Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Shawn Butler
Book Title: Beasts of Sonara
Released: 11/12/21
Genre: Sci-Fi/Magical Realism
Interview by Heather L. Barksdale
What inspired you to write “Beasts of Sonara”?
Butler: Beast started as a goofy anecdote about a decapitated doll and a surfer in Costa Rica. From there, it turned into a far more substantial story about power, genetics, nature, love and relationships. The initial inspiration for both came from a few surf trips to Costa Rica where I stayed in the town of Nosara...which has some pretty obvious similarities to Sonara. Plus, I've always loved octopuses (hint: there's an octopus).
How did you come up with the names of your main characters?
Butler: I tried to find names that fit their personalities, cultures and the time they were born, so it was mostly about avoiding anachronisms. In some cases, this was very easy. In others, I probably changed a character's name three or four times before it seemed right for the person as I imagined them. This was even more true for the animals...
Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book?
Butler: The only thing I can think of is that I try to write about something that matters (to me): some moral or social issue, and the story wraps around that core theme or concept. So what I hope readers take away is not just a good story and entertainment but also some things to ponder in their own lives. That and keeping even serious things a little (lot) quirky and lighthearted.
If "Beasts of Sonara" was adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?
Butler: I'm not sure, though even if I was, I'd want readers or the director to make up their own minds. When I track characters, I usually use an actor's head shot to remind me of their facial features, eyes, etc., so all of the major characters have that. But this is purely visual. I have no idea if her persona would fit the character in the book or not. For Diego, I used a shot of Oscar Isaac, who I think would play Diego well if he took himself less seriously. For Otto, I always think of the Toaster Strudel boy ;) :
When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?
Butler: Great question, and I'm not sure. Writer's block for me is usually more about stress in my life than a given work. So I try writing around it or dealing with my stress / anxiety / insomnia until my brain starts working again. I don't have a great solution for all this yet. It has helped to be willing to just churn out words and then toss them out if they don't work, instead of staring at my screen until magic occurs. That's bad for the eyes, and the soul.
Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?
Butler: It really depends on who they are and what they want out of the career / hobby. It's a far more brutal and saturated industry than I realized at first, and there's a consequent tendency to churn out volume over quality just to make a poverty wage. There's a lot of great writing out there, but the desire to make money and the desire to tell genuinely good stories are in conflict (often) for the self-published author who doesn't have another source of income. I guess I'd encourage new authors to be aware of this and either embrace the suck of rapid publishing and marketing or the slower process of writing a great book or two that relatively few people will ever read. I hope that's not discouraging, but this is a tough biz...
What is your favorite genre, book, and/or author?
Butler: I like authors who tell big, sweeping stories with complex characters in a new and fully imagined world. In horror this means Stephen King's earlier works, in sci fi things like The Expanse, in fantasy the inevitable TLR, Game of Thrones and Harry Potter. And it doesn't hurt if the author likes to have a little fun. Think Harry Potter 3-5. And anything great in adventure non-fiction, history or science. It's oddly hard for me to find really engaging reads these days. I think being a writer spoils a little bit of the reading, sometimes, and I'm still figuring that out.
What are you working on next?
Butler: Arachniss just came out, my first stab (ha ha) at SF horror. I'm working on a new series in the Modified world (Beasts, Run Lab Rat Run) that connects the timelines of all related novels through a series of sci-fi murder mysteries. I hope the first one will be out in June, but that's coming fast.
Learn More About the Author and Beasts of Sonara here:
Writer website: https://shawncbutler.com
FB writer page: https://www.facebook.com/shawncbutlerauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShawnButler
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21723395.Shawn_C_Butler
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here or Kindle Unlimited
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