12 or 20 (second series) questions with Tim Ryan
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Tim Ryan works and plays in and around Calgary, Alberta.He lives with his wife and daughter, a bossy cat and a curious rabbit. He isthe winner of the Alberta Views short story contest. Tim’s work hasappeared in The Write Launch, The Prairie Journal, PrometheusDreaming and more. East Grand Lake is his first novel.
1- How did your first book change your life? How does your most recent workcompare to your previous? How does it feel different?
Well, I only have onebook and it has just come out, so you’ll have to check back in a year or so forreflections on how it has changed my life. But already I have an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and pride in(finally) getting a book published and sending it out into the world (pridemixed with terror, that is).
2- How did you come to fiction first, as opposed to, say, poetry or non-fiction?
The Hardy Boys.Seriously. I devoured them as a kid and knew that, someday, I wanted to write abook so others would read me.
3- How long does it take to start any particular writing project? Does yourwriting initially come quickly, or is it a slow process? Do first drafts appearlooking close to their final shape, or does your work come out of copiousnotes?
The start is what takestime. Once I have a start, the writing comes quickly. But it has to be a realstart, not something I forced onto paper. That moment of a real start iseverything to me as a writer. That iswhat I write for. I don’t make notes, or plot or anything like that. I have anotebook where I write down lines that come into my head, but that is about itfor background. Probably one of my failings as a writer is that I find itboring to know where I am going. The sense of discovery is the fun.
4- Where does a work of prose usually begin for you? Are you an author of shortpieces that end up combining into a larger project, or are you working on a"book" from the very beginning?
Definitely the scenecomes first and then the larger story. Sometimes, it is just an opening line. Ihave a notebook with lines that I think might one day be stories and storiesthat become projects. But it all starts,for me, with a scene.
5- Are public readings part of or counter to your creative process? Are you thesort of writer who enjoys doing readings?
I can’t say I enjoy public readings, mainly because Iam an introvert. But, once I get going, it is fun to read your work aloud. Ifind I lose myself in the story after a few paragraphs. More importantly,readings help me with gratitude. I always really, really appreciate the peoplewho take the time to come out. I often get verklempt when I look up and see acrowd of people who choose to spend some of their valuable time to come andhear me read.
6- Do you have any theoretical concerns behind your writing? What kinds ofquestions are you trying to answer with your work? What do you even think thecurrent questions are?
I am always asking aboutthe interplay between structure and story. That is so important to me. I thinkthe moderns made that key and there’s no sense ignoring it. I really try tomake my writing one where both structure and story are interesting and raisequestions.
7– What do you see the current role of the writer being in larger culture? Dothey even have one? What do you think the role of the writer should be?
I think a fiction writeris one of those people who can question everything and get away with it. So Ihope that’s what writers keep doing. An obsequious writer should just go be acustomer service rep or, better, a politician.
8- Do you find the process of working with an outside editor difficult oressential (or both)?
Not difficult. Not sureit is essential either. It is smart. I think having that second set of eyes atthe “end” of a project is very helpful and gets the piece from finished todefinitely finished. But I am usually mostly there anyways.
9- What is the best piece of advice you've heard (not necessarily given to youdirectly)?
The best piece of adviceon writing I have is from a fictional character, Seymour Glass. In Raise High the Roofbeams, Carpenters,Seymour tells his brother Buddy Glass the following:
“Ifonly you’d remember before ever you sit down to write that you’ve been a readerlong before you were ever a writer. You simply fix that fact in your mind, thensit very still and ask yourself, as a reader, what piece of writing in all theworld Buddy Glass would most want to read if he had his heart’s choice. Thenext step is terrible, but so simple I can hardly believe it as I write it. Youjust sit down shamelessly and write the thing yourself. I won’t even underlinethat. It’s too important to be underlined.”
10- How easy has it been for you to move between genres (short stories to thenovel)? What do you see as the appeal?
I don’t find it hardbecause one feeds into the other. The appeal for me is that short storiesprovide scenes and scene-work, whereas novels are more about plotting howscenes fit together. I think to write a novel it is essential that you writeshort stories.
11- What kind of writing routine do you tend to keep, or do you even have one?How does a typical day (for you) begin?
I am terrible at aroutine. I do exactly the opposite of what most writing books tell you to do. Iwait for that moment in inspiration. I don’t find it helpful to try and write500 words a day or whatever, because I just end looking back and asking “whatwas I thinking”. But I often will wakeup with a spark and sit with a cup of tea, start to write, and have 3000 wordsin an hour or so. I recognize this is not the approach of most writers.
12- When your writing gets stalled, where do you turn or return for (for lack ofa better word) inspiration?
I go back to reading. IfI have nothing in the tank, I find that going back to being a reader is thebest medicine. I just tell myself “It will come. Don’t push it.”
13- What fragrance reminds you of home?
Freshly cut grass and thesmell of a sleeping cat’s fur.
14- David W. McFadden once said that books come from books, but are there anyother forms that influence your work, whether nature, music, science or visualart?
Music, for sure. I can’ttell you the number of times I am listening to a song and suddenly the start ofsomething arrives.
15- What other writers or writings are important for your work, or simply yourlife outside of your work?
JD Salinger. He is my goto whenever I need to remember why I write. I also return again and again to(almost ashamed to say it), Harry Potter. Not very highbrow, I know, but I amlooking for comfort if I am going back there. As for influences, I would have to put Proust, Joyce and Virginia Woolfright up there. Something about the moderns makes me aim high. They took so many risks. Present-day writersthat wow me include Cormac McCarthy, Karen Russell and Michael Ondaatje.
16- What would you like to do that you haven't yet done?
A novel in second-personvoice. I have a draft, but it isn’tclose to finished. I think it is such an under-utilized voice and has so muchpotential.
17- If you could pick any other occupation to attempt, what would it be? Or,alternately, what do you think you would have ended up doing had you not been awriter?
Musician. I like to playmusic, but don’t have the skill to make it an occupation. But if I could beanything else, that’s what I would be.
18- What made you write, as opposed to doing something else?
The admiration I had as akid for writers. How they can make you get lost in a world. I wanted to be ableto do that. Maybe someday I will be able to J .
19- What was the last great book you read? What was the last great film?
Last great book was Foster by Claire Keegan. Unbelievable inevery way. The kind of thing I aspire to. Last great film was The Bansheesof Inisherin. It still makes me think.
20- What are you currently working on?
Mainly short stories. Ihave a 60,000 word manuscript that I have tucked away for a year or two thatmight one day be a novel, but I reached a point where it needed to rest. So Iam devoting my time to shorter pieces for a while with a plan to return to thatms (when it feels right).
