Ask the Author: R. Munro
Answered Questions (8)
R. Munro
Thanks for asking. Now I've stopped laughing so much I could barely type, I'll have a crack at answering this.
My life is not one big mystery. It is a plethora of mysteries, a litany of questions, many simply impossible to answer (at this time, at any rate). Some mysteries have been delved into with enormous gusto, as to explore those paradigms is to challenge the difficulties I've faced head-on and perhaps—in the fullness of time—conquer them.
Issues—such as having Asperger's—are addressed by researching the topic, which has unveiled answers I wish I knew when I was young (but could never have, as Asperger's was not even defined until I was in my late teens—far too late for interventional behavioural therapies). The way I talked, the lack of friends, the social marginalisation, the struggles and difficulties layered on top of the regular challenges faced by all growing youngsters was a recipe for ... well ... me.
I'm not sure I'd really ever want to write about having Asperger's, mystery or not. Perhaps I will one day. I would certainly need to be in a completely different headspace to achieve something like that. Associated with my Asperger's is an appalling love life. If I were to approach the topic of Asperger's, perhaps it could be through the perspective of a young man looking for love but struggling to accept his mental health is the reason those he approach (or approach him) turn away or run away or abuse him. His challenge is then to face his difficulties, come to terms with them and determine different pathways, different approaches. It's extremely difficult when trying to deal with normal people, because so many are prone to adverse reactions when faced with abnormality. Some even become quite abusive.
That's one thing above all I've had to deal with in my life that is no mystery. Abuse. I really don't like abuse. I don't like being abused (despite being abused since I was very small - you'd think I'd be used to it by now), and I certainly have no interest in abusing others. I have infused into much of my writing threads of abuse in one form or another. One of my novels features abuse in its entirety, though the main character in that one responds in a fashion far removed from how I would have dealt with it had it been me (then again, he's no "Aspie").
The mystery then is how to deal with abuse in constructive rather than destructive ways. In a society where pretty much all abuse is addressed in one form or another with punitive measures (therefore failing miserably to address root causes, leading to relapses and other dysfunctions), such issues are frequently treated at large as taboo, tossed in the too-hard basket or ignored. Perhaps that is where my book plots need to focus, albeit in subtle enough ways to prevent feeling didactic while still being entertaining and thought-provoking.
I guess the greatest mystery of all is if I could write a book like that.
Time will tell.
My life is not one big mystery. It is a plethora of mysteries, a litany of questions, many simply impossible to answer (at this time, at any rate). Some mysteries have been delved into with enormous gusto, as to explore those paradigms is to challenge the difficulties I've faced head-on and perhaps—in the fullness of time—conquer them.
Issues—such as having Asperger's—are addressed by researching the topic, which has unveiled answers I wish I knew when I was young (but could never have, as Asperger's was not even defined until I was in my late teens—far too late for interventional behavioural therapies). The way I talked, the lack of friends, the social marginalisation, the struggles and difficulties layered on top of the regular challenges faced by all growing youngsters was a recipe for ... well ... me.
I'm not sure I'd really ever want to write about having Asperger's, mystery or not. Perhaps I will one day. I would certainly need to be in a completely different headspace to achieve something like that. Associated with my Asperger's is an appalling love life. If I were to approach the topic of Asperger's, perhaps it could be through the perspective of a young man looking for love but struggling to accept his mental health is the reason those he approach (or approach him) turn away or run away or abuse him. His challenge is then to face his difficulties, come to terms with them and determine different pathways, different approaches. It's extremely difficult when trying to deal with normal people, because so many are prone to adverse reactions when faced with abnormality. Some even become quite abusive.
That's one thing above all I've had to deal with in my life that is no mystery. Abuse. I really don't like abuse. I don't like being abused (despite being abused since I was very small - you'd think I'd be used to it by now), and I certainly have no interest in abusing others. I have infused into much of my writing threads of abuse in one form or another. One of my novels features abuse in its entirety, though the main character in that one responds in a fashion far removed from how I would have dealt with it had it been me (then again, he's no "Aspie").
The mystery then is how to deal with abuse in constructive rather than destructive ways. In a society where pretty much all abuse is addressed in one form or another with punitive measures (therefore failing miserably to address root causes, leading to relapses and other dysfunctions), such issues are frequently treated at large as taboo, tossed in the too-hard basket or ignored. Perhaps that is where my book plots need to focus, albeit in subtle enough ways to prevent feeling didactic while still being entertaining and thought-provoking.
I guess the greatest mystery of all is if I could write a book like that.
Time will tell.
R. Munro
I actually have a few, and for different reasons. For romance, I'm a bit old fashioned, and genuinely like Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy from Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". The pretention, the torture, the peeling back of layers of vulnerability like skins from an onion. There's a reason why such writing has endured. I know the implication from the question is romantic couples, but why stop there? For enduring deep and abiding fellowship, Tolkien's Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee - two characters who endure the most appalling hardships, yet see their struggle through. Terry Pratchett's Rincewind and his Luggage? Death and Binky? Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg? Even David and Leigh Eddings' Polgara and Belgarath. There are so many...
R. Munro
Stop taking medication, LOL. There have been times when I've stared at the page and gone "bleurgh", but to me that's a sign I'm not working on the right project, so I'll down tools and find something else to do. Draw, paint, sculpt, go to the library and read, go to the art gallery and drown in all the glories to be found there. For anyone dealing with writer's block, the only advice I have is to find something better than fretting about not writing.
R. Munro
Terry Pratchett once said writing was indoor work with no heavy lifting, which I totally get. For some it's a living. For others, it an obsession. For me, it's a number of things. It's an escape, where I can create a better world than the one I live in. Writing is an outlet, a creative vent as a response to the trials and tributlations of the life I lead. I'm terribly ill, so writing is for me one of the few practical activities left to me that can maybe earn a little coin to help keep the wolves from the door. I know for a fact after writing for a couple of hours I feel better. It's my preferred way of dealing with depression. It's also one of the best ways to touch hearts and minds.
R. Munro
Tell your story. Forget the naysayers, ignore the bullies and denigrators, overlook the critics. Persevere. Don't let anyone get in your way of telling the stories you need to tell. The oldest surviving artefacts in the world are stories. Stories are what make humans special. Treat your story as your own child - care for it, nurture it, help it grow to blossom and reach its full potential. When an agent or publisher rejects your submission, rest assured your story is not the problem - they're just not the right agent or publisher for you. Keep going. Forever strive, and when your story is released to the world, keep writing. Storytellers are the lifeblood of humanity. You are a storyteller. You are special. You will always be special.
R. Munro
I'm writing four different novels and a handful of short stories at the moment, plus contemplating sequels to two of my novels. In addition to that I have a collection of various artworks I am keen to get on with. I'm seldom idle!
R. Munro
Being a creative, it's like I'm an inspiration magnet. Reading an article on growing turnips could inspire me to write a scene in a book about a farm girl brewing a stew, or diabolical witches concocting a magic potion. Just walking down the street and seeing the way sunlight strikes the front of a building could inspire me. From within rises an irresistable urge to respond to everything around me, whether it's something I experience in person or if it's something I've read about or seen on television or heard on the radio.
R. Munro
"Terror in the Ranks" was actually based on a short I wrote as a reaction to a terrorist attack in France. Actually, it's all too easy to label it a "terorist" attack, when in reality it was a psychopath who'd been enabled by an excuse of religious conflict. If it were a true religious conflict, it would have been an attack on a religious institution (such as the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center cathedrals of commerce in New York), not a bunch of innocent bystanders celebrating a national holiday in a seaside town. I happen to like France a very great deal, and enjoyed my time there. Attacking the place just rang so wrong that it upset me more than I was prepared to accept. Not being able to do anything practical, my next step was to write, but rather than write about France, I chose to write about something closer to home. I think a lot of people forget terrorism isn't the exclusive domain of Islamic extremists, and it's important to look closely all around, especially at the monster within. From there I built an elaborate conspiratorial framework which is as absurd as any James Bond novel, but instead of some impossibly capable front-man like James Bond, I gave it a seriously flawed hero, foul mouthed, physically damaged, always tired and cranky, but nevertheless passionate and doggedly determined. It's a story of contrasts, and also unusually it's set in Australia, a country where I might live, but also a country capable of far more than a lot of other countries might reckon. Besides, James Bond has never made it here ;)
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