About
I'm not one for talking about myself, so I decided to solicit some basic interview-type questions from some friends and contacts and answer them accordingly.
Email: crothall [@] gmail [.] com (remove brackets and spaces)
Full Name: Jamie Brian Crothall
Born On: February 19, 1976
Born In: Gravesend, Kent (England)
Raised In: Sudbury, Ontario (Canada)
Lives In: Cambridge, Ontario (Canada)
What is your writing style? -> I prefer to write more in a form of intelligent humour. That's not to say I am intelligent - just my characters.
What is your genre? -> I have no one specific genre, however I always endeavour to provoke thoughts and keep the reader guessing.
What topics inspire you? -> I draw inspiration from the minuite of daily life and all the what-if scenarios and situations that arise. Only my 'what-ifs' are a little more far-flung.
What made you start writing? -> Cartoons. I became increasingly unhappy with the standard of storytelling and began mentally amending the resolution in a manner which I found more fitting. This frequently resulted in casualties for the good guys and victories for the bad guys. It wasn't that I was rooting for the wrong team, but rather even at a young age I realized that the ratio of wins to loses for each side was not realistic. When faced with that many failures even the most villainous of villains would re-think his platform and re-consider his motives. And if he didn't then his followers certainly would.
What was the first book that made you say 'whoa'? -> 'The Chrysalids' by John Wyndham (first published in 1955, first read by me in 1991). This was the first time I read a required-reading book that I liked. Loved, even. I was quite indignant when it actually ended. That was about twenty years ago now. I really should go back and read it again...
What do you want to contribute to your genre? -> Since I don't have a specific genre, I'll have to ask myself "what do I want to contribute to the reading public in general?". And since that means I was still unsuccessful in dodging that weighty question, I'd have to say 'simplicity'. I think it's important to create a virtual world which illustrates your story vividly while giving each reader the leeway to add their own visual taste and flavour. And I think all this should be done in as few words as possible. Setting the scene effectively yet without unnecessary flourish. I have little patience for authors who revel in their own word-smithing.
Ever been to the desert? -> This question is a reference to an artist's journey into a place that inspires or provokes them into their own creative fits. No, I haven't been to the desert, but I've been to my garage where I have a desk, a laptop, a slew of old cassettes and CD's, and a number of bottles of Jack Daniels in various stages of 'empty'.
