Interview with Ryan McInally - Author of The Carpenter's Son

Can you tell us a little about your books and yourself?

My name's Ryan and I am a bit of the following, Technology Enthusiast, Writer, Educator, Perpetual Student, Politically Interested, Whiskey Drinker, and lover of Cinema and Art. Mostly I enjoy writing. I'm from the GTA (General Toronto Area). During the day I work in a school with various students, mainly supporting their academic and social needs. I have a formal education in Broadcast Journalism, with a specific focus in Video Editing, Writing, and Cinematography. I like the color green, and the number three.





The Carpenter's Son is something I have been toying with for a couple of years now. It's fiction; however, a lot of the stories in it are drawn from conversations with my family. All good fiction has elements of truth in it.  
What inspired you to write your books?


I wanted to understand the push and pull factors of immigration at the time. My dad's family immigrated to Canada from Scotland. My grandfather served in the Navy as an Electrician during WWII. My grandfather was injured during the war and blown off the back of a merchant ship. Luckily he survived. Writing the book was as much about expressing a story that was personal, as it was about learning about my own families history.

What are some challenges that you faced while writing?


One of the biggest challenges was the process of getting interested than losing focus. I mapped out what I wanted to write, and how I wanted to tell the story. I had the plot laid out from the early beginning. I felt it hard to fill it in as time went by. I felt like I didn't leave myself a lot of options to steer the story in a different direction if I wanted or needed to. The vignettes helped. I was able to explore secondary characters to help give context to the main story. Writing the vignettes was the most enjoyable part of writing the story. I was able to help mold and shape the story from the sidelines.

What are your hobbies and interests away from the desk?


I enjoy reading, playing video games, watching movies, traveling, and learning. I'm interested in current events and politics. During the summer I try to spend a fair amount of time outdoors. During the winter I'm usually limited in terms of outdoor activities.

What are your current projects?


I recently completed, edited, and submitted a 1400 word non-fiction short story to CBC's Canada Writes Competition. I haven't really written a whole lot of non-fiction stories, and felt that it would be a great opportunity for me to explore a new avenue of creative writing. The story is called Tuesdays with Tim, which is a reflective piece about a student I worked with last year. There will be a total of four runner ups and one grand prize winner, all of which will have their content posted online at www.cbc.ca. The first prize winner will have their content published in Air Canada's enRoute magazine.

In terms of writing another novel, that's currently not in the works. I felt like I had a hard time finishing The Carpenter's Son. I think what I may be interested in doing is writing a handful of short stories and trying to either combine them into an eBook collection or potentially looking to get some of them published. I won't say I will never write another novel or novella again, but I would like to take some time to explore some other avenues of creative writing. Writing a book is like having a long term relationship with someone, it's not healthy to jump out and into one so quickly

Posting on my blog, at http://gradualthought.blogspot.ca fills my immediate needs to express myself.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?


I don't think I'm at a point where I should be giving advice to be honest. I'm still learning through my mistakes and successes. I think this entire process has been a learning experience. I would say that the biggest barrier I've faced is the one that comes after I finished writing my book.
There's a ton of options and routes one can take when trying to publish, advertise, and share their content. The market for eBooks is saturated and ultra competitive. I do things because I love to do them. I think I wrote the book for the right reasons. I think it's important to remember that the process reaps its own rewards, not just the end result.

Want to connect with me?
Blog
http://gradualthought.blogspot.ca/ 

Want to know where to buy my book?
Amazon
The Carpenter's Son  
Barnes & Noble
The Carpenter's Son
Kobo
The Carpenter's Son
Smashwords
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/384485

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