What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?
I wrote this book in response to a question I keep asking myself: Where has the time gone? I’m now forty-four years old. Not so old, not so young. Each day seems to pass faster than the last. Why is that? I wanted to answer these questions about time within a story.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be?
Pink Floyd Time seems appropriate.
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I do like absurdist fiction, which is most of what I write, though I probably read more non-fiction and fantasy than I do absurdist fiction. I wish there were more experimental, absurdist titles out there.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
Stephen Fry’s Odyssey is up there. I Am That would be up there also on the non-fiction side. I will probably re-read Mysterious Island by Jules Verne this summer on vacation. I am a frequent re-reader.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
I’d say the start of the book, where time starts passing in the village out of nowhere. People start noticing it. It shocks them. A poet finishes a poem. Lovers fall out of love. A chess match ends. Those chapters made me more aware of time.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
Caffeine and music are two of the key ingredients here.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
If there was a philosophy I lived by or was nearest to, it would be stoicism. Live and learn. Be yourself. Endure. I read Meditations often.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
I think a key message from the book is that time is both finite and precious. When it’s gone, it’s gone. There is no going back. Don’t take it for granted.
Steven Wiley is the author of the new book The Strange Story of the Man Who Murdered Time
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