Interviewing Bigfoot

I’m afraid my colleague Bigfoot is extremely shy, so he’s agreed for me, as his, er, ‘agent’, to tackle this interview. Not to say he wasn’t tickled to get the offer and to talk about his new novel—‘The Projectionist’!

When did Bigfoot first realize he wanted to be a writer?

He’s always jabbered on about stories, but thankfully kept them under his hat until fairly recently. It was last autumn when he first began his scribblings in earnest. I remember, because the leaves were on the change, but this time he barely remarked on them. Instead, his eyes gleamed with a strange new purpose, like he’d caught one of his infections again. All he could talk about were beating the dreaded thoughtslump and finding somewhere quiet to write.

The typewriter came soon after. And whatever my feelings on the matter, there was clearly no going back.

How does he schedule his life when he’s writing?

Bigfoot writes before sunrise, because he finds daylight terribly distracting. He’s never been the sort for noise or bustle or hanging out with other folk. For him, it’s just his ideas, the moonlight, and the clackety-clackety-clack of his typewriter getting into rhythm.

What would you say is his interesting writing quirk?

When Bigfoot’s competed his drafts, he insists on reading all his sentences backwards. I can tell because it makes him cross-eyed.

“Ridiculous!” I used to complain. “It’s bad enough that kids have to read your writing forward.”

All I got back was a deep harumph!

How did Bigfoot get his book published?

Some kind of dark magic: that’s the only explanation for an author who has an aversion to both the interweb and nonsense devices!

I just can’t figure out how…

Where did he get the idea for his book?

Well, ‘The Projectionist’ began (or so he tells me) with the notion of kids telling stories on the moon. But he wanted something more relatable, closer to home—with a small town feeling. It became one kid. Then one kid on Earth. Next that kid developed a special way of making stories: showing, not telling if you like!

Then came ‘the vine’, of course, and there was no stopping him. After that it was all lucid dreams, a dodgy neighbours, and lashings of brain-boggling cheese. Not forgetting a goldfish called ‘Hemingway’—I can’t say I was pleased he put that in.

What does Bigfoot like to do when he’s not writing?

Wasting time mostly. It really is his most remarkable quality. He mooches. He wanders and wonders. Next to rivers. In the hills. Those kinds of places. Looking for a nice cave to write in, I expect.

What was one of the most surprising things he learned in creating his book?

How utterly insufferable he’d become!

If only 🙂

Is there anything Bigfoot would like to confess about as an author?

He really wants to create a different type of book—to write the weirdest, wackiest, and most wonderful fiction, the kind that no right-minded bookseller would ever stock, yet will sail kids off to the most fantastical places.

And to be honest, although I have my misgivings, I do wish him the very best with it.