By: Fellowship and Fairydust Staff
Word Count: 1056
Rating: G
Summary: An interview with Eric Tamburino, author of “Where Man and Monster Meet: A New Collection of Fairytales.”

Tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Eric Tamburino and I am the author of Where Man and Monster Meet: A New Collection of Fairytales.

I am a storyteller by nature. I tell them, I write them, and I’m drawn to them in all their forms.

When I was in my early teens I got very into comic books. I love both Marvel and DC Comics but I will choose Batman over pretty much anyone else.

In my college years, I developed a deep interest in film. Some of my favorite movies include Inception, Ruby Sparks, and The Fall. It’s a dream of mine to work in film someday.

I recently got into photography and, though I hate flying, I enjoy traveling. I would love to make it through all 50 states as well as Venice, Amalfi, the Caribbean, Austria, etc.

What is your book about?

Influenced by writers like C.S. Lewis and George MacDonald, Where Man and Monster Meet is a collection of short stories geared towards young adults. The stories consist of magic, adventure, and romance while still addressing real themes of the modern day such as guilt, addiction, and temptation.

When did you start writing, and why?

I started writing this when I was a junior in high school. I think it was mainly for therapeutic purposes and at a certain point, I got the silly idea that I was going to write a book, not really knowing what that entailed.

How did you come up with the idea for this book specifically?

I wanted to write something that would be a bit more like the original fairytales. Fairytales in their earlier forms didn’t always end happily but they taught important lessons.

As for the stories in the book, most of them are metaphors for actual life experiences of mine. Some of it is based on dreams I had years ago, but most is based on personal life lessons, relationships, and struggles.

What was it like writing your first book?

It was definitely a love-hate relationship. Writing it took me much longer than it should have because I was young and undisciplined when I started. Rewriting it took a much shorter amount of time. Editing was an experience. Finding good editors and then actually making the edits taught me just how sick I was of dealing with my own stories and made me long for it to be over. Then came the actual publishing with Amazon KDP which was rather simple and a great change of pace.

How did you go about publishing your book? Would you do it that way again? Why or why not?

I choose to self-publish through Amazon KDP. I would definitely do it again. It’s very simple to use, they have great customer service and, from what I understand, typically you have to market yourself anyways even if a traditional publisher picks you up. To anyone considering self-publishing I highly recommend looking up Derek Murphy on YouTube.

What are you working on now?

I have a thing about sharing titles so I won’t tell you the name of what I am working on but I will tell you I am writing my second book right now and I hope to have it done late this year.

I have two more books planned. Then after that, I am not sure.

The one I am working on right now is about a young girl who is about to graduate high school and can’t wait to leave her home town. Then she meets a troubled young writer and, through a series of events, they help each other reevaluate their perspectives on life.

The second is going to have a much darker tone. It’s about a reporter investigating the death of a prostitute, a vigilante seeking revenge, a cop looking for justice, and a tortured artist trying to come to grips with himself.

Why do you write?

To hopefully make the world a better place. Stories are powerful. The written word is powerful. I want to give people good stories. Stories that will resonate, give hope, and make us ache for something greater.

What helps you to write?

Definitely music. I find music with words too distracting and if I use a movie soundtrack I find myself thinking about the movie instead of writing.

I use a genre my best friend introduced me to called post-rock. It’s very relaxing and typically has no words. My go-to albums are Dust and Disquiet (Caspian), Eviscerate Soul (BMFS), and Hymn to the Immortal Wind (Mono).

What has writing taught you?

Perseverance.

Who are you inspired by in your writing?

Dean Koontz was one of my early influences, specifically his Frankenstein series.

Oscar Wilde is another. He was obviously a great writer but because he was a playwright his ability to write conversations with very little description fascinates me. The Picture of Dorian Gray is, thus far, my favorite of his work.

Finally, Patrick Rothfuss. The Name of the Wind and The Wise Mans Fear are basically poetry. The way he brings wonder, beauty, and meaning to the simplest things (like polishing a bar or telling a story) is awe-inspiring. It makes you take a step back and remember how fascinating even the smallest aspects of life really are.

What is your advice for writers?

Write even if you think it is terrible; get it on paper and fix it later. Writing is like a sand sculpture. You start with a block of sand then you chisel away pieces and sculpt it.

Set deadlines. You will spend years thinking about writing instead of writing actually writing. It’s ok to miss deadlines sometimes (I definitely have) but you must have them in place and try to be accountable to them if you want to reach your goals.

Don’t smother the puppy. The more you write the better a writer you will become and the older you get the more experiences you will have to inspire you. The more I wrote Where Man and Monster Meet, the more I thought of ways to change it from what it was; new ideas, new descriptions, maybe change it into a series of books instead and put my other writing on hold…  Don’t be afraid to be done.