Interview with Evan Bollinger

Today we're talking with author Evan Bollinger about his novella, THE FOLLOWERS.

Hi, Evan! Tell us a bit about yourself.

Well, I hail from the blue crab state, Maryland. I do some work in the public school system, and when I'm not trying to pour my mind out on the page, I'm usually just relaxing. Occasionally, I'll do odd jobs, and I also like to get a few runs in every week. I find it's both stress release and meditation. I tend to be an introvert, too. I'm also an avid people-watcher. Not in the creepy way of course, just gazing through the Aviators from afar...

but anyway, yea, I'm fascinated by certain ideas. I think metaphysics is cool. I absolutely love wordplay (I might have my own language by 2025). I also like to watch cartoon shows--the ones that essentially offend every demographic. I have an affinity for psychoanalyzing things that don't require it. I also have a strong tendency to sample every new beer on tap when I visit a bar. Friends and family have told me that I'm a little "eccentric."

How long have you been writing?

I've been writing since I could formulate words. I've become particularly serious about it in the past few years.

Tell us about THE FOLLOWERS. What’s the story about?

What will follow is a book that you have never read. You may have lived it, aside waking demons, but you've never seen it peeled so cleanly before your eyes. "The Followers" is a gripping novella that pierces the veil between the reality we know, and those worlds that overlay. It is the memory of a summer day that changed one's life forever.

Sometimes they stand beside us, in the whispers of wind...
have you let them in?

How did the idea of the story come to you?

The Followers is the nexus of many ideas. There's nostalgia for the freedom of youth, anguish, fantasy, and the dark underbelly of even life's smallest moments. I wanted to incorporate thoughts of life's meaning and structure--of the Multiverse. I wanted elements of horror, and the intrigue of beings that we have never seen, that we may not comprehend when we do. The Followers is a lot of different things for a lot of different reasons. I don't think it has the same meaning for any one person. And it shouldn't.

Are you a planner or a pantser?

Totally a pantser. I get ideas and then I start writing--there is very little initial planning. Then when I'm all done, I look at what I produced and usually think, "Well this is interesting..."

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Staying motivated when there doesn't seem to be any creative flow. Sometimes the tap just runs dry.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

A cup of tea with like a pound of honey. And usually some music.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

I always say flying. I think flying is awesome. There have been so many times in my life where I wish I could have just opened the nearest window and taken off for the clouds. If I could fly, I would explore every reach of the globe. I would also drop dung on the heads of people who deserved it ;)

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

In 9th grade, some of my classmates and I googled images of people run over by tanks. I'm not kidding. It was weird and warped, but we got a kick out of bypassing the school's computer security. You can also google "Salad Fingers" and find some really odd stuff...

Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: birds, chafing, and counselor.

My teacher sent me to the school counselor after I explained that the birds in my pants actually eased chafing.

LOL, okay. Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably ...

not as happy as I could be.

Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.

Gotta give love to the people who brought me up--thanks parents! And then just a general shout out to friends and readers who have picked up on me. I guess I could be more specific, but I can't really remember all the names because I haven't had my tea with honey yet...

And finally, where can people find you and your book online?

Twitter: @Eballzz
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evan.u.bollinger
Blog: http://psychworld-eballz.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5814906.Evan_Bollinger
Email: ebollinge@gmail.com