Courtesy of, and Thanks to, Natasha Hollerup at The Melting Pot
Hello and welcome to a new installment of “What’s Your Story?” The subject interviewed in this installment is David Hunter, who is a musician and a writer, as well as a blogger of news and writing advice. So, please give your attention, applause and goodwill to Mr. Hunter.
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Can you tell everyone your name and location?
-I am David Hunter, and I dwell in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Okay, David, here is a set of simple questions to begin with:
When and where were you born?
-I was born in Toronto on October 19th, 1971. Wow, that date is starting to sound ancient! I was raised there as well.
What are your hobbies?
-Photography is a big passion of mine; and playing my guitar (A 1978 Les Paul Gold Top! Got it when I was 16 and I still have it…) And of course reading books, if that qualifies as a hobby. I’d say writing, but that’s not a hobby, it’s my obsession, my life!
How long have you had these hobbies?
-I think I was born with my hobbies! Although I started playing guitar rather late in life, at age 15, I excelled at it quickly.
What is your favorite part about this hobby?
-That I was good! Within a few weeks I joined a band at school. People look at you different when you can play a guitar! I enjoyed that look.
What kind (s) of music do you like (bands, singers, genres)?
-How much time you got? There are so many; Rock, jazz, folk, you name it. If it sounds good, it is good. I do hold a special place in my heart for the Beatles. As Jazz goes, Joe Henderson is my favorite. And Vince Guaraldi. And Dave Brubeck! (See? I need more time…)
Who is your favorite author? Why?
-No one could turn a phrase as well as Edward Abbey, even though the man himself was a bit of a wing-nut. I picked up a copy of The Monkey Wrench Gang when I was 12 and I never put it down. I still have that copy! His writing influenced me the most. He was a curmudgeon and a desert anarchist who burned billboards because they were an affront to the landscape, but boy could he write some beautiful stuff!
What was the most recent book you’ve read?
-Blood Work, by Michael Connelly.
What were your thoughts on it?
-It was good; a page turner. But the movie was better, I thought. It’s one of those books that I forget soon after I’ve read it. How terrible is that?
What are you currently reading for enjoyment?
-I’m currently re-reading an old YA (young adult) book that I’ve had since high school; the Pigman, by Paul Zindel. It’s one of my all-time favorites.
What place do you/have you want (ed) to visit or live in? Why?
-I think I’d like to bum around Europe. It seems very artsy and writerly; and it always impresses people when you say you’ve been places like Paris or Rome! Also, I could use some worldliness. I’m not very worldly.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
-Who wants to grow up?
Here are some more personal questions:
What three people are most important to you?
-Carl Sagan, Chuck Jones, and my mom. Not in that particular order, either.
Could you describe them and your relationship to them?
-My mom is the last parent I have, so that’s self explanatory. She really belongs in the mom Hall of Fame.
Can you describe your most recent mistake or failure?
-I should have taken writing in college instead of art; big mistake. Here I was with all this writing ability and I was still clinging to my artistic dreams. It was a hard lesson, learning that you’re not going to be successful at something you love, and I loved to draw, but it wasn’t my real destiny; writing was. Thank the gods for writing; it saved me.
Can you describe your most recent victory?
-I consider all my new friends on Twitter a victory for me. My dream was to be a part of a creative community and I accomplished that in the past year; they sustain me; they inspire me!
What do you do for a living?
-I work in a Food Container plant; in the mornings I do maintenance, in the afternoons I work in the Graphics department.
Tell me about how you got into your line of work.
-I had experience as a superintendent, so I applied for this job. It’s your standard 9 to 5 job, and it’s very similar to being a super. I needed money, and my only skills include writing and being creative, things we know are hard to make money at. The Graphics part came about because I asked them to train me. I wanted to move up in the company.
Do you like your job?
-It’s a job, that’s all; nothing special. I guess that means no!
If you could do anything now, what would you do? Why?
I would love to be writing for the local media, become a part of the writing culture here in Toronto. Nothing says success like having your friends read your stuff in the local paper.
What do you hope to accomplish in 2010?
-What does any self-respecting writer want to accomplish? A finished manuscript, a book deal, and to move to California. Me and California, we are meant for each other!
How do you think you’ll accomplish this/these goal (s)?
-By working my ass off. I know of no other way.
What genre of writing do you want to write in?
-I love crime fiction, but I also love Sci-fi, (although my lack of scientific knowledge may prevent this…) and comedy; but I’m mostly mainstream. I love many genres, so I hope I don’t get pigeon-holed into only one genre.
Why do you gravitate towards this particular type of writing?
-Under the Mainstream banner I can write anything, and I won’t get trapped in any one genre. I like to be free in what I write.
Do you have any works in progress?
-I have a story called Rockfish, set in the 1960’s.
Can you give a brief summary about it?
-It’s about a kid named Everett Winsom who is dealing with his messed up family…and the fact that he has a bad leg that makes him limp, makes him the butt of jokes at school. He has a mentally challenged brother and an alcoholic mother…
When do you plan to become published?
-As soon as humanly possible! But seriously, it’s a long process. These things take time. Like any optimistic writer, I plan to get published within the year, which is wishful thinking at best.
If you become a published author, would you quit the job you have now to primarily write?
-A resounding “hell yeah” would be the appropriate response.
What do you like the most about writing? What do you like the least?
-I like the creativity of it; creating my own characters, my own worlds, where I can explore things. Plus, let’s face it, writers like to write because they can be in charge of these little places in their minds; petty tyrants lording it over imaginary people. That’s the real reason people write, isn’t it? What I hate is the doubt; it can be debilitating.
What do you want to be doing in five years?
-Writing for a living; traveling the world; hopefully engaged with love and life.
List five adjectives that describe yourself.
-Stubborn, sensitive, creative, easy-going and hungry (Hungry being a metaphor for motivated)
How would you like to be remembered?
-Through my writing. I hope students will be reading and discussing my work a hundred years from now, and I hope they say, “He was pretty cool”.
Can you name three to five things you want to do before you die?
-Meet the perfect girl, fall in love, have children, become a published writer, and bowl a 300 game.
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Thank you very much, David, for such wonderful insights and a wonderful interview. I hope that we see more of you here in The Melting Pot. If you wish to see some of David’s work now, please visit his site, The Writers’ Den. If you wish to be interviewed, please email me at Natasha.Hollerup@Rocketmail.com. Thank you.
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