciate what I thought was art, or clear communication, or an epiphany, if you will. It has taught me about myself, what kind of person I am, and am not. It has also taught me about the world around me and the people in it. I wouldn't trade away my writing experience, even though it is not always easy.
Patrick Michael Murphy
I am currently writing a contemporary novel. It's occurs in New York and Alaska with a large influence of the Native cultures of the Arctic Circle region. The Iditarod Sled Dog Race also plays as part of the backdrop. It's a story of self realization and survival I feel readers can relate with even as they are amazed by the setting and its inhabitants.
Patrick Michael Murphy
Writing gives me an opportunity to let loose the creative aspect of mind and soul. It allows me to travel deeply into the experience of living... the awe, the fear, the magic, the grief, the joy... and questions.
It allows me to communicate, express, on a level many people are not comfortable with in person.
It allows me to communicate, express, on a level many people are not comfortable with in person.
Patrick Michael Murphy
Write. Some people need to think less and write more. I meet people all the time who come up with a lot of reasons they cannot start writing, or get past a certain point in a story. Stop thinking. Write. Write everything that bubbles up out of your subconscious. Let it flow. Bleed, fume, laugh, cry, shout, fight, cringe, praise, and fight your way onto the page. Tell us YOUR story. You can edit later. Don't worry if it's perfect (it never will be) or if it's what you originally envisioned (it likely won't be) or if some new character takes off with your manuscript (happens all the time) or if you think people will hate you, want you, want to kill you, laugh at you, look down on you, or marry you... You are the creator and nobody's judgement matters more than yours. Live everything you've got into that word, that sentence, that paragraph, then do it some more.
Patrick Michael Murphy
Hi Nancy, thank you for writing and reading "A Forest A River and me." I can't say more about Max as I wouldn't want to give away details for those who haven't yet finished the story. Yes, the best office in the world is definitely by a river loaded with wildlife, and cool water on a hot day! Black bear are plentiful in the North Idaho region, so you can see them regularly, but grizzlies are down to only a handful, due to loss of habitat and increasing pressure from humans.
Patrick Michael Murphy
My most recent book, A Forest A River and me, came from my experience of moving into wilderness, building a cabin, and seeking a simpler life. Truly, I wanted to record my experiences so that I might later reflect, and save them as part of the treasures of my life. As time progressed, I also saw a natural story emerging that I thought might interest others as well.
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