Saturday, April 13, 2013

Interview with Anthony Price



Hi Anthony! Thanks so much for being a part of The Cavanaugh Connection! It’s so good to have you! :)

        Please, tell the readers a little more about yourself and how you knew you wanted to be a writer!

My full name is Anthony James Price, but my friends call me Ant.  I do get the occasional Tony thrown my way too.  I’m 28 years old and I live in Canterbury, Kent in the South-east of England.  I think I’ve always wanted to be a writer.  It’s something that I just did when I was younger to pass the time. My Grandfather was a cleaner at a local High School and used to bring home spare notebooks.  I would go around their house and we’d play cards for a while, then I’d dive in to the notebooks and scribble away.  I filled them all with stories and poetry. 

         So you knew you wanted to write, but what was the catalyst that made you decide to actually do it? 

      I know a lot of people who have the passion, but not the drive, or the self-doubt is too great.
When I finished my second undergraduate degree, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, but I always knew I wanted to get a Masters Degree under my belt.  When I found that I could study Creative Writing at that level, I jumped at the chance.  It reignited my passion for writing.  I think self-doubt was probably in me somewhere, but when I set out to do something, I give it my all. I just had to take the bull by the horns so to speak.

  What has been your greatest obstacle to overcome?

I think that my biggest obstacle to overcome has been myself.  I’m one of life’s many procrastinators.  I never thought that I would have the discipline and the drive it takes to succeed as a writer.  But as I said, I just had to knuckle down and get to it.

  I'm a big procrastinator too! How did you overcome it?

I managed to knuckle down and gave myself a big kick up the bottom.  Doing my Masters degree in Creative Writing really helped me focus my writing and got me in to a good working routine that by and large, I’ve stuck to.  It was a case of wanting it not being enough.  I had to apply myself to the task.  Thankfully, I did it.

  If your life were a movie, who would you want to play you?

Ooo, that’s a tough one.  There are so many great actors out there.  I did see James McAvoy play a character with a similar disability to myself.  He really did the role justice, so I’d be honored for him to play me.  Plus, he’s a great Professor Xavier.

  Haha. Yeah, he is great. Can you tell me a little bit about the first project you ever completed?

Funnily enough, The House of Wood is actually the first novel I’ve ever completed.  Up until that point, I’d only written short stories and poetry.  It was an amazing feeling getting to the end.

   Getting to the end has always been a challenge for me! Until recently, it never happened... Do you have any projects that have been put on the back burner for a while, sort of forgotten about? If so, do you think any of them will ever see the light of day?

I always tend to have several projects going on at the same time and quite often, a few of them get put on the back burner.  Ideas seem to just come to me out of the blue and I’m the type of writer that has to start work on them immediately until it’s out of my system.  I get very excited by the ideas.  Hopefully though, everything that has been put on the back burner will see the light of day at some point, whether it be a novel, T.V show, or film.  They all still hold a place in my heart.

         I think a lot of writers feel that way. I currently have like 6 started projects! What happens, during the writing process, for you to decide to push a book away and not continue to write it?

It’s purely down to the fact that I get this burning desire to work on a new idea as soon as it comes to me.  Nothing ever gets forgotten and it all goes in my notebook for a later date.  I am getting better at working on one project at a time though!


            
             Now what about The House of Wood, where did you get the inspiration for this?

The House of Wood started out as a small exercise on my Creative Writing Masters.  I was originally going to write it as a short story, but there were so many things that I could add to it and ideas just kept coming to me, that I couldn’t do it justice in a few words.  It had to be a novel.

        Can you describe The House of Wood in 10 words or less?

A chilling portrayal of one girl’s attempt to escape her past…Ooops, that was eleven!  We won’t count the “a”.

       I know this is your debut novel. How’s it seem to be going so far?

It’s been going great.  There’s been some amazing feedback with regards to reviews on Amazon.  I’ve been very humbled by the support and enthusiasm from my readers.  It’s been amazing. 

        Where can readers go in order to get their very own copy?

The House of Wood can be found at a lot of places online.  Readers can pick up a copy at…

Amazon UK (Paperback and Kindle)

Crooked Cat Publishing (All digital formats)

Amazon US (Paperback and Kindle)

It'll also be available at iBooks, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords!

        How long did it take you to write it? Would you say it was in the average of how long it takes you to finish a book?

It took me a very long time to write The House of Wood.  Around about three years!  It kept getting put to one side due to university commitments and short stories that I was writing to get my name out there.  But if I was to put all of my writing sessions together, I would say it took around about two, maybe three months to finish at an acceptable level to send off to publishers.  Then I spent another month polishing it off after it had been picked up by Crooked Cat Publishing.

   What’s your favorite thing you’ve written?


In all honesty, I think my favourite thing is actually The House of Wood.  It started off as something so small and has grown in to something so big.  I always believed in the story and its ability to entertain and enthrall people.  I really enjoyed writing it and bringing the characters to life.  So much so, I’m writing a spin-off for it.

        Oooh! That sounds fun!  What are you working on now? Or is it top secret?

I’m actually working on a spin-off novel from The House of Wood.  I can’t say too much, as it’ll give away some of the plot twists in The House of Wood.  Let’s just say, I’m upping the scare stakes!

        Sounds awesome! If you could go back and change one thing you did in your writing career what would it be?

Well, my writing career has only just begun, but if I could change anything it would be to go back and start thinking about writing as a professional career much earlier and not spend so much time playing computer games.  Focus is the key.

   I hear you! I feel the same way. If you could have lunch with any famous person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
 
That’s a very good question.  I think as an alive person, I’d have to say Stephen King.  I’ve been a massive fan of his work since I was a teenager and if I become half the writer he is, I’ll be a very happy man.  I couldn’t pick a dead person, as they’re far too many people I admire.

  Stephen King is pretty awesome! As a writer, I’m sure you’re also a reader! What is your favorite genre to read? 

My favourite genre is definitely horror.  I’m a big fan of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, James Herbert and Clive Barker.  But I’m also a history graduate, so I do enjoy a good historical novel, mainly Bernard Cornwell.  His Sharpe series is excellent.

   Who are some of your favorite authors?

As I said, my favourites have to be Stephen King and James Herbert.  James Herbert was the first horror writer I read with his Rats series and Stephen King single handedly saved the horror genre from obscurity by giving it a fresh, new take with Carrie.  I admire them both very much.

   Have you made any connections yet through one form of social media or another, where you got to have even a quick exchange with an author who you look up to or have inspired you? 

I haven’t been able to find Stephen King on Twitter and sadly, after his passing, I won’t get a chance to connect with James Herbert.  But, I have made a lot of connections with other authors from all over the globe.  They’re a fantastic bunch and I’ve made a lot of friends, particularly with the authors at Crooked Cat Publishing.  They’re always there with advice and support when needed.

   Thanks again so much for being here Anthony! Is there anything else you want to add before we say goodbye? 

Thank you for having me.  It’s been great chatting with you.  Thank you also has to go to anyone that buys a copy of The House of Wood.  I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  Look out for future updates on me and my writing.

   Where can readers keep up with you? (You can include links to blogs, websites, twitter, FB profile, FB fan page, Goodreads, etc.)

I seem to be all over the internet these days.  Anyone that is interested in following me and my writing can find me at…
Twitter - @anthonyprice84
I’m also on Goodreads, but I haven’t quite worked out how to use it properly yet.  Watch this space!



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