Thursday 2 June 2011

Interview with Shawn Fitzgerald Jr

Today I welcome Shawn Fitzgerald Jr, author of the newly released THE DANGEROUS ROAD. Let's get to know him and his book.

Welcome, Shawn.Tell us a bit about yourself.

I live in small Pennsylvania town near Pittsburgh. I have grown up as the oldest in a big Catholic family. Last year I graduated from high school after being Home Schooled all of my life. Instead of going straight into college I took a break to just relax and take a breather. It was a great decision because I got the chance to just be with my family without having to worry about school work.

How long have you been writing?

I have been writing for six years now, and coming up on seven this fall. It has been quite a journey.

Congratulations on the release of A DANGEROUS ROAD! Can you tell us more about this book?

The Dangerous Road is a collection of five of the many short stories that I have written since I started. One of the stories takes you into a small American town with an eerie ghostly encounter, another takes you to a Halloween night at an old mansion were a revenge is planned, and then you will be transported to a war torn Los Angeles. For more on the other stories, you will just have to get it and read for yourselves.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

One of the hardest things for me is the occasional writers block. It can sometimes get stuck for weeks at a time, but the important thing is to not let it discourage you, and just keep working through it.

Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

There are two things, a cold snapple or some form of cold tea, for that inevitable dry throat or cough. And the second thing is what most people call epic music. The best way to describe is if you have ever listened to the tracks from movies such as Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean or the Chronicles of Narnia movies. I always use music when I'm taking a break or just need a little inspiration.

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

I have actually thought about this before. And my answer would definitely have to be the power to move things with my mind. It would be so great to be able to will my laptop into my hands instead of running to it every time an idea randomly pops up into my head.

Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: perturbed, daydream, and sisterhood.

Neal was deeply perturbed that his daydream's had gone from swimming with the sharks, to that sisterhood movie he had watched with his girlfriend the night before.

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

First of all I have to thank my family for being my first supporters, you guys are amazing. Then there is my amazing group of friends who have been there for me more than I can say, all of you know who you are! And then to my creative writers group, for daring to do short stories in the first place and for being there to help critique my work and make it the best that it can be.

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

People can find me on my blog at http://shawnthewriter.wordpress.com/ And you can also find me on these sites as well-
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Writer-Shawn-Fitzgerald/163930917197
Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/Writer_Shawn


You can find my book either searching for it on Lulu.com or by using this link - http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/the-dangerous-road---and-other-stories-of-suspense-and-mystery/15744203?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/2

Thanks for chatting with us, Shawn. And good luck with your books!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Huzzah for epic music! LOTR and POTC are perennial favorites for my writing time as well. Nothing like a heavy-duty soundtrack to get the words flowing. Gladiator, in particular, always seems to send my daily word count skyrocketing.

Gina said...

Wow, seems like we have a young writer on our hands here. With experience at an early age if the book catches fire he could have quite a career ahead. Best of luck and thanks for the great interview!

Shawn the Writer said...

Thank you for the comments K.M. and GMR! Still trying to get it out to people, but nothing like this is ever instant, it always takes a ton of time.