Reading and Writing Addiction was able to catch up with Gary Beck, Author of Acts of Defiance for an
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| Gary Beck, Author of Acts of Defiance |
interview. We are pleased to share this insightful interview today with our readers.
RAWA: When did you first discover that you were a writer?
GB: I started writing poetry when I was sixteen. It didn’t take long for me to realize that it moved me more than anything else.
RAWA: What is your favorite part of writing?
GB: Sitting down and writing, by hand, and feeling initial ideas begin to take shape.
RAWA: What do you think is the most challenging aspect of writing?
GB: Despite setbacks, frustrations, lack of recognition, you have to continue and overcome the isolation of working alone and not let anything short of hurricane or terrorism interfere with process.
RAWA: Tell us about your latest release.
GB: This is the novel I wrote first, (though not the first published which was Extreme Change, published by Cogwheel Press). Two boys, one rich, one poor, cross class lines, become fast friends, have wild adventures, take different paths when they’re grown, yet find their way back together.
RAWA: How did you come up with the title of your book?
GB: The characters regularly defy authority and oppressive adults so it seemed a natural fit.
RAWA: Who are some of your favorite authors?
GB: John Steinbeck, Theodore Dreiser, Thomas Wolfe.
RAWA: What do you think has influenced your writing style the most?
GB: I was a theater director/playwright and the immediacy of reaching the audience affected all my writing with the need for clarity.
RAWA: As a writer what is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?
GB: My poetry has reached thousands of readers and I look forward to reaching more with my novels.
RAWA: How did you get published?
GB: The original manuscript was rejected by a number of publishers. I sent excerpts to literary magazines and they were all published. I made rewrites of the manuscript and the novel was finally accepted by Artema Press.
RAWA: Do you have any advice for writers looking to get published?
GB: Write every day, find editors who like your work, don’t take offensive rejections personally.
Acts of Defiance by Gary Beck is published by Artema Press. You can purchase a copy at Amazon.com.
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