Author Interview: Mark Isherwood
In one of our email discussions about publicising Building Red: Mission Mars, one of the authors suggested, "Hey, wouldn't it be cool to have online interviews?" I agreed and so for the next few weeks I'll be publishing not only author interviews but interviews of the publishers, editors, and artists involved behind the scenes. Enjoy!
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JC – How does your background in poetry add to your ability as a prose writer? MI - Poetry is significantly different to Prose. Sometimes I feel it is so different it is hard to see the links but they are there. Economy is the key thing that I have learned to take with me. Say it as clearly as possible with as little trimmings as possible.
JC – What are some of your hobbies or interests? MI - My hobbies and interests are mostly being a Poet and Writer. What with a wife, three kids and full time employment there isn't much room for Surfing and Australian Rules Football- just kidding.
JC – Do you prefer starting a piece with a title, an outline, or an idea? Or do you simply start writing and see where the characters lead you? MI - I have no obvious regular starting place with a story. Sometimes its a line and I let it dictate where I go, other times I have a pretty solid picture of the whole thing before I start.
JC – What books, stories, and authors inspire you? MI - The list is too long to recount, but in terms of Science Fiction short stories I grew up with Arthur C Clarke. I like some of Phillip K Dick's but I have always been really impressed by William Gibson's short stories. For 'Descent' though I think Arthur C Clarke was my biggest influence. I hoped to reflect an element of his moon stories in mine and try and convey that old fashioned sense of inter planetary exploration and its risks.
JC – Your story, “Descent,” is full of action and ends with a surprise. Where did you get the idea for your story? MI - I remember reading about the Apollo missions to land on the Moon and the genuine expectation that things would go wrong and maybe more than one mission would have to be sent before they could finally land and walk on its surface. Not to give too much a way I wanted to throw a curve ball at my characters and see what happened. Also irony is so delicious when served at the right temperature.
JC – Do you have any advice for writers wanting to get published? MI - Get rejected. Work harder. Get rejected. Work even harder.
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Mark Isherwood is a published poet with a book of poetry published in the USA by Anaphora Press called Lethe. He is 45 years old, married with three children and earns a living as the Head of Creative and Non-fiction Writing at City Lit in Covent Garden, London.
