Interview: Arthur Daigle

Greetings humans, half-breeds, and everything in between. A while back, I had the pleasure to interview a wonderful author named, Arthur Daigle. A good time was truly had by all and here’s how it went down.

Hi there Arthur! It’s so awesome to have you here at the ECS Blog. Don’t worry about the darkness, your eyes will adjust.

So tell me, who is Arthur Daigle?

My name is Arthur Daigle.  In the past I have worked as a biologist, a test grader, and now as an author.  None of them paid very well.  In addition to writing, I enjoy drawing and gardening.  I like reading nature books, some biographies, and science fiction and fantasy when it’s good (that’s been a hard find lately).

Well Arthur, I too enjoying drawing even though I’m not much good at it. I have no gardening skills to speak of, but I do adore a well-kept garden; I even write about them in my books.

So whacha got for me today?

William Bradshaw is tricked by lawyers in being the King of the Goblins on the world of Other Place.  His goblin followers are short, stupid and mildly crazy, and love setting traps.  Will can get home by finding a loophole in his king contract, but that’s the least of his worries when he accidentally starts a war with a human kingdom.  Will has to win the war with two troll bodyguards, an overactive fire scepter, an irritable magic mirror, and hordes of goblins.  But goblins haven’t won a war in recorded history, and they have no intention of starting now.

Huh…this sounds like one crazy read, but in a good way. I can already feel the laughter rolling from the pages.

So who’s starring is this 2 dimensional script read of William Bradshaw, King of the Goblins?

William Bradshaw is an unemployed business major saddled with heavy student debts.  The best word to describe him is ‘average’, as he is not very strong or fast and, while clever, he’s no genius.  He is a very reluctant hero and just wants to go home and avoid the potentially fatal excitement that comes his way.  Will is a fast thinker and can come up with good plans in a hurry.  He has a healthy dose of common sense and logic, which does less good than you might think when so few other people have these qualities.  He gets along well with people and looks for the best in them.

Will sounds like a pretty nice guy. It’s too bad he’s going to be pulled into all the chaos of Other Place, but that’s what makes a good story.

Past, present, future, is there a rhyme or reason to your writing?

I get book ideas from all kinds of sources.  These include other books, history, video game covers and dreams.  Sometimes they just sort of appear in my head with no idea where they came from.  Once I know what the book is about I take walks.  During these walks I picture scenes from my book in my head as if they were movie clips, each scene lasting between ten seconds and five minutes.  When I have enough scenes ready I mentally stitch them together and write them down.  I have no music, food or drink around when I write.  These things are distractions that keep me from working. 

I am currently editing the sequel to my book and writing more Will Bradshaw stories.

I like the idea of putting a movie together with movie clips. Most animated movies are first put together in storyboard form anyway, so it must work. Glad to know you’re working to continue this story.

What author(s) has most influenced your writing? Why or how?

I’m fond of Terry Pratchett’s Disc World series and Robert Asprin’s MYTH Series of books.  Both writers do very good humorous writing and have interesting characters.  I’ve learned from these men and others that you can discuss difficult topics with humor, and if you can get people to laugh long enough they might listen to what you have to say.

Good point. I think people spend too much time looking for things to critique or argue about. I’d much rather laugh…I haven’t actually read either of these, but the Disc World books have been on my TBR list. I guess I’ll add the Myth Series as well.

Whose brain are you just itching to scratch?

I’ve been a fan of Jim Henson for years, and I’d love the chance to talk to him.  He created so many wonderful shows and movies.  I’d like the chance to ask him what it took to do this so one day maybe I can do the same.

Love this. I bet a conversation with Jim Henson would be informative and entertaining. When I think of him, I think of movie magic and child-like creativity. I adore the Muppets and it’s all thanks to this guy.

Who is so you and why?

The only character from TV that I was ever compared to was a character from a Korean historical drama.  The character (sorry, I don’t recall the name) was a good man born in bad times, and he did not put up with the evil and corruption around him.  I was compared to him once because I don’t put up with it when people do wrong or try to abuse my trust.

Well this comparison is a testament to your character. Too bad you can’t remember the character’s names.

What’s your ideal reading spot for your next highly anticipated read?

I generally lay on my bed when I’m reading.  There’s no food and no drinks, since I would have to put the book down to eat or drink.  I avoid music, too, as it distracts me from the book.  I read hardcover and softcover books, but no ebooks or audiobooks.  If I’m spending hard earned money for a book then I want paper in my hands, no exceptions.

As for what I’m reading, I’m sad to say not much.  Many of my old favorite authors aren’t as good as they once were (Piers Anthony), or are in declining health (Terry Pratchett).  They’re not the authors they used to be.  This is going to sound incredibly conceited, but I started writing in part because I had such a hard time finding books from other people that I like.

I guess if you like what you like, you can’t really change that, unless you really want to. I hope you don’t run out of things to read, but since you get your inspiration from multiple sources, I’ll guess you’ll be ok.

What was your favorite book or story, pre-teen years?

I liked Piers Anthony’s Dragon on a Pedestal, part of the Xanth series of books.

That’s seem like a cool series...Now this is where the questions get a little kooky; are you ready?

Yes.

Alright then, here we go.

If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?

That would be Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal.  His work in puppetry is amazing in that movie, and his world building is so complete you practically feel like you could find the place on the map.

That’s a good one, though if I had to choose one Henson film it would be Labyrinth.

What makes you geek out?

I’m a major fan of Jim Henson’s works.  His Muppets and storyteller series are fantastic, and I own many of his movies on DVD.  I have many books about the man himself and I want the rest.  I’d love to learn more of what his work was like behind the scenes.

A Henson fanboy! Not a first, but rare. I like it and can dig it. I adore the Muppets and the little bit I know about the man is fascinating. Maybe I’ll take some time to get to know more about him.

So what’s testing your patience right now?

I have been hoping/praying/demanding that Disney release seasons 4 and 5 of The Muppet Show for years.  Years!  It’s good comedy and family friendly, and we haven’t been able to get anything like it on TV for ages.

I agree. Wonder what's holding Disney back?

When the soundtrack of your life is playing in your head, what songs express your glee and what songs bring out your rage?

Generally I look for uplifting music.  Right now I’ve got ‘The one and only’ <=listen by Chesney Hawkes stuck in my head, and I’m liking it.  I also like ‘No myth’ by Michael Penn and ‘The promise’ by When in Rome.

Book titles are becoming like song titles and authors are becoming like music groups. There are just so many out there that you just can’t keep up with them all. I’ve heard of When in Rome, but that’s about it. Not that it matters; you like these songs and that’s all I need to know. I really enjoy knowing when someone has found a musical genre or group to like.

What’s the most fun experience you’ve ever had, to date?

I don’t know if this qualifies as fun, but the best experience I’ve had in a long time is when I got the acceptance email from my publisher.  He’d read the book and he wanted it, no major changes needed.  I dropped to my knees right then and there and thanked God.

That does sound pretty good. I’ll take it. ;)

Not that you can see into the future, but in your opinion, what does the future hold?

I’d like to be a successful published author with a solid fan base, but I don’t make predictions of the future any more.  My life has taken turns I would have never suspected, and I figure that’s the way it’s going to stay.

As for what the world is going to be like in a century, I hope we can reach the stars and stay there.

As long as there’s a spaceship with a gravity simulation running involved, I’m in.

Is there a question you would like to ask me?

Q: The old favorite is ‘why do you write?’ or ‘how did you get started in writing?’  I get those sometimes in other interviews.  Funny thing is I have a hard time answering them.  I can’t imagine myself not writing.  Creating is a part of me, a necessity no different than breathing.  The one time I tried to stop during college made me miserable.

A: I write because it’s a form of stress relief for me. I pursued publishing because I wanted to share my stories with the world in the hopes that I could entertain a few people.

Ok humans, half-breeds, and everything in between, that’s all for today. Be sure to follow this blog to see who will be visiting next time. For more from Arthur Daigle, check out these great links:

GoodReads: William Bradshaw, King of the Goblins

Facebook(s): Arthur Daigle

LinkedIn: Arthur Daigle, Author, Darien Illinois
William Bradshaw, King of the Goblins: Kindle, Paperback (re-release coming soon)

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Click below to share your reactions and more. Remember, I’ll be moving to the ToiBox full-time soon, so please, stop by to check it out. Until next time, Toi Thomas. #cursescanbebroken #thetoiboxofwords