EUART RAMSAY
- Guest Author -
G'day guys,
Welcome to the life and times of a writer from the USA, but a man who has lived in several countries - EUART RAMSAY. Euart is an amateur writer who has written short stories, poems and academic
articles, been published in magazines and journals, and has recently completed his first
novel. Brought up in the United Kingdom, he now lives in San Francisco,
California.
Welcome, Euart ...
·
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR WRITING JOURNEY.
I am a writer in
San Francisco, California and was brought up in the UK. Have lived in Japan, France, New York City
and LA before the Bay Area. I’ve been
writing since I was a boy when I wrote science-fiction stories, largely
imitating Dr. Who, if you’re familiar with the Time Lords and the Tardis! I also wrote Tolkienesque epic sagas and then
later, as a teen, lots of poetry based on poets like Baudelaire and short
stories inspired by Impressionist paintings. I was and am a Francophile! More recently, I have been writing about my
own life, and folks can see that in my online murder mystery In the Garden of Fragrance at
www.euartramsay.wordpress.com.
·
WHEN AND HOW DID YOU BECOME A WRITER?
I think you become a writer as soon as you put pen to paper and, of course,
it helps to have folks who want to read your writing, too. But it all starts with your creating something
that you get some sense of fulfillment from yourself.
·
WHAT TYPE OF
PREPARATION DO YOU DO FOR A MANUSCRIPT? DO YOU PLAN EVERYTHING FIRST OR JUST
SHOOT FROM THE HIP?
I have an outline. I have some core
ideas about what I want to say, about what is going to happen, about words or
expressions I want to use. And these are
all on scraps of paper or in notebooks.
Or in my head. But as I write,
things change of course and better ideas, better phrases come to mind.
·
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BEING A WRITER?
I enjoy words and
I enjoy putting words to experiences and relationships and then with that
understanding them a little more clearly.
·
WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT BEING A WRITER?
Being ready to
erase or delete material you once thought was good. And of course, knowing that most folks will
never read what you write; and that some who do will reject it. You have to get used to the rejection piece! Stuff it, it’s their loss J
·
WHAT WERE YOU IN A PAST LIFE, BEFORE YOU BECAME A WRITER?
I have been and
still am a school teacher.
·
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WRITING ACHIEVEMENT?
I’ve come up with
a few lines in essays and short stories that readers tell me make them shudder or
shiver – with fear or elation – and that makes me happy.
·
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?
I have a series
of short stories – Science-fiction, contemporary settings, travel – that are
waiting to be written!
I am also doing a
sequel to In the Garden of Fragrance
that is called Sacrifice.
·
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Everything –
especially people whose path I cross.
·
DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR NEW WRITERS?
Write! Have a
space and a time when you write. And write.
·
DO YOU SUFFER FROM WRITER’S BLOCK?
No. Sometimes
it’s slow. But I force myself to write. I can always erase it later.
·
DO YOU HAVE A PREFERRED WRITING SCHEDULE?
Yes. I exercise,
meditate and then write for two hours most days. Ouch!
·
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE WRITING PLACE?
It has to be
quiet and I have to be alone.
·
WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR AND WHY?
This always changes. Right now, I am enjoying Guy de Maupassant
and Somerset Maugham’s short stories. I
also love Henning Mankel’s mysteries.
·
WHAT’S THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT YOU EVER RECEIVED FROM A
READER?
They loved it and were gripped!
·
WHAT WAS THE WORST COMMENT FROM A READER?
My writing
sounded like a gardening manual.
·
OTHER THAN WRITING, WHAT ELSE DO YOU LOVE?
Right now, I love the outdoors –
hiking, camping. I have traveled a lot, too, around the world. I am learning to play Bridge!
·
WHAT FIVE BOOKS WOULD YOU TAKE TO HEAVEN?
Long ones: Proust’s A la recherche du
temps perdu; Baudelaire’s Collected
Poetry; The Lord of the Rings
trilogy; a comprehensive Chinese-English dictionary; and probably Shakespeare’s
Collected Works.
·
HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE ‘SUCCESS’ AS A WRITER.
That you create something of which you are proud and that gives you a sense
of fulfillment.
·
WHAT SHOULD READERS WALK AWAY FROM YOUR BOOKS KNOWING?
HOW SHOULD THEY FEEL?
I can’t say but I am always curious
to know what readers do take away from a piece of writing, which is often
different from what I might have gotten out of it myself.
·
WHAT IS THE TITLE OF THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? GOOD ONE?
Discover Turkey – the Lonely Planet Guide!
Clancy's comment: Many thanks, Euart. Keep hiking, camping and writing.
Happy birthday to His Majesty, the King of Thailand (Rama 1X), Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest reigning monarch.
An
important public holiday is held on 5 December to celebrate
the birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's
longest reigning monarch. Known in Thai as 'Wan Chalerm',
the occasion is marked by an outpouring of love and reverence
by Thai people throughout the kingdom and around the world.
His
Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, or King Rama IX, ascended
the throne on 9 June 1946. The King has won a special place
in the hearts of the Thai people through his combination of
devotion to the welfare and development of his people, and
a keen understanding and awareness of political and social
issues. As an institution, His Majesty has provided a firm
foundation for the country to weather the trials and turmoil
that have beset the region since the end of World War II.
Today, His Majesty continues to play a central role in a wide
spectrum of national and social development schemes.
On
5 December, buildings and homes all over the country are elaborately
adorned with flags, portraits of His Majesty and bunting,
predominantly in the color yellow. Around the Grand Palace
and Ratchadamnoen Avenue areas of Bangkok, thousands of vividly
colored marigolds decorate the streets. On the evening of
the holiday itself, the streets around Ratchadamnoen and Sanam
Luang are closed to traffic and thousands of people take to
the streets. Spectacular fireworks displays are held and the
atmosphere is joyous and festive. The best way to enjoy the
atmosphere is to take a bus to the Rattanakosin area, and
just stroll along the crowded but traffic-free streets for
a truly memorable experience.
I'm ...
Think about this!
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