Interview with Author Michael Cargill

Readers tend to try to label specific authors by genre, or compare them to another author whose writing is similar. Author Michael Cargill, however, is nearly impossible to pigeonhole in this manner. Imagine, if you will, an author who is just as comfortable writing dark thrillers like, “Slaughter in Barnaby Close” as off the wall humor like, “Diary of a Dork – Articles of Sarcasm and Irreverence”.

Take a peak at Michael and his world, as he explains it all, in his own colorful way.


Q: Do you savor the writing process, taking pleasure in creating a story, or are you just
focused on completing a story and sharing it with readers?

A: Probably a bit of both to be honest. The actual writing side of things can be a complete pain in the bum and when I have finally finished something, I am sick of the sight of the damn thing. I guess it's like being a parent to a moody teenager. Even when it seems to hate you, you still want to show it off and have people say nice things about it.

Q: Most of your published work, such as “Shelter from Thunder”, “Slaughter in Barnaby Close” and “Shades of Grey” tends to be dark and suspenseful. So, where did the humorous “Diary of a Dork – Articles of Sarcasm and Irreverence” come from?

A: Ha! Although I only started writing properly last year, I have been sending stupid, humorous emails out ever since I first got an office job. I have always had a bit of a weird sense of humour and Diary of a Dork is just a snapshot of it. My blog is chock full of nonsense like that; some people love it, others hate it. I usually ignore the haters though and surround myself with an echo chamber of people saying how funny I am.

Q: You count such authors as Stephen King, Michael Crichton and James Herbet among your biggest influences. To what extent do these authors continue to influence your work? Do you feel more inspired to write when you finish reading one of their books?

A: It's hard to say really. With Slaughter in Barnaby Close I had a brief go at writing a James Herbet-esque horror story but didn't like it too much. Killing too many people off loses its appeal after a while, which is strange considering how fun it is to kill people in computer games. I reckon King is probably the biggest influence, although writing is far too recent a thing for me to suddenly feel inspired to write something after reading a particular book.

Q: What is your favorite genre, as a writer?

A: Probably thrillers of one kind or another, although I don't necessarily set out to write a particular genre; it just works out that way. Ultimately I get a gnats fart of an idea and then just run with it. The combination of having a weird sense of humour and being incredibly immature means I can't resist slapping dollops of humour about the place as well. I think I just like screwing up a character's life for the fun of it.

Q: Is there a genre you would love to explore but haven’t, if so, why not?

A: I would love to write more stories set in WWII actually as I find the subject utterly fascinating. I have read plenty of books about it so I am not short of research material but ultimately the problem is finding the right angle for a story. Sure, I could probably churn out numerous stories about a squad of soldiers as they make their way through France but they would all end up being the same. The two WWII stories I have written so far are both short and very different to each other.

Q: What motivates you to write?

A: Haven't got a clue; what motivates me to look at pretty girls all day? I guess it's a good outlet for all the strange things that are bouncing around my head each day. Just to clarify I was referring to writing there, not leering at women.

Q: Most authors feel the need to closely identify with their central characters. How closely do you identify with your protagonists?

A: I think it happens naturally really, it isn't something I have to go out of my way to do. Creating a character that I can neither laugh at, feel sorry for or be envious of is just as boring for me as it is for the reader. There is the old cliche that a writer bases a character on themselves but it's like horoscopes; some of the characteristics can be quite vague so it is not surprising that some of it matches up.

Q: Generally speaking, what do you hope to accomplish as an author?

A: In all my books I have put my email address at the start and the end, stating that people can email me if they want. As vain and as corny as it sounds, I would love for someone to actually contact me saying how much they enjoyed my work.

That and earning loads of money of course. Getting paid to sit in my pants and write complete bobbins all day would fantastic.

Q: What are your future writing plans?

A: Buy high, sell low. No wait, that's wrong. I don't really have plans to be honest as I am doing this mainly because I enjoy it; in a year's time I might get bored and stop.