Ask the Author: Rudy Castaneda Lopez
Answered Questions (8)
Rudy Castaneda Lopez
I am working on three projects currently. I'm editing 'Jackson's Retreat', a sequel to my 2015 book, 'Open your Eye's, Jackson Ryder' and also editing 'Wake of the Spanish Dancer', an epic that spans the years 1850 to1865 throughout the Pacific from gold-rush era California, to revolution in Chile, blackbirding on Easter Island to the land wars in New Zealand. I'm also starting to write a memoir about my sister, who was tragically killed in her youth.
Rudy Castaneda Lopez
You desperately go into a public toilet and sit down. The seat is warm.
Rudy Castaneda Lopez
Open Your Eyes, Jackson Ryder grew out of a long held frustration I've had that artists in literature are often portrayed in an overly romantic way. I blame society's notion of Vincent van Gogh's life for this. It has been the template for almost every artist in literature for the last 120 years.
In my experience, as a painter, and in art history he is actually more of an anomaly than the norm. Think Henri Matisse, or Willam de Kooning, Georgia O'Keefe or our own Julian Dashper, to name a few. These are essentially normal, nice people just doing a job.
The scope of my original concept was too broad and the narrative ended up being a coming-of-age story but perhaps in the future you will hear from a mature Jackson again.
In my experience, as a painter, and in art history he is actually more of an anomaly than the norm. Think Henri Matisse, or Willam de Kooning, Georgia O'Keefe or our own Julian Dashper, to name a few. These are essentially normal, nice people just doing a job.
The scope of my original concept was too broad and the narrative ended up being a coming-of-age story but perhaps in the future you will hear from a mature Jackson again.
Rudy Castaneda Lopez
Short answer: I don't believe much in inspiration.
Inspiration for subjects, plots or actions, perhaps, but inspiration to write would leave me in the fickle hands of a petulant muse.
Like Jackson Ryder says on page 8 of my book, 'most artists trudge along, doing their day jobs, paying bills and simply working.'
My inspiration, in a sense, is keeping to a schedule. Opening my eyes every morning is what gets me going.
Inspiration for subjects, plots or actions, perhaps, but inspiration to write would leave me in the fickle hands of a petulant muse.
Like Jackson Ryder says on page 8 of my book, 'most artists trudge along, doing their day jobs, paying bills and simply working.'
My inspiration, in a sense, is keeping to a schedule. Opening my eyes every morning is what gets me going.
Rudy Castaneda Lopez
I've finished a 97,378 word sequel to Open Your Eyes, Jackson Ryder, called Jackson's Retreat. It continues Jackson Ryder's quest to find his legs in the psychedelic world of 1969 Los Angeles. I'm looking for a reader, if anyone is interested.
I am also editing a whopping 187,900 word project called Wake of the Spanish Dancer set in the Pacific in the years 1850 to 1865. It spans from Spanish California to the wilds of Chile, Hawaii to Aotearoa/New Zealand, Taiping China to Easter Island.
I've also begun a personal project, a kind of memento morti to my slain sister, Vicky.
I am also editing a whopping 187,900 word project called Wake of the Spanish Dancer set in the Pacific in the years 1850 to 1865. It spans from Spanish California to the wilds of Chile, Hawaii to Aotearoa/New Zealand, Taiping China to Easter Island.
I've also begun a personal project, a kind of memento morti to my slain sister, Vicky.
Rudy Castaneda Lopez
Observe. Experience. Read. Write.
If you aspire to write you probably already have something to say.
What will it be based on?
The more acute your senses and your emotional intelligence is the better you will be able to fill out your worlds with credible characters and landscapes.
Do things, travel, take strange jobs. They can fill out your stories with unparalleled richness of detail.
Read good authors. You will learn from the very best.
Most critical of all is to write and write and write. Don't be afraid to write crap. Take chances and forge ahead. I've known way too many brilliant writers who don't write a damn thing.
If you aspire to write you probably already have something to say.
What will it be based on?
The more acute your senses and your emotional intelligence is the better you will be able to fill out your worlds with credible characters and landscapes.
Do things, travel, take strange jobs. They can fill out your stories with unparalleled richness of detail.
Read good authors. You will learn from the very best.
Most critical of all is to write and write and write. Don't be afraid to write crap. Take chances and forge ahead. I've known way too many brilliant writers who don't write a damn thing.
Rudy Castaneda Lopez
Fashioning something that didn't exist before and surprising myself with the result. This is true about any creative activity, actually.
Rudy Castaneda Lopez
I'm relieved to say that I don't experience writer's block, per se.
I am, by nature, a slothful person so I keep to a rigid schedule to keep in line. Fortunately, I love the process and don't mind if the daily work is occasionally uneven or below par. The important thing is to keep working.
I am, by nature, a slothful person so I keep to a rigid schedule to keep in line. Fortunately, I love the process and don't mind if the daily work is occasionally uneven or below par. The important thing is to keep working.
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