Bookaddict24-7 Welcomes: Brooks Benjamin!
Welcome to Interview Fridays!
Today I have writer and friend, Brooks Benjamin!
I am also super excited to read his novel-in-the-works, which is currently on my to-read list!
Currently in the final editing stages of his first novel, a middle grade adventure, Brooks shows his dedication to the written word through his witty responses and entertaining presence!
Brooks has also written several guest reviews for my blog. You can check out the links to the reviews and Brooks's presence online at the end of the interview!
Born in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, I was raised by wolves and learned at a very early age that survival comes at a very weighty cost.
Of course, by wolves I mean my parents and by survival I mean having two older sisters and one older brother.
Luckily, I also had a bit of an imagination.
My love for writing began at a very early age and quickly evolved into a love for all things creative. Soon I added drawing, musical composition, and filmmaking to my list of artistic passions. I’ve written quite a few scripts, some short, some feature-length, and have had the fortune to be able to see many of them off as they go into production.
Jackie and I both currently teach in Tennessee where we live with our 75 pound daughter, LeeLoo, a sweet and severely demented German Shepherd mix.
1. Aside from the MG novel you've finished, what other formats do you write in? Can you tell us a bit about the other formats you've written in?
“I've recently started 2 other projects. Another MG (horror) and a YA (sci-fi/dystopian-ish) novel.
Every now and then I'll write a bit of poetry (yikes!), and I write a lot of short fiction. I've written many screenplays and still write them when I have the time. I've heard my latest screenplay is supposed to go into production next summer, but working in the entertainment industry always requires one to take news with a grain of salt.”
2. What's your reading style?
It's funny because my wife can sit down and absorb three novels in a single evening and she'll hand me one she thinks I'll like which means it ends up going under a stack of 10 other books she's handed me.
I do want to say here that I can read fast, I suppose, but I really enjoy taking my time with a book. I like to chew on every word and when a book's really great it can take me even longer to read because of it. It's like sipping a fine wine, but the book jackets never taste as good.”
3. What's one of your quirkiest traits as a writer?
“I can't write unless I have coffee in one of my 2 favorite mugs.
They're both Ug Mugs and they make coffee taste better. They also have faces so I like to pretend they're listening to me as I throw ideas around. They don't though. Because they're coffee mugs.
I'm also really bad at coming up with titles. My current MG book is called "Eden Worn", but others have pitched in "Stonetalker", and "Asher Locke: Stonetalker". Right now I'm just calling it "That book where the kid finds out there's another world hidden behind his school's boiler room".
I know those aren't really that quirky so maybe I should have said I always wear a sundress.”
4. What would you suggest for other writers that are thinking of venturing into the fiction category?
Fiction is so broad and if what they say is true and nothing is written anymore that's 100% original, then those two tips will serve you well. It'll help you find a good starting point for a story and train you to discover your voice as a writer.
Play around with styles and see what you feel comfortable with the most. When I started writing everything was very formal and I tried a little too hard to wax poetic with my style. I eventually found out, though, that I was too lazy to keep it up and an immature and snarkier style served me so much better..”
5. What would you say is the best lesson you've learned while writing/editing/and finishing up your novel?
“You will never be finished editing. Ever. I'm serious. E-V-E-R.
I wrote my novel in about 5 months, editing while I wrote, and felt pretty good about the draft. Then I read it. And fell down the rabbit hole into the kingdom of red ink from which I will never return until someone tears the effing thing from my hands.
And even then I may still stalk them down to steal it back.”
6. What is the best and worst advice you've received for your novel?
“I'm going to go pretty specific here.
I had a reader tell me that changing the gender of one of the minor characters may serve the story a little better. I was really hesitant at first but as I began making some changes I found out that I had basically written the character in the wrong gender (if that's possible)! It was brilliant advice and it made my novel so much better.
Worst advice? That MG novels should never have a love story integrated into them because kids that age aren't aware of love. *facepalm*”
7. Why did you decide to write in the MG age group?
“Some of my absolute favorite movies are those that feature the middle school age kids saving the world/their town/the universe.
It's such a fun age to write, too. They're discovering so much about the world, themselves, everything. You can really insert the humor in there and you have a little bit more freedom to do anything from fart jokes to more sophisticated fart jokes.”
8. What are your plans as a writer in the upcoming future?
“I'm going to begin querying agents for the novel I've just finished.
While I'm waiting on the rejection letters and emails I'll keep working on my other two, as well as other screenplays I've started and then abandoned. I've always wanted to attend a writing conference so I think I'll try to do that one day, too.”
9. What is the most unusual source of inspiration you've ever encountered?
“A rumor at the school where I teach.
Like most schools we have a boiler room and it serves a dual purpose to house the boiler and serve as a junk room for old desks and broken tables. One day I heard a student ask what was behind the door and the other kids jumped in with things they'd heard their big brothers and sisters say.
It really got me thinking about what WAS behind that door and a couple of years later I decided to create a story around it. And not too long after, "That book where the kid finds out there's another world hidden behind his school's boiler room" was born.”
10. If you could live in a world where money wasn't an issue, what would your day consist of?
“I would wake up at 9:30 and eat my breakfast that Paula Deen cooked for me that morning.
Then I would take a swim in the Olympic-sized pool in my living room and play some Skyrim on my holographic X-Box 360 that Microsoft let me beta test. I'd do some writing before lunch and my wife and I would go to some Amish farm to eat some Amish food and have some Amish pie for dessert. I'd tip incredibly well...so well in fact that the restaurant would only have to open one day a year to turn a solid 6 figure profit.
I'd go visit my million acre farm to check on my rescued wolves, dogs, cats, and other furry creatures. Before dinner we'd stop by the no-cost hospital I bought to see if any of the staff members needed some Amish pie. I'd come back home and we'd watch a movie in the home IMAX theater and I'd finish the day with some more writing.
Oh and I'd plug in my SICO robot (the one from Rocky 4) and say goodnight to my neighbor, Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen.”
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Check out Brooks's guest reviews:
Switched by Amanda Hocking
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Thanks for checking out this week's awesome author interview!
Come back next week for another glimpse into the world of authors!
