Interview With Author Thomas Murray
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Born in Philadelphia, Thomas Murray is foremost a storyteller and has been writing all his life. He is the author of 6 novels: The Eye of the Beholder, The Adventures of Nuno and Figo, The Amazing Tale of Gwennie, Only After Dark, Ponce de León, a Modern Sequel, and Red Is a Color. He lives in Portugal.
Having lived overseas for over 30 years on 5 continents and traveled to 89 countries, Thomas has trained his mind to be sensitive to the wide range of nuances and world views that make up the personalities of everyone he meets. Greatly appreciating global cultures, he includes many details about the places and characters to make readers feel they are part of the story.
When he is not writing, he is travelling and learning foreign languages, currently Portuguese.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Ponce de León: A Modern Sequel is the name of my latest published novel. I was intrigued by the idea of how would life be for someone who can live forever. How would being free of the worries of aging, health, and material wealth affect us? Would it produce perpetual happiness or an existential crisis?
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I use a general outline, which seems to be taboo among many writers. They do not want to be boxed into a structure, prefering a free-range approach. I do not understand how you can embark your readers on a journey without a destination and milestones along the way.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Every good book I have read has probably influenced me to some degree. I have had phases when I read everything by an author. If I had to name names I would say the following are some of my favorite authors: Joseph Conrad, Nikos Kazantzakis, James Joyce, Kurt Vonnegut, Henry Miller, Ernest Hemingway, etc.
What are you working on now?
I am working on my first non-fiction work. It is a collection of memories from my travels around the world by backpack in the 80’s and 90’s before the digital world took hold.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Amazon.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Ask yourself are you a story teller? Can you tell a longish joke that can make people laugh? That is a great start. Then you need to have the imagination to create a story plot that excites you. Create gripping characters. Put down the main trajectory of the story in an outline. At this point your passion should drive you forward. If you have these, then writer’s block should never happen. After 6 novels I have never experienced it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write. It is as simple as that.
What are you reading now?
I am (re)reading the important Chinese classics. Currently I am reading 書經, the Book of Documents. At the same time, I am also reading Twenty Years with My Cat by Mayumi Inaba and rereading Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Plucking another book idea floating in the ocean of my mind and prepare it to see the light of day.
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?
This is a diffult question, because it implies that I would reread them multiple times. I would prefer to bring reams of paper and many pens to write my own. I’d have plenty of time with no distractions.
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