October 2018
Donald McEwing
Your new book, Against the Ghosts, was released last July, from where did you draw your inspiration for this book?
Lovecraft: At the Mountains of Madness and Call of Cthulhu.
Do you work from an outline or are you a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants ("pantster") kind of writer and why?
The stories come to me in almost their entirety. But to write it and weave together the themes and the imagery takes a very long time.
What was the hardest part of writing this book and why?
Developing the universal themes takes a lot of time.
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
The scene on the cruise ship Acheron, with the ghost rising from the ocean. The theme of the book is almost encapsulated by the specter of an overwhelming entity looming above the protagonist.
We all love a hero. Was there a real-life inspiration behind your protagonist(s)? Please explain.
Not really. The hero is an anti-hero, who succee ds in making an affirmation of life.
Is there a clear villain in your book and if so, how did you get in touch with your inner villain to write this book?
The villain is the ghosts from the Mountains of Madness, and the ghosts can be seen as a metaphor for death, as much as anything else.
What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book?
The books is carefully researched. Sources include Lovecraft's stories, and various descriptions of the Antarctic stations and Traverse.
Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?
I learned a lot about Antarctica!
What are your future project(s)?
The next book is well underway, tentatively titled "A History of the Necronomicon." It opens with a scene at the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, during the Islamic Golden Age, 901 A.D. The number 901 (and 91) appears constantly throughout the series in various subtle forms.
Is there a message in your novel you hope readers will grasp?
Affirm life.
If you would like to contact Donald, check him out on Facebook at: facebook.com/donald.mcewing
"I love it when readers send photos of themselves reading my books."
Lovecraft: At the Mountains of Madness and Call of Cthulhu.
Do you work from an outline or are you a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants ("pantster") kind of writer and why?
The stories come to me in almost their entirety. But to write it and weave together the themes and the imagery takes a very long time.
What was the hardest part of writing this book and why?
Developing the universal themes takes a lot of time.
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
The scene on the cruise ship Acheron, with the ghost rising from the ocean. The theme of the book is almost encapsulated by the specter of an overwhelming entity looming above the protagonist.
We all love a hero. Was there a real-life inspiration behind your protagonist(s)? Please explain.
Not really. The hero is an anti-hero, who succee ds in making an affirmation of life.
Is there a clear villain in your book and if so, how did you get in touch with your inner villain to write this book?
The villain is the ghosts from the Mountains of Madness, and the ghosts can be seen as a metaphor for death, as much as anything else.
What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book?
The books is carefully researched. Sources include Lovecraft's stories, and various descriptions of the Antarctic stations and Traverse.
Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?
I learned a lot about Antarctica!
What are your future project(s)?
The next book is well underway, tentatively titled "A History of the Necronomicon." It opens with a scene at the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, during the Islamic Golden Age, 901 A.D. The number 901 (and 91) appears constantly throughout the series in various subtle forms.
Is there a message in your novel you hope readers will grasp?
Affirm life.
If you would like to contact Donald, check him out on Facebook at: facebook.com/donald.mcewing
"I love it when readers send photos of themselves reading my books."
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