Ask the Author: David Shrauger
Answered Questions (6)
David Shrauger
I'm afraid that I have not read Pat Conroy, although I am familiar with Lords of Discipline and Prince of Tides by way of their movie adaptions. When it comes to military authors, I am mostly influenced by Tim O'Brian, Karl Malantes, Anton Myrer, and Kent Anderson. It was very important to me when I was growing up to read as much as I could about Vietnam because it seemed that every adult male I knew had served there. With that said, I do plan to read Lords of Discipline when I get the chance.
David Shrauger
That is one of those tough questions! I am a big believer in Bloom's "Anxiety of Influence" and that any writer is necessarily part of an ongoing discourse that includes the voice of all those who went before. Therefore, a writer will often just rattle off the name of someone that they admire while being completely unaware of who is really an influence on them. There is probably no one less qualified to analyze my writing and draw forth an influential voice than I am.
With that being said I have really been inspired by the writing of Thomas Harris, and I would love to be able to write a book like Black Sunday or Red Dragon. If I could write one book like that I would die happy. I also was blown away by the writing of David Morell, especially First Blood. My literary man-crush will always be Jack London, and his stories were the first stories that got by blood pumping as a young reader. I still get chills when I read "A piece of steak" or "To build a fire." I have also probably read more George R.R. Martin than is healthy. His Song of Fire and Ice is getting him well-deserved noteriety, but his Wild Card book series is highly underrated and would make an INSANE HBO series.
I have to give a little shout-out to the bad influences. They are as important as the good ones. Tom Clancy, Don Pendelton, and their various crawling clones are my guilty pleasure.
With that being said I have really been inspired by the writing of Thomas Harris, and I would love to be able to write a book like Black Sunday or Red Dragon. If I could write one book like that I would die happy. I also was blown away by the writing of David Morell, especially First Blood. My literary man-crush will always be Jack London, and his stories were the first stories that got by blood pumping as a young reader. I still get chills when I read "A piece of steak" or "To build a fire." I have also probably read more George R.R. Martin than is healthy. His Song of Fire and Ice is getting him well-deserved noteriety, but his Wild Card book series is highly underrated and would make an INSANE HBO series.
I have to give a little shout-out to the bad influences. They are as important as the good ones. Tom Clancy, Don Pendelton, and their various crawling clones are my guilty pleasure.
David Shrauger
Everything! Seriously, though. I have never had a job that fit me as well. I tried every kind of job you could think of before making up my mind that trying to be who I wanted couldn't be any worse than the daily effort that it took to be what other people expected me to be. Being a writer allows me to take the strange notions and daydreams that often alienated me from my employers and make a living by making others happy. My only regret is that I didn't start living my dream until I lived so many nightmares.
David Shrauger
Stop aspiring and start writing. I know that sounds harsh, but the truth is that thanks to the internet the old barriers that kept you back from achieving your dreams of seeing your work in print and having it read by a receptive audience are gone. Obliterated. The world is your oyster. You can write and people will read it. Making money, on the other hand... that may be another story.
David Shrauger
Sometimes to be inspired you have to inspire. I often find that inspiration comes when you least expect it, so you need to keep busy and keep your eyes open. I tutor children who have difficulty writing, and a hard time finding their voice. I have found that these are the times when inspiration is most likely to strike.
David Shrauger
I am currently working on a 3-book mystery/suspense series set in Seattle. The first book, titled "First Hill" will be published in 2015. I am also accepting freelance work on a daily basis, so I keep busy.
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