Bevan McGuiness

answers the Usual Questions

Has your interaction with fans, for example, at conventions, affected your work?

Yes, definitely. I always come away from any fan interaction energised and brimming with ideas. The thought that anyone would read my stories and not only enjoy them, but part with their hard-earned cash to own them is both humbling and exciting. Also, meeting fans - and not fans - at any of the various conventions that I go to is just the best source of inspiration. It is easy to forget how many interesting people there are out there and to meet people who are living their lives differently to how I do is a rich vein of creativity for me. How dull would writing be if we all just based our stories on just our own lives?

Is there any particular incident (a letter, a meeting, a comment that stands out?

I went to a SWANCON in West Australia some years ago and went to a Jedi Knight Boot Camp training session. It was insane, so much fun with so many people having a good time. I took away some images of the mock fights that made their way into a book that was published.

Do you have a favourite author or book (or writer or film or series) that has influenced you or that you return to?

So many to choose from. It is hard to limit myself to any sort of reasonable limit, just one is simply impossible but I will try to limit it to few within the categories. Author(s) - Michael Moorcock, Anne Tyler and Iain Banks Book(s) - Riddle Master of Hed series, Art of War, Dune Movie(s) - Star Wars, The Matrix, Serenity, Pitch Black TV - Buffy, Numbers, Castle, Big Bang Theory.

Who is the person you would most like to be trapped in a lift with? or a spaceship?

Lift - the mechanic who services the lifts for a living or, failing that, Batman. Spaceship - a qualified astronaut who happens to love fantasy, Monty Python and heavy metal music

Who is the person you would most DISlike to be trapped in a lift with? Or a spaceship?

Lift - Justin Beiber. Spaceship - the starting lineup for the Big Brother house.

What would you pack for space? (Is there a food, beverage, book, teddy bear, etc that you couldn't do without?)

Food - Pizza (how can one survive in space without pizza?). Beverage - chocolate milk shake (just because...). Also, maybe a Justin Beiber CD (because in space, no one can hear you scream). Oh, and my Dungeons & Dragons books etc and the crew I have been adventuring with for about three decades.

What is the most important thing you would like to get/achieve from your work?

The most important thing by far is to have people (as well as my Mum) who read and like my stories.

What is the special satisfaction of your work?

Having people (not just my Mum) reading and liking my stories.

submitted by Bevan McGuiness

18 July, 2014

For other answers to The Usual Questions Click here

Just the facts:
Born: Fremantle WA
Resides: Perth WA
Bibliography/Awards:
The Triumvirate Trilogy (The Awakening, The First Weapon, The Way of Purity)
The Eleven Kingdoms Trilogy (Slave of Sondelle, Scarred Man, Revenant)
Teaching Daedalus; The Only Evil; Sunny the Sunflower's Journey and another book, published under a pseudonym (so that my Mum never finds out that I wrote it. It's got naughty bits and bad words in it, and there's another one coming that is even ruder. Don't tell Mum)
Awards - a few years ago, I won first place in an archery competition, does that count?

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