Exclusive Interview with
David Cuff
When did you start writing?
I wrote my first novel, "The Last Noah", comparatively late in life. I was sixty years old; writing it fulfilled something that I'd been longing to do for quite a few years beforehand.
What makes writing your passion?
The enjoyment of telling a good tale, entertaining my readers, and being able to lose myself in the world I've created while I'm creating it.
How long have you been writing?
As I explained above, I came to the art of writing comparatively late in life. Better late than never, though!
What was the feeling when you published your first book?
I was proud of what I'd achieved, and pleased with myself for the effort I'd put into creating the book.
What’s the story behind your choice of characters?
I wanted to create two normal people whose lives become changed when they are suddenly thrown into a totally unexpected situation.
What annoys you the most in pursuing a writing career?
Writing a book is comparatively straightforward. Marketing it is not, and requires a great deal of work. Most of my book's readers have rated it highly, and some have directly corresponded with me to advise their enjoyment, but letting others know about my book's existence in a sea of other works is challenging.
How do you get over the “writer’s block”?
I take a break from writing and resume when I feel I'm ready to go on.
We all know the writer’s path is never easy, what makes you keep going? What advice would you give to new authors?
As above; the marketing is harder than the writing. Be prepared for that.
If you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, what would you say?
I wish I'd started writing much earlier in my life.
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with the bad ones?
I read all the reviews that I get. It is important to learn from the less-than-good ones, and to improve accordingly. I've had a few bad 'reviews' where the reviewer didn't appear to have read the whole book, or read it at all. I disregard those.
What is the feeling when you get a good review?
It gives me a warm feeling, and pleasure that readers do enjoy my work; but I'm also careful not to become conceited; even the best reviews often contain comments on aspects of the book from which the author can still learn and improve.
Have you ever incorporated something that happened to you in real life into your novels?
Yes. The plot of "The Last Noah" contains a fair bit of this, but I shall give no more details of that here!
Which of your characters you can compare yourself with? Did you base that character on you?
Some of my characters have aspects of their personalities that are based on people I've known, but I can't include myself in that comparison.
What do you think, the book cover is as important as the story?
I designed the cover of "The Last Noah" myself. The cover is important to re-assure potential readers that the book is of good quality and rests in the genre as advertised.
Do you connect with your readers? Do you mind having a chat with them or you prefer to express yourself through your writing?
I've exchanged correspondence with a few of my readers, and have no problem at all with doing so.
How do you feel when people appreciate your work or recognize you in public?
As above, a good review or good feedback makes me pleased that I've created a work that gives enjoyment to my readers. I've got a long way to go before people recognise me as an author in public!
Who is your favorite author? Why?
As a younger person, I read most of the works of Isaac Asimov. His books are a good mixture of science fiction and social / philosophical issues. They are thought-provoking.
What’s the dream? Whom would you like to be as big as?
Would you rewrite any of your books? Why?
If you could switch places with any author – who would that be?
What would you say to the “trolls” on the internet? We all know them – people who like to write awful reviews to books they’ve never read or didn’t like that much, just to annoy the author.
Invest your time better. Go away and write your own book.
What would you say to your readers?
I hope you enjoy reading my work. I'll be writing another one soon, and hope you'll enjoy that one, too.
Share a bit about yourself – where do you live, are you married, do you have kids?
I live near Mandurah, in Western Australia, with my wife.
What is your day job if you have one?
What are your hobbies? What do you do in your free time?
Did you have a happy childhood?
Is there a particular experience that made you start writing?
Do you have unpublished books? What are they about?
What do you think should be improved in the education of our children? What do we lack?
If you were allowed 3 wishes – what would they be?
What is your favorite music?
Share a secret with us 🙂