Sunday, January 23, 2022

Interview with Larry Landgraf, author of The Adventures of Ollie Orangutan

 In the beginning, all animals were born wild and free. Ollie, however, was born in a cage and has spent his entire life in a zoo. Everything he knew, he learned from his mother and through the bars of his confinement. His life was totally dependent upon humans. He always had plenty to eat and it was fun watching the humans who visited daily, especially the little ones. Life was comfortable and Ollie grew up soft.
But as fate would have it, that is all going to change. Ollie is thrown into a completely new environment of which he knows nothing. Ollie will have to learn new things in order to survive without the help of humans. He will make new friends, but the real world is wild. He will also find those who would hurt him. Can he toughen up and make a new life for himself?

About Larry Landgraf

Larry Landgraf was born and raised on the Guadalupe River Delta on the Texas Gulf Coast.
 They say a picture is worth a thousand words. That being said, I have created two video slide shows set to music. They are "Who Am I?" and "Life in My Swamp". They are in the videos (positions #1 and #2) in the slideshow to the right. Know me first and you'll know why I write what I write. Thank you.

Interview with Larry

How difficult was it writing this book?


The stories I write always flow like water. That voice (muse) has been with me for six years. I would never tell him to go away. He's been a great friend and writing partner. I wrote a poem about him called "A Voice in My Head". I'll read it to you if you'd like.

 

Did you ever experience writer’s block and, if so, what did you do to overcome?


I've never had writer's block. I've lived long enough and extreme enough that I have a million stories. I'll never tell them all. I think caffeine (iced tea, soda, etc.) keeps my muse happy.

 

How long did it take you to write The Adventures of Ollie Orangutan?

 

I think I finished the first draft in about a month. It took another two months to polish, get it edited, re-written, and proofed. It didn't seem like a long process as with some of my really long novels.

 

Who is your publisher and how did you find them or did you self-publish?

 

I'm considered self-published but I go through Fresh Ink Group to get everything done right. They are a group of authors who write and help others get everything finished properly.

 

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

 

Drink more caffeine and don't worry about waking up in the middle of the night. Keep a pen and pad next to your bed but if the story that comes to you late at night sounds like something others would be interested in, do get up and crank up the computer. Also, live a great life... have adventures, work hard, and generate those stories. When you finish the story, re-write. Then edit, edit, edit, at least one by a professional, and a final outside proofreader

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