This week Bethany Carr talks with Reynold jay, author of The Wurtherington Diary.

BC: What surprised you most while writing your latest book?

Reynold: My biggest surprise is that I wrote a fantasy series. When I began writing a few years back I loved writing the thriller, Forty Days to Armageddon I figured that I would never do fantasy. However I worked with Amara on her non-fiction story of her abusive childhood and that experience placed me firmly inside the head of a child. It was a gut-wrenching experience for both us and the book did well in the marketplace. Meanwhile I became interested in 3D movies that I watched in my home. The result was that I was watching a lot of stuff that I would not have watched otherwise. If it was in 3D I purchased it and watched it. In that much of this was animated fantasy by Pixar like Brave, Wreck it Ralph,  and Frozen, I quickly realized that I was missing out and knew that I could come up with something special. My work with Amara was the foundation and the motivation came from the 3D viewings.
BC: If you could live in any fantasy world, which one would it be?

Reynold: My wife says I live in fantasy land and she is correct. I live in my own little world and my characters are so very real to me. I do enjoy other fantasy worlds like Gulliver, Frozen, Brave,  and most Pixar films. I really do not read much at all, simply watch movies for entertainment so I have no knowledge of what a Harry Potter novel would look like in print. I imagine it is best as that way I am not derivative of others writers at all.  I really do not write to play to large numbers of readers. I create my own world mostly for myself and figure if others are drawn into it that I am fortunate. I do love the past and if readers are not interested in history at all they will never pick up my books. As I think about it now, I would love to live in the Swiss mountains with William Tell during the Dark Ages or Robin Hood battling the cruel King John.
 
BC: Do you enjoy writing to music? If so, do you have a go-to playlist?

Reynold: I keep the television running all the time and most often pay little attention to it. I keep it on cable channels where there is no irksome advertising. Most often I listen to the Encore western channel.  I was a mobile DJ for decades and loved it. These are the persons that play weddings and Christmas parties.  Music is too distracting for me because I love it so. In my early years I entertained as a musician and was most often the leader  of the band doing the vocals, lead guitar, etc. When I listen to music I find myself writing out all the instrumental parts of it in my head. Yep--too distracting.
BC:  Which part of the writing process do you enjoy more: Drafting or Revising?

Reynold: I enjoy both equally. The first draft in gut-wrenching on occasion as I turn blank pages into a story. I set 3,000 words as a minimum for a day's work and on a good day I can do 5,000 words. I always draw up a chapter by chapter outline and that keeps the story flowing in the proper direction. Most often that first draft is quite good and I always review it twenty times as I want everything to be its very best. By the time I have gone through it twenty times, I always have it all in good order. I imagine others might consider this to be tedious ( it is) but in that I am putting this out there for virtually anyone's eyes, I figure I owe them the very best I can do.
 
BC: What would you say is your superpower?

Reynold: I would say I have no super power at all.  In that I worked with mentally impaired students all my life I guess you could say I may very well be the most patient, compassionate person you could ever hope to meet. I am not trying to make myself out to be a saint; however those close to me will tell you those are my most endearing qualities. This trait  shows up in Tammy Wurtherington, and then the reader can see that these traits often have big rewards.

~ * ~