Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Heya, I’m Brett! I’ve recently finished my first written work. An oeuvre is to follow.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My poetry collection is entitled raw AF – poems: sex drugs beauty madness.
It’s a collection of 200 poems, spanning 9 thematic sections, taking readers through dreams, reality, art mediums, relationships, music, psychedelics, and a whole lot more along the way.
It was inspired by my life experiences and those of others. It’s told with a vulnerable intimacy to the beat of a tune, and doesn’t let up for even a moment.
Perhaps this ‘about poem’ puts it best:
raw AF is a poetry collection vividly
depicting intricate moments
of the human experience
elements ranging from
sex relationships heartbreak loss addiction
intense violence drugs alcohol abuse severe
depression mental illness and suicide
are at the forefront of this poetry experience
brilliant spectrums paint naked flesh & canvas
ink spills a black deluge upon pages
a photographer’s lens focuses
upon many characters
bokeh luminescent
unrefined verses deliver emotive stories in
raw, aggressive lines
a poem forms the title, so titles come alive at a poem’s end
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
As opposed to normal writing habits!? Uh, yeah. I’d say I’ve got a few odd tendencies when it comes to writing.
I almost exclusively write to music. I write to beats, not lyrics. Sometimes tuning to just the right song or playlist on Spotify is the difference between engaging in a prolific writing session or scrambling between old notes and IG models. I’ve played the same songs upwards of 50 to 70 times in a row to stay in the vibes I needed for a piece. When I write, there’s a constant symphony playing. As long as I can find a good beat, I don’t have to stare at a blank page.
Striking the perfect balance of cannabis & coffee will keep me writing for hours.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
George Carlin’s Napalm & Silly Putty has always been an inspiration for me.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working formatting raw AF for a paperback & newsprint typography edition, as well as the follow-up to raw AF, which will be called raw beauty.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
To be honest, the original and altered title of my book has made it difficult to promote. You can f*ck, say f*ck, write f*ck, read f*ck, though you can’t advertise or abbreviate f*ck. Go f*cking figure.
We’ll get there, but for the moment I’m out of f*cks to give on traditional paid promotion channels.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stop writing simple shit. There’s this firmly held belief that dumbing down your work appeals to readers. Writers have a responsibility to raise the bar, not dumb down society because an article said it’s trendy.
A successful author platform is the sum of literally several hundreds, if not thousands of intricate parts. In other words, writing a book is the easy part.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Fail fast. Fail often.
What are you reading now?
I bounce between books a lot. Currently reading:
How to Day Trade for a Living: Tools, Tactics, Money Management, Discipline and Trading Psychology – Andrew Aziz
The New Clean – Jon Sands
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom – Don Miguel Ruiz
What’s next for you as a writer?
Being grounded in the present, while writing about the future.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
– Quadrivium: The Four Classical Liberal Arts of Number, Geometry, Music, & Cosmology
– The Entire Oxford English Dictionary
– The 13 1/2 Live of Captain Bluebear – Walter Moers
– Napalm & Silly Putty – George Carlin
Author Websites and Profiles
Brett Crouse Website
Brett Crouse Amazon Profile
Brett Crouse’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account