Quarter Castle Publishing sat down with author Diane McGyver and asked her about her latest novel, Natural Selection. Here is what she had to say.
QCP: When did you decide to become a writer?
I knew I wanted to a writer in my mid-teens. That’s when I started writing a lot. By the time I was 17, I had written my first novel. However, I didn’t start writing professionally until I became a mom in 1997.
QCP: Do you write every day? If not, how many days do you dedicate to writing?
I write for at least an hour every day. On average, I write for three hours.
QCP: Do you use an outline or do you write free style?
I’ve heard many writers have success with outlines, but I’m not one of them. I’ve tried and failed. I write best when I’m writing free style.
QCP: What is the hardest thing about writing?
Sitting. While I love every aspect of writing, it’s a sedentary activity. I don’t like to sit still.
QCP: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Write every day. It might only be for 10 minutes, but try to write every day.
QCP: Where did the idea for Natural Selection come from?
The seed for this novel was planted years ago when I heard Indian scholar, environmental activist, food sovereignty advocate and anti-globalisation author Vandana Shiva speak about seeds. Understanding that seeds are the foundation for life made me think deeper about the seeds that have been used for centuries to grow food and how they were slowly, one-by-one, being destroyed, lost to the past or manipulated by big corporations.
As a gardener, I understood the value of seeds to my life, but I had never thought about their value to the existence of mankind. I asked the question: What if all seeds we used to grow food were lost? How would that affect the population?
The story I had crafted in my mind changed a lot on paper. I often wonder if I told the story I really wanted to tell. Maybe another novel will appear in the future that will focus more on vital necessity of seeds.
QCP: Who will enjoy this book?
Anyone 14 years and up with an interest in how the world might look if a CME wiped out all electricity and technology that operated on it. Readers who enjoy stories with a light romance, no sex, no swearing and no graphic violence. While some dystopian novels give readers nightmares, mine is not of that sort. A few people die in small skirmishes near the end of the novel, but their deaths are not detailed or graphic.
QCP: How can others learn more about you and your writing?
I have a website, Diane McGyver, where I talk about my books, gardening, homesteading, raising chickens and goats, hiking, recipes and whatever else comes to mind.
Pick up your copy of Natural Selection, exclusively at Amazon.
Paperbacks with standard and large print will be available soon. Hard cover books will be available in early 2022.
Quarter Castle Publishing 