Exclusive Q/A session with the Author of The Mind of the Man-child, Russell Gaynor
The blame falls to my grandmother and her invaluable integrity. Around her, if you couldn’t do a thing, don’t say otherwise. One day, a very young boy wanted to watch Mighty Mouse instead of her preferred black & white movies, and he made the claim he could write better stories with one hand tied behind his back. To her credit, she did NOT tie my hand behind me, but she did provide a stack of pads and a box of pencils before saying, “Prove it!”
I was passing the halfway point of the second pad (keep in mind, I was 5 and my words took up three lines!!!) when she picked up the first one and started reading. She had not yet finished the first pad when she tossed it down and told me to get my coat. She walked me to the library, sat me down, and read me The Three Musketeers. I’ve been in love with flawed heroes ever since!
2. How many books have you written/ are writing?
The number is north of 50 and getting bigger every year.
3. The title, The Mind of the Man-Child, is intriguing. What makes you choose this title?
This is one of the cases where the title wasn’t created until the story had been told. Among the Prodigian, there are a number of tribes, but the largest and most powerful are the Star-Children and the Man-Lords. The MC is a child of two up and coming wonders from opposing tribes. His father is a Man-Lord and his mother is a Star-Child. Mind of the Star-Lord seemed a bit too puffy for me at the time, whereas Mind of the Man-Child would allow people to make a few errant assumptions.
4. The book deals with some of the complex psychological themes. What message were you hoping readers would take away?
Mind of the Man-Child is Book One of the Lost Children of Earth series, but it’s basically a “What If” story where the history of man is called into question. I believe we’re meant to learn from our past, but like making your way after a serious break-up, don’t go toting your past like luggage, inflicting its weight to burden your present and/or your future.
5. Are there any books, films, or personal experiences that influenced you to develop any of your books?
I’m motivated by the extremes. Really good stories make me write, hopefully adding to the count of good books. Really bad stories make me write to prove it could be and should be done better.
6. What part of writing The Mind of the Man-Child did you enjoy the most?
How the actions of the Prodigian are received by the common human. A crime scene where a Man-Lord Warrior has been having her fun. How do investigators explain glass knocked INSIDE the living room of a third story apartment that’s nowhere near the fire escape? They don’t find any markings where rope or cable might have been used and each victim in the apartment seems to have suffered from spontaneous human combustion. To the Prodigian it’s an easy answer: the attacker used both telekinesis and pyrokinesis. To the FBI investigators tracking a string of equally weird killings, it’s another occasion where they have to shrug their shoulders and press on.
7. What was the biggest challenge you faced while writing this novel?
Coming to the viewpoint that it needed to be re-written! The very first time I wrote it, there wasn’t one single physical description in the entire story. Everyone was a silhouette! The second time I wrote I was too involved in the process, declaring that I was a fantastic writer with each line; sentences were overloaded with adjectives and adverbs. When I finally sat down to tell the story, it was a tremendous experience!
8. How long did it take you to write the book “The Mind of the Man-Child” Series, from the initial idea to the final draft?
It started out as a high-school creative writing essay (where I got an ‘A’!) and it’s been recrafted 10 TIMES! Of course, most of this was before I had confirmed with myself that I wanted to be a storyteller, so it took years!
9. Which character do you relate to the most, and why?
The MC, William. It sometimes feels like I reached into my own history and took out that awkward teenager and then gave him incredible mental capability.
10. What are you working on right now?
On June 3rd, I finished my most recent book, one that is part of a Science-Fantasy series (called Beyond the Outer Rim) which is currently 14 books long and getting longer. I had challenged myself to have 57 books written by the time I turned 57 years old. That book I finished on the 3rd was my 58th.
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