Exclusive Interview with
Lougash T. Shaw
When did you start writing?
Writing and language arts were always my best subjects in school, but I didn't start writing seriously and for long stretches until university.
What makes writing your passion?
Entering the language and storytelling.
How long have you been writing?
What was the feeling when you published your first book?
What’s the story behind your choice of characters?
Characters come naturally through the process of writing. I rarely start with something outside the context of the story developing on the page in front of me.
What annoys you the most in pursuing a writing career?
How do you get over the “writer’s block”?
I'm fortunate in that I haven't experienced it yet.
We all know the writer’s path is never easy, what makes you keep going? What advice would you give to new authors?
Being a writer or artist of any kind is a way of being in the world. So just keep going!
If you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, what would you say?
There are many things but I'll pick two:
1) Kindness is the greatest magic in all the world. So go out into the world and be kind.
2) There will always be people of greater or lesser talents than you, and none of that you can control. But the one thing you can control is how much effort you put into something.
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with the bad ones?
What is the feeling when you get a good review?
Have you ever incorporated something that happened to you in real life into your novels?
Yes, but very little of my own life goes into my stories. My imagination takes me very far away from my daily life or my life history.
Which of your characters you can compare yourself with? Did you base that character on you?
What do you think, the book cover is as important as the story?
The story is the most important, but the right cover is a great artistic partner to a story.
Do you connect with your readers? Do you mind having a chat with them or you prefer to express yourself through your writing?
I would love to talk to readers!
How do you feel when people appreciate your work or recognize you in public?
It's always encouraging and motivating when people appreciate and relate to something I've put a lot of time and imagination into creating.
Who is your favorite author? Why?
There's too many to count.
What’s the dream? Whom would you like to be as big as?
Would you rewrite any of your books? Why?
Writing is a process, and an endless one, so I would have to say yes!
If you could switch places with any author – who would that be?
I wouldn't switch places with another person. Be the hero of your own story!
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.
It's probably best to just ignore that kind of negativity.
What would you say to your readers?
Thank you for engaging with my art!
Share a bit about yourself – where do you live, are you married, do you have kids?
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?
Reading!
Do you have unpublished books? What are they about?
Yes, and I'm rewriting them. I like to keep a book a secret until it's ready for someone else.
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?
That every child on this earth has a childhood - and I'd wish for it three times.
What is your favorite music?
Share a secret with us 🙂