LUIZ CARLOS FREITAS
- Guest Author -
G'day folks,
Today I have the pleasure of introducing a prolific writer from Brazil, and my first guest from that country. Luiz is a journalist and author.
Welcome, Luiz ...
1. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF
AND YOUR WRITING
JOURNEY.
I am the grandson of Portuguese
immigrants, was born and I live in the city of Pelotas, 350 000 inhabitants,
200 years of foundation. My origin is very humble, I started working with 9
years of age. My father died of cancer when I was 17 years old and I was
responsible for my mother and three brothers. Work, study, survived. I am
married and have a son, a former football player. He played in small clubs in
Europe, Asia and South America for 12 years. I am a voracious reader ever
since. I started writing at the age of 13 and never stopped. I am also a
journalist for 30 years. Currently writing political column in the newspaper
People's Daily, the city of Pelotas.
I am a worried writer with social
issues and injustices. I've written social novels, in which I try to show the
chaos of the modern world and the need for urgent individual and collective
transformation of society as a way to redeem ethical and moral values and
reduce social injustice and the gap between rich and poor. I have seven books
published in Brazil and have literary agents looking after my interests, in
order to publish some of my works in Europe. I believe I am devoted to the
writer by profession, read with the written word for over 40 years and every
day I am improving myself in order to contribute to a better, more just and
more human.
2. WHEN AND HOW DID YOU BECOME A
WRITER?
I believe I was born to be a writer. But
the need to write came after become insatiable reader. Read and read a lot.
From classic to contemporary writers. At 13 years of age felt the need to start
writing and never stopped. Writing, for me, is so important and vital as
breathing.
3.
WHAT TYPE OF PREPARATION DO YOU DO FOR A MANUSCRIPT?
DO YOU PLAN EVERYTHING FIRST OR
JUST SHOOT FROM THE HIP?
None. I do a story outline in
mind and begin to write simply from a central. Henceforth let me take the
thread of history and book commander, step to be commanded by characters who
come to life and will. Let me deliver the creative flow, I write with emotion.
When you finish the book, then I start the review and editing, perfecting it.
As soon as I finish a book, start another, almost without pause. I am very
demanding with myself, perfectionist and I can say that I am very productive.
4. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT
BEING A WRITER?
The opportunity to put out my
intimate dramas and traumas, rest assured that, for once, twice, a thousand or
a hundred thousand readers, I can make a difference in their lives, making them
more tolerant people, brotherhood and solidarity.
5. WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT
BEING A WRITER?
Publish. Every time there are
fewer players in the same proportion that decrease the publishing houses. We
have to fight it, for writing and reading are vital for humans continue human
and not turn into machine.
6. WHAT WERE YOU IN A PAST LIFE,
BEFORE YOU BECAME A
WRITER?
I've always been a writer, since
he was 13 years old. But earned his living as a journalist. I became full-time
writer for five years. Since then surviving the writer's craft.
7. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WRITING
ACHIEVEMENT?
Has not won any major prize. Even
as always written for personal satisfaction and meeting my ideals as a human
being and writer. But my greatest achievement is to have overcome the barriers,
including three cancerous tumors that almost led me to death three years ago. I
survived because the desire to continue writing was stronger than cancer and
death.
8. WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE
MOMENT?
I am currently finishing a new
book, entitled "Homo Perturbatus". This is a bold and unique, complex
work, in which I try to portray the ills and problems faced by the current
civilization.
9. WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
The inspiration comes from the
observation. I read, observe, analyze and start writing. So I sweat, because
writing is 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration.
10. WHAT GENRE DO YOU WRITE?
Social novel, preferably, though
also write romance for young people.
11. DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR NEW
WRITERS?
The first tip is to read. The
second tip is to read. The third tip is to read. Read, read and read, and only
then start writing, if you have talent and vocation. Otherwise, go do something
else, perhaps planting potatoes, which is easier.
12. DO YOU SUFFER FROM WRITER’S
BLOCK?
No. In my opinion,
"blocking" writer is solved with concentration and work. Never with
alcohol or drugs - legal and illegal.
13. DO YOU HAVE A PREFERRED WRITING
SCHEDULE?
Yes and no. I try to be an artist
of the word, not I schedule anything but give special attention to the words
that make up the sentence, which will compose the paragraph that will build the
story of the book. I prefer the content, although we try to unite form and
content.
14. DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE WRITING
PLACE?
Yes. My home office, near my
library and my paintings, next to the window, where I can see the trees, the
sky and the birds crossing the air.
15. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST JOY IN
WRITING?
You do what I like. I am happy
writing. It is useful to me and to the world, even if only one person get
touched with my books.
16. WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR
AND WHY?
Dostoevsky. Because he taught me
the true meaning of the writing trade. It was from him that I learned to
analyze the human soul in search of answers to questions that bother us for
centuries and still remain unanswered.
17. WHAT’S THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT
YOU EVER RECEIVED
FROM A READER?
"When you finish reading
your book turned me into a better person. Thank you!"
18. WHAT WAS THE WORST COMMENT FROM
A READER?
"I like your books, but you
are very pessimistic."
19. WRITERS ARE SOMETIMES
INFLUENCED BY THINGS THAT
HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES. ARE YOU?
Yes and no. In my books always
have a bit of me and of my experiences, but not necessarily. I say that my main
material is the imagination. Along with the observation of the world around me
and what I saw, heard and deduct lifelong.
20. OTHER THAN WRITING, WHAT ELSE
DO YOU LOVE?
Life.
21. DID YOU HAVE YOUR BOOK / BOOKS
PROFESSIONALLY EDITED
BEFORE PUBLICATION?
Yes. All of them.
22. DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY.
My perfect day is one in which I
can write five pages of my new book, when the text flows as if the current of a
mighty river. Then in the evening I will rest with the feeling of having
fulfilled the mission of the day.
23. IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT
ISLAND WITH ONE PERSON,
WHO WOULD IT BE? WHY?
My wife. Because she's my
companion for 36 years and never left my bedside when I was to death, nursed me
and helped me to recover myself and to live. I owe my life to it.
24. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IF YOU HAD
THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TO
WORLD LEADERS?
Freedom, fraternity and equality,
please. Stop the wars, combat hunger, disease, prejudice and discrimination,
help poor countries, destroy the weapons and distribute flowers and books.
25. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE
FUTURE?
Becoming a well known writer in
the world, never for fame, money or vanity. But for people to read my messages,
evaluate my ideas, be thrilled with my stories, which aims to help improve the
world.
26. WHAT FIVE BOOKS WOULD YOU TAKE
TO HEAVEN?
If there was heaven and I were
invited to live there, would Crime and Punishment (Dostoevsky) - The Red and
the Black (Stendhal) - Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck - War and Peace
(Tolstoy) - Les Misérables (Victor Hugo).
27. DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN ANY OF
YOUR CHARACTERS?
Several of them have a piece of
me.
28. DOES THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY
FRUSTRATE YOU?
The relentless pursuit of profit
at the expense of artistic work. The financial interest up art. Treating a book
as if it were a product of the second category.
29. DID YOU EVER THINK OF QUITTING?
Never. The real writer writes for
intimate imposition and for yourself, although you want others to read their
works.
30. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE
MANUSCRIPT TO WRITE? WHY?
The revolt of Squatting. Because
it was my first book, the one which determined my literary style, taking me to
the path of social novel.
31.
HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE ‘SUCCESS’ AS A WRITER.
Travelling to Sydney and see one
of my books for sale in a bookstore.
32. WHAT SHOULD READERS WALK AWAY
FROM YOUR BOOKS
KNOWING? HOW SHOULD THEY FEEL?
I'd say my books are dangerous.
They have the gift to transform people. And: Who gets to read them not to
finish up and will never be the same person. Therefore I make a warning: beware
of my books. They turn readers into better human beings.
33. HOW MUCH THOUGHT GOES INTO
DESIGNING A BOOK COVER?
Honestly, I believe that the
presentation is important, but always leave the cover at the discretion of the
editor. At most give my opinion, saying it liked it or not.
34. WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE DREAM?
You see my books published in
countries around the world, from Australia to Russia. Indeed, one of my books
(dog barking to the moon) is being translated into the Russian language.
35. WRITING IS ONE THING. WHAT ABOUT MARKETING
YOU, YOUR
BOOKS AND YOUR BRAND? ANY THOUGHTS?
Yes, do not just write books.
Have to do marketing. I learned this today and use internet tools to promote my
work, my name and my brand. We participate in blogs and literary magazines
around the world, make contacts with editors, writers and literary agents, try
to promote my books as much as possible. The market is very competitive and
requires aggressive marketing, unfortunately.
36.
ARE YOUR BOOKS SELF-PUBLISHED?
No.
37. DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN FIVE
WORDS.
Determined. perfectionist. Worker. Pragmatic.
Humanist.
39. WHAT IS THE TITLE OF THE LAST
BOOK YOU READ? GOOD ONE?
Flowers of Evil (Baudelaire). I
liked the book. When I get tired of writing and need to take a break, enjoy
reading poetry. Me soothes and inspires me.
40.
WHAT WOULD BE THE VERY LAST SENTENCE YOU’D WRITE?
Here lies a writer - true.
41.
WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU HAPPIER THAN YOU ARE NOW? CARE
TO SHARE?
I would be very happy if tomorrow
I receive e-mail from a publishing house in France, Australia or other big
country I propose to publish one of my books.
42.
ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?
I have almost nothing to add. I
would like to thank you for the opportunity to be known by the blog readers and
say that there is good literature in Brazil. Say, too, that to me would be an
honor and a pleasure to any home Australian publisher was interested in my work
as a writer. Many thanks to all, especially to Clancy, and see you soon.
Clancy's comment: A pleasure to have you, Luiz. I sincerely hope you do achieve your aim to have your books sold all over the world. Nothing would please me more than to see one of your books sitting beside one of mine in an Australian bookshop ... And both selling well. Keep writing, my friend.
I'm ...
Think about this!
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