Interview with Gerad Vandegrift
Published 2014-03-23.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
When I'm not writing I'm either at work teaching English, reading, watching a movie with my wife, or traveling around Japan.
How do you discover the ebooks you read?
I take suggestions from my friends.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Well, the first story I ever tried to write was a story about pirates. I never finished it, but I was still in middle school and I didn't have the longest attention spa.....
What is your writing process?
Sit down. Start writing. Don't get up.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
No, but one of the earliest memories I have of reading is listening to my father read "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." It completely captured my imagination at the time, and it's still one of my favorites.
What do you read for pleasure?
Anything. I read a lot of news and articles online, and at home I try to read a book every week.
Describe your desk
I have a very boring desk. It's a grey desk, at the end of a row of grey desks, in a room full of other teachers sitting at grey desks. In Japan the students stay in individual classrooms and the teachers move around, so we have our own "work room."
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I'm an air-force brat, so I grew up moving all over Europe and the United States. Consequently, I love writing about the places I've been, and I love stories about rovers and journeys. A lot of my stories are about traveling in one way or another.
When did you first start writing?
Just about a year ago!
What are you working on next?
My next project is a story about an English sailor in the 1600s, who is stranded by a storm in Japan. Japan at the time was closed to foreigners, and if he is found there is a very real possibility he'll be executed.
Who are your favorite authors?
Jack London, Khaled Hosseini, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Naguib Mafouz.
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