12 or 20 (second series) questions with Trevor Mahon
Born in northern Ontario,
Trevor Mahon
now calls Ottawa home. Having spent his childhood in a half-dozen Ontariotowns, which taught him how to avoid wearing out his welcome, he lives with hiswife and son in the suburbs and can often be found indoors or outdoors, butalmost never in the ducts of an office tower.
The Man Who Hunted Ice
, his firstnovel, distills his fascination with the absurdity of celebrity.1 - How did your firstbook change your life? How does your most recent work compare to your previous?How does it feel different?
I've had to learn howto sign a legible autograph. Also had to learn to come up with a personalinscription on the spot while the recipient of the inscription is talking tome. Way more difficult than expected. Otherwise, life remains much the same! Asthis is my first published work, I have nothing to compare it to. I think it'sbetter than my previous attempts, but I also think I can do much better.
2 - How did you come tofiction first, as opposed to, say, poetry or non-fiction?
I've been makingstories up since I was a kid. I read non-fiction almost exclusively now,strangely enough, but have no interest in writing about reality, it seems.
3 - How long does ittake to start any particular writing project? Does your writing initially comequickly, or is it a slow process? Do first drafts appear looking close to theirfinal shape, or does your work come out of copious notes?
I have a hard timetaking the leap and writing that first line. I make a lot of notes and plan outthings before actually writing, although I'm working on streamlining things.It's definitely a slow process, which helps, because ideas come to me months intoa story that I hadn't considered when I was starting out. I tend to vomit itall onto the page and then slash and burn in the editing process, although plotusually remains the same from beginning to end.
4 - Where does a workof prose usually begin for you? Are you an author of short pieces that end upcombining into a larger project, or are you working on a "book" fromthe very beginning?
I was apparently bornin the wrong century, because novels are my favourite form. Occasionally I'llattempt a short story, but I tend to rush it too much and then forget about it.I've come to have an enormous respect and admiration (i.e. envy) for people whocan write short fiction well.
5 - Are public readingspart of or counter to your creative process? Are you the sort of writer whoenjoys doing readings?
Public readings terrifyme. I did one for my book launch in front of a small and very friendly crowdand that was enough. (All the same, maybe they get easier as one goes along.)
6 - Do you have anytheoretical concerns behind your writing? What kinds of questions are youtrying to answer with your work? What do you even think the current questionsare?
Yes and no. Basically,I want to tell a good story and write a good novel, although I suppose I'mdrawn to tragicomedy because it strikes me as exceptionally human--if a humanis lucky enough not to live out a full tragedy. I also dig the notion of a "whatif" story: in my novel The Man Who Hunted Ice, I explored ascenario where a random person doing a random job becomes as famous as aprofessional athlete. I love Herman Melville's short story "Bartleby, theScrivener" because it's a classic "what if": what if you had anemployee who stopped doing his job but wouldn't leave the workplace?
7 – What do you see thecurrent role of the writer being in larger culture? Do they even have one? Whatdo you think the role of the writer should be?
As Joyce wrote(essentially), "to forge in the smithy of their soul the uncreatedconscience of their race" (or, better, species). And/or to tell goodstories. If you can do one or the other (or both), you've proven yourselfuseful.
8 - Do you find theprocess of working with an outside editor difficult or essential (or both)?
Both! A good editor isworth their weight in gold, even if a good editor isn't always your pal.
9 - What is the bestpiece of advice you've heard (not necessarily given to you directly)?
Hemingway and Johnsonboth wrote something similar about removing "good" lines, lines thatyou're proud of, and letting what's left tell the story. Took me a long, longtime to understand that wisdom. I'm still working on it.
10 - What kind ofwriting routine do you tend to keep, or do you even have one? How does atypical day (for you) begin?
I've gotten busier overthe past couple of years, so I set a word quota (which can change from projectto project) and pick away at it during the day, especially the morning. If Iset the quota too high, I tend to ramble; too low, and it takes too long tofinish. Still working on finding the sweet spot. If I get a chance to writeearly in the day, I can be amazingly productive--though that doesn't happennearly as often as I'd like!
11 - When your writinggets stalled, where do you turn or return for (for lack of a better word)inspiration?
I wish I could say I goout and sit in nature or drive to New York and sit in Central Park andpeople-watch, but no. For me, it's consistency, persistence, routine. Not avery exciting answer, but "keeping warm" gets me through the dryspells.
12 - What fragrancereminds you of home?
Cold winter air andwood smoke.
13 - David W. McFaddenonce said that books come from books, but are there any other forms thatinfluence your work, whether nature, music, science or visual art?
Movies to an extent,since I watched a whack of them when I was a teen/twentysomething. Morerecently, Parasite and Us got my juices flowing, even though I'm not really ahorror-comedy guy. (Or am I?) I really liked The Banshees of Inisherin.A really good movie makes me want to do the equivalent with a novel.
14 - What other writersor writings are important for your work, or simply your life outside of yourwork?
I keep three novels onmy desk: , The Remains of the Dayby Kazuo Ishiguro, and The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton. Ithink if you cracked my head open and pulled out the SIM card, you'd find thosebooks--for better or for worse--in the software, explaining how my creativemind works, or tries to work. Blame those guys.
15 - What would youlike to do that you haven't yet done?
Oh, man. Lots ofthings. But are they worth it? Easy answers: write a legible autograph, writesomething really good.
16 - If you could pickany other occupation to attempt, what would it be? Or, alternately, what do youthink you would have ended up doing had you not been a writer?
Professional athlete,if I had my choice of physique and talent (and age)? Actually, I've alwaysenvied people who do fascinating jobs and say they picked their careers whenthey were children. I read a book once by a forensic anthropologist who gotinterested in the field at a very young age, whereas I'm still wondering whatI'm going to do when I grow up.
17 - What made youwrite, as opposed to doing something else?
Luckily, I do somethingelse, which pays the bills. I'd write anyway, but if I had to support myselfthrough my writing, I'd have starved long ago.
18 - What was the lastgreat book you read? What was the last great film?
The Warmth of OtherSunsby Isabel Wilkerson was fantastic. I expect to be tongue-tied if I ever get achance to meet the author. That and Endurance by Alfred Lansing, aboutthe 1914 Shackleton expedition, are the two best books I've read in the pastseveral years (both are non-fiction, but read like novels). Last great film:repeating myself, but Parasite. Can't wait to see what Bong Joon-ho doesnext.
19 - What are youcurrently working on?
Another tragicomedy,with social-satire elements. Should I go full horror-comedy? Maybe I will.
