Ask the Author: Toby LeBlanc
Answered Questions (5)
Toby LeBlanc
Being a fiction writer I love being able to live in a "what if" frame of mind. Everywhere I look there is possibility if one is able to imagine it. I've even gone as far as to wonder what it would be like if entropy and consumption were not a part of physics (though I have no idea how to fit that into a story). Being around that much possibility leaves me feeling hopeful in times when everything else seems to be falling apart.
Toby LeBlanc
Dark Roux coalesced after listening to an NPR article about another author who wrote from within his Jewish culture, showing its multiple facets. I realized there has never been a novel written like that about Cajun culture. There have been several works which talk about our history, and further our myths and legends (i.e. Tidoon), but they often leave out the pieces of our culture which might be clunky or even ugly. I wanted to showcase what is beautiful about Cajun culture, but also depict what needs to evolve.
Toby LeBlanc
Conversations and reading (an internal conversation) are my two favorite ways to get inspired. Talking to friends, co workers, and clients often leave me with what if questions which inevitably lead to stories. Reading is so amazing because at ends of books I get to ask questions like "What next?" or "What about this part?" Answering those questions always leads to something.
Toby LeBlanc
I am currenting working on a short story (that is starting to feel like a novella or even novel) about a woman who wins a lottery to colonize Antarctica after climate change. It's about grief and its twin, love. It's also about hope and change. Stay tuned!
Toby LeBlanc
I have found the best thing to deal with writer's block is to do just about anything else. Just about any activity that is not writing can unlock what was stuck. Some of my best ideas, most meaning words, have come while cooking, working in the lawn, reading, showering, and walking. I feel like our brains know what to do if we just let them do it.
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