Utica, Michigan
USA
Good morning, Larry, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the site for What have you written?
So far, it’s just The Chronicles of the Manaar. Book 1, Immersion, Book 2 Redemption, Book 3 Ascension.
I am working a space opera, a time traveler’s story, and a space alien comedy simultaneously. It slow writing, but I am waiting for one to step out in front of the others and lead me to the finish line.
What is your favorite genre to write?
I read mostly fantasy and science fiction. For me its difficult to choose between these two genres a favorite. It’s a mood thing I guess.
Favorite food.
Anything simple and made in my own kitchen
Tea or coffee?
Coffee runs through my veins in equal proportions to blood.
Pizza or ice cream?
Pizza
Wine or beer or soda or what?
Not much of a drinker. Love Faygo pop but gotta watch the sugar. I guess Faygo pop, and calling it pop over soda is a midwestern thing.
Where would you like to visit?
New Zealand is my bucket list trip, even before they shot The Lord of the Rings there. But now? I need to get there and walk in Middle Earth.
Favorite musical artist.
I go I go through phases. I grew up on the great rock bands of the 70’s and 80’s.
In my old age I like a lot of new age instrumental.
Do you listen to music when you write?
This question make me feel that you know me. I have several songs that I listened to the entire time I wrote The Chronicles of the Manaar. They are piano instrumental composed by Grand Rapids, Michigan pianist Jason Sytsma. I can listen to these songs and watch the scenes playout on my minds eye like a montage. One of his song in particular shares the title with book one. It is called Immersion.
What makes you laugh?
Dad jokes and Monty Python.
How old were you when you started writing?
I became a storyteller when I was a teenager. I was a role-playing fanatic, or geek if you prefer. As a dungeon master, I created story lines and acted them out with my friends in gaming situations. When I started writing seriously 4 years ago, I found that the process of creation was little different than what I did as a kid. I am 58 years old now, so I started The Chronicles of the Manaar when I was 54.
Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write?
I plan-start to finish in vague bullet points. At the start of Immersion, I turned those bullet points into a thorough outline. A carry over from college work. But in the process of writing Immersion I found That the best writing comes when I let the characters do as they wish.
Let me provide context - I started off as an outline writer, English 101. When I was writing Immersion, there came a scene where two armies were about to join in combat. My outline said, they see the battle developing, describe, and the characters escape in a departing caravan. Simple. But when my two main protagonists saw the situation, one of them said, “We can help.” To which the other said, “Right. Lets go.” For me it was like watching a movie, almost surreal. I must have been 300 words into this digression when I realized I had gone off my plan. I began to remove the digression to bring the story back to the outline. I stopped. Thought about it. And let it play out. It turned out to be one of the most rewarding scenes thus far in the book. Sure, it changed things, but I learned to not set up a rigid plan. From then on, I ditched outlining and just planned ahead with brief scene descriptions. Then I let the characters react. It was their story after all.
Describe your perfect evening.
Summer in my backyard with my wife watching my daughter happily playing and laughing to a joke I have no idea what it is.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I am at a loss for inspiration, I wait until its time for bed, and request that my subconscious work the night shift to give me what I need. It has worked well for me, as I often wake up with a plan.
What do you do when you get a writer's block?
I bullet point, and substitute Ba bah blah… or yada yada… (whichever is more appropriate) for words to be filled in later. This allows me to move on to the parts that need to be captured, and see the ba bah blahs, and yada yada’s as a bridge. It is easier to conquer with a target in mind.
Who is your favorite author?
Predictably, Tolkien and Rowling are my favorites. Though I would mention contemporary authors Drew Hayes, Scott Meyer, and Robert Kroese who have given me cause for rereading. Great story tellers.
Best book you ever read.
This is a difficult question for me, I love Mark Twain, and have enjoyed many of the modern classics. If forced to answer, I would have to say The Lord of the Rings, because it made me a reader and opened up my imagination.
Last book you read.
Brandon Sanderson’s Tess. A really cute story and a bit different style of writing for him with a Princess Bride-ish quality.
What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?
My life experiences include automotive design and engineer, entrepreneur, and inventor (Zip-UP Ceiling and Zip-UP Underdeck) and I have several successful business startups to my credit. However, these latter endeavors have taken a back seat to being fulltime caregiver to my autistic daughter. Writing is what I do when she doesn’t need my attention.
Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
Lots of people I have known have added to that story, however, my life partner and wife, Terry, has been with me through it all. We support each other, encourage, and face each new adventure knowing the fall back is the other.
If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
I think it would be cool to talk to somebody like Newton, or Darwin, and describe to them the modern world we live in. How cool it would be to validate their work and worth to every person who has lived since their minds began their scientific journeys.
What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?
Write for yourself first. Your heart is the best guide to what is great.
Do you have some social media links for us to follow you?
: https://www.facebook.com/LRChroniclesoftheManaar
Website: https://www.lrmaleynovels.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60792671-immersion
Other: https://www.instagram.com/l.rmaleynovels/
Links To Purchase Books
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B35S2GM6?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_m_mng_rwt_sft_tkin_taud
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B35S2GM6?binding=audio_download&ref=dbs_m_mng_rwt_sft_taud_tkin
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B35S2GM6?binding=paperback&ref=dbs_m_mng_rwt_sft_tpbk_taud
https://www.lrmaleynovels.com/
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