Ask the Author: Sam Sullivan
Answered Questions (6)
Sam Sullivan
I wanted to deal with nostalgia, and in another more complicated way I wanted to deal with a phenomenon called 'sehnsucht', which you should definitely look up if you're interested, it's a little too much for me to explain it all here. These concepts are both active and present in the world today, and I've found them strongly creeping up in my own life, as of late. The story emerged from where I am and where I think a lot of the world is, and I wanted that sort of universality in telling a story filled with love, great violence and the painful little things that make everyone human, but done in a unique way (hopefully!)
Sam Sullivan
To be honest, there is no logical rhyme or reason to it. The ideas usually come about from something in my life, and I craft a story to help better explain or facilitate explanation for that. I like to build stories around ideas or emotions, and characters are created separately and then forced to react in their own ways to the things occurring around them. I try to make it a microcosm of the real world, where conflicting ideas can be present at the same time. Inspiration is some bizarre chemistry of these processes, I feel.
Sam Sullivan
I take over an abandoned hotel with my family, throw a baseball against a wall and type the same thing several thousand times as I slowly go insane. I'm kidding (mostly), but usually what I do is stop writing and read something else, in the case of my latest book about the Civil War I read a nonfiction/historical book about the time period for inspiration. Taking notes on such tidbits often forces me to think in new and interesting ways. It also helps me eventually pepper what I've already written with greater detail.
Sam Sullivan
The new mode of expression offered to an individual. Writing is a broad canvas, and you're allowed just about anything you want provided there's at least a modicum of artistic intent. The way in which you can express your emotions and feelings both through storytelling and characters is limited only by your imagination.
Sam Sullivan
Don't be afraid of what others tell you. Stay true to your own internal compass, and follow it wherever it may lead you. A novel or good story should be a descent into something unknown both for the reader and you. Uncertainty can yield very valuable results.
Sam Sullivan
A novel set during the Civil War era in the United States. Not a war book in general, but one that uses that for the backdrop of the characters. It's still taking shape.
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