TQ: What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
Corwin: The simple fact that I write is quirk enough. Sitting tight and concentrating is difficult, but probably quite boring to observe. Lots of staring spells and bad posture. I’m not sure I understand the “joy of writing.” A good day of writing often leaves me feeling muddle-headed and intolerant.
TQ: Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
Corwin: If Swell were a stew, some of the significant ingredients might be Homer, Melville, Chandler, and Voltaire. I recently finished reading The Long Ships by Frans Bengsstom and loved it. I’m looking forward eagerly to reading A Cruel Bird Came to the Nest and Looked In, the new novel by Magnus Mills. The same goes for Nicholson Baker’s House of Holes. This summer I read and truly enjoyed a pair of short books about cranky elders on little Scandinavian islands: The Old Man and His Sons by Heðin Brú and The Summer Book by Tove Jansson.
TQ: Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Corwin: I almost always wear pants as I plot.
TQ: Describe Swell in 140 characters or less.
Corwin: This is like a Tweet, right? I used to think “blog” was the stupidest new word. Tweet is stupider. Swell is about a man, an island and a whale. It’s shorter than Moby-Dick.
TQ: What inspired you to write Swell?
Corwin: I wanted to find out what lay beyond what I usually thought and wrote about. I was astonished to discover there was an end to my procrastination. I wish I had a handy answer--another writer or a book--but really it’s the sum of what was on my mind. Sometimes that seemed like quite a bit; other times, fog and darkness.
TQ: What sort of research did you do for Swell?
Corwin: I read about Norse and American Indian mythology. Northeast island life. The Kalevala. The Arctic. Bears, lampreys, whales. I live in a small town on a small mountain in inland western Massachusetts, just like Herman Melville did while he was writing Moby-Dick. I figured if he could do that, I could too. Of course I conveniently did not remind myself that I had not ever been a whaler, nor had I jumped ship and lived on a South Pacific island. I did not research fishing or island life first-hand. I’d like to spend some more time on islands. I hope I never have to be a professional fisherman.
TQ: Who was the easiest character to write and why? Hardest and why?
Corwin: I had some fun writing Mr. Lucy, a crotchety geezer, though I don’t know if it was necessarily easy. Writing the protagonist, Orange Whippey, was easily the hardest, since the novel is in first-person, and he did the most of the storytelling work.
TQ: Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in Swell?
Corwin: I suppose I have a fondness for scenes where men struggle to behave themselves in small spaces--like Ishmael and Queequeg, Daffy and Porky, Laurel and Hardy. I wrote a few scenes like those: in beds, saunas, and boats.
TQ: What's next?
Corwin: I’ll be reading from Swell all over the place, where, during Q&As, I’ll be dodging this very question. I’d like to become healthy and wealthy and happy, but instead I’ll probably keep working on my next book. Swellthenovel.com should be the source for updates and readings.
I’m also a contributing editor of Bateau Press: http://bateaupress.com/. We’re reading submissions for the journal and for the next poetry chapbook now.
TQ: Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.
Corwin: You’re welcome.
About Swell
Swell
Dark Coast Press, October 25, 2011Trade Paperback, 390 pages
Stranded on Wreck Rock, a bad day only gets worse when Orange is conscripted into service on board the Wendy's Mom.
After a drunken fall from the ruins of a navy ship and the ill-advised ingestion of a stimulating new drug, Orange is rescued by Angie Bombadier, a fetching and forthright fellow Islander.
But with the arrival of Snoori – a Finlindian whale herder on a quest to find the fabled hyperborea – and Waldena – a harpoon wielding Thor-cult prestess – the waters surrounding Bismuth get rough and Orange finds himself at the center of a search for a missing package.
Rumors swirl and dangers escalate, turning the serene isle upside-down. For things to be set right again, the package must be found and given to its rightful recipient.
Snorri is well-heeled and fiercely indomitable, yet drawn to Orange's own personal brand of complacency and coerces him into joining ranks. Korean smugglers also enlist Orange's help with their search (among other things). At the same time Waldena pursues the package for her own reasons. Perilous yet lithe, her frequent interrogations leave Orange terrified but oddly excited... that is until he learns that his life might actually be in danger.
A vast North Atlantic is teeming with mythical whales and epic tales. Cruising the open water, Orange drinks gallons of coffee and beer, barbeques squid, and even stumbles into a sweltering sauna with the alluring Bombardier sisters. Aboard the Honeypaws, he is set on course to encounter an ancient council that is helping secretly create the WhaleNet, a cell phone network made of migrating whales. The council's possible ulterior motvies could hold the surprising and bizarre resolution to Orange's journey.
Drawing from the various satiric traditions of Neil Gaiman, Thomas Pynchon, and Christopher Moore, Swell is full of legend and lore, big fish stories, and unforgettable humor.
About Corwin
Corwin's Links
Swell the Novel (website)
Swell by Corwin Ericson (Facebook)
The Giveaway
THE RULES
What: One commenter will win a copy of Swell from Dark Coast Press (US Mailing Addresses Only).
How: Leave a comment answering the following question:
What is your favorite kind of whale?
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You may receive additional entries by:
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There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.
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Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a US mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Monday, November 7, 2011. Void where prohibited by law. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.
*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*
