Hello everyone! As you may know, the Cosmic #BlogBattle had a tie for winners. Congrats to both Darren Scanlon & E. Rawls on your joint victory!

E. has been interviewed before, and I sent her an email earlier asking if she’d like to do it again, so there may be another interview for you later, but right now I get to introduce you a little more to our battling friend and author, Darren Scanlon.

Welcome to #BlogBattle Interviews, Darren! It’s a pleasure to have you here. Now, let’s get right down to business. I have a few questions for you, sir!

1) What are your favorite styles of writing? Why?

In my poetry I like to try to write in basic English, normal everyday language that everybody will understand and be familiar with. I like poetry to flow and be easy to read. I’ve never felt the need for fancy, outlandish words. The subject, story or mood is what matters and as such I use words that are there with the aim of telling the story or expressing a mood, not just to impress.

In my novels, again, I write in plain everyday language. I’m from the English Northwest and my novels tend to reflect this. I like a lot of humour in my novels. “Hey Up Matron” is a comedy based upon my own experiences in hospital. It is filled with my classic dry, witty, sarcastic humour. Even in my ‘Danny Roberts’ series, “Broken Angel” and “Broken Wings” have plenty of sarcastic humour in the dialogue.

Ah! You are a man of many writing talents! Your posted poetry is imaginative and enjoyable and I’m sure a reading of your novels would give us a good laugh, too! 🙂

2) Writing creatively is a talent that not everyone is willing to master. What is it about writing short stories, poetry, etc that draws you?

That’s a good question and I’m not sure I have a concise answer for you.

I have been writing since the age of 16, some 34yrs ago. I have always enjoyed writing. Maybe it came from my love of music… around that time I was a drummer in a local blues/rock band and I started putting words together perhaps as songs and they evolved more along the poetic lines. The rest is history as they say.

It is possible to teach anybody to write but to write creatively, I think for that you need to have something inside you. The love of words and wordplay, a creative mind, a fertile imagination and a drive to put all the pieces together. If you have all that then the creative juices should flow naturally.

Very nice insights, Darren. I’m particularly interested in your stint as a drummer! Grant, my son, is interested in learning the skill and he is also a budding writer at heart. 🙂

3) If an alien from deep, outer space shows up on your doorstep and with a friendly hand-shake offers you an entire planet of your very own to do with as you please, but the price is you must stop eating anything except lentils and hard-boiled eggs, would you do it? Why?

No.

Firstly, much as I like hard-boiled eggs, I wouldn’t like to live on them. I like my food too much.

Secondly, I have no need or desire for my own world. Greed and the desire for power and status is a very dangerous thing, (you only have to look around the world today to see the results).

The only use I could think of for another planet would be to move all the religions and their followers, all the career politicians, the bankers, the ‘controling elite’ etc., onto the new world and send the planet on its way leaving behind a much more settled and peaceful world for all those of us who desire it.

Haha, I don’t blame you for wanting more variety in your diet. Of course, the world could be just as bland without all the people you might send to the planet if you did own it. 🙂 Where would all the colorful stories come from? Your answer has sparked so many curious questions in my mind! I love the possibilities!

Thank you for coming over for this lovely interview, Darren. It has been a pleasure getting to know you a little better! Congrats on winning the Cosmic #BlogBattle! 🙂

#BlogBattle Madness is this week’s theme!

And to all my friends, Rock On!