Some of you may know our featured writer Travis E. Taylor if you took advanced math classes at Southeast Whitfield High School. But Taylor is the rare specimen who has an aptitude for solving quadratic equations and a prodigious imagination.
The publisher 48 Hour Books recently gave him its top prize for his wry short story about a snake named Copper who is tired of being trod on and decides to fight back. Taylor’s debut novel “Faithless Descent” was described as “a heart-wrenching coming of age story with an unexpected twist.”
Enjoy the Q & A I conducted with Taylor who expounded on his works and writing style.
Prompt: Tell us about your writing process and the way you brainstorm story ideas.
Taylor: I have my writing desk. My little cat has her bed that hangs in the window above my computer. We wait until the sun has set, I light a candle and then Overcast and I get to work. Writing a book takes me a whole year. I live in a world of shiny objects and sometimes it is difficult to focus on just one project.
My writing comes from a spark of an idea and hours of tedious mapping, outlining and sculpting before the actual writing even begins. But I avoid topics that require in-depth research. You will never catch me writing a novel on the Spanish Inquisition. My characters, stories and worlds are fictional; therefore, I circumvent the need for too much research.
Question: What is your inspiration for writing?
Taylor: I write for myself. What story would I want to read, what adventure or situation would I love to see play out? Alternatively, some of my ideas come from cultural frustrations, societal behaviors and beliefs, and the moral implications of how we treat each other. Writing is therapy and my books can be my own form of a punching bag. I’d rather not dive too deep into what that says about me.
Q: Do you believe in writer’s block?
Taylor: I have never experienced writer’s block. But in the last few years I moved from Brazil to America, got married, and changed my career path, so I know how easily life can get in the way of your writing, or any passion.
Q: How did you celebrate the publishing of your first book?
Taylor: My wife packed a pancake breakfast and we drank mimosas (shhh) in Piedmont Park. Yes, I know how lucky I am.
Q: What other authors are you friends with and how do they help you become a better writer?
Taylor: I don’t know many authors. However, I have a wonderful group of friends that I continually bounce ideas and stories off of. My wife Brittany listens to all my ideas and helps me shape them. My sister Megan, a nurse, is often called upon for a medical/biological perspective. My friend Isaac in Cali gets to dredge through most of my stories, and I depend on his (painful) honesty. I try to diversify my characters, so I depend heavily on my friends from backgrounds other than my own to ensure I do them justice. My sisters-in-law are my social media/marketing gurus. And I often call on my brother-in-law Danny for Spanish dialogue. In short, it takes a village, and I am lucky to have creative, talented and, most importantly, patient individuals in my life.
Q: If you were given the opportunity to form a book club with your favorite authors of all time, which legends or contemporary writers would you want to become a part of the club?
Taylor: I would pick a handful of pop authors: Chuck Palahniuk, Stephen King, Nick Hornby and Neil Gaiman. To write in a way that pleases the masses is an amazing thing and I bet these four would be a blast to have a glass of wine with.
Q: How do you think the concepts such as Kindle and ebooks have changed the present or future of reading?
Taylor: As with anything, the more easily accessible it is, the easier it is to disregard. With a world of books at your fingertips, it is so easy to abandon a story and move on. On the flip side, authors like myself depend on the ability to share our book globally with the ease ebooks provide. Shrug. Yin and yang, I suppose.
Q: What marketing strategies do you find most helpful?
Taylor: Because I am still very much learning to crawl, I depend on my own personal network in terms of sales. I attend local author events, but social media is my bread and butter.
Q: Can you tell us about your current projects?
Taylor: I am very excited to release “Good Clean Fun” this year. It is a story about a diverse group of high school graduates starting their own grassroots cartel in their small town. It has been so much fun to write and I can’t wait to get it to the public. Other than that, I put out short stories as often as I can.
Q: Any advice you would like to give to aspiring writers?
Taylor: I am lost and confused and making a mountain of mistakes. But I am moving forward. There is no right way to do any of this. Create something and be bold enough to show it to whomever cares enough to look.
• Get a taste of Taylor’s style and read his latest short stories for free at https://www.travisetaylor.com/home/short-stories. And “Faithless Descent” can be checked out with your PINES library card.