Q1. What is your favorite word?
Iktsuarpok is an Inuit word for the feeling of anticipation you get when expecting a visitor, which causes you to keep going outside to see if you can see them approaching. I like it because it reminds me of the feeling you get as an author, when you’ve sent off a manuscript and you’re waiting for a reply from an agent or editor – you just keep hitting refresh on your inbox in the hop of seeing that email arrive.
Q2. What is your least favorite word?
My least favourite word at the moment is ‘pacific’ – not because I have anything against the word itself, or the ocean of that name; it just irritates me when people use ‘pacific’ when they mean ‘specific’.
Q3. How has social media helped your career?
Writing can be a solitary profession, and Twitter has become my equivalent of the office water cooler – a place where I can take a quick break from work to chat with colleagues and friends. It has enabled me to engage with the SF&F community and now, when I go to conventions, I get to meet and hang out with people I know from Twitter, and I get to talk online with other writers, as well as editors, agents and readers.
Q4. What would you say are the downsides to social media in your career?
The downside of social media is that it can be distracting and time consuming.
Q5. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I’ve always wanted to learn to fly a plane, so perhaps I’d like to be a pilot. Either that, or a filmmaker. A lot of the ideas I have for my writing express themselves cinematically, so it would be interesting to see them translated onto a big screen.
Q6. What profession would you not like to do?
Having worked in call centres and dead-end temp assignments, I count myself fortunate that I’m now able to spend my time doing something I love.
Q7. What is your favorite curse word?
Fuck-a-doodle-doo.
Q8. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
Play Again? Y/N
Thanks Gareth! Mr Powell writes about may things including a monkey with an eye-patch who flies Spitfires and is called Ack-Ack Macaque. Don’t believe me? Check out his website here.
Next Time: Adam Christopher
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