27 Questions with Facundo

Welcome to author Facundo. Thanks so much for taking the time to fill out 27 Questions so readers can better get to know you and your work!

1. What got you started writing to begin with?

After being enamored with reading literature and experiencing how vividly the written would could create worlds, I began to express myself through stories and poetry.


2. What was the first thing you wrote?

I believe it was a one-page short story called “The Trip” for my 10th grade English class. It tells the story of a teacher who moves to another state, and her uneasy feeling of not feeling at home is resolved by a small bird that shows up in her window singing the same tune she heard before she left. My teacher adored it because it showed the feelings of being at home without telling them.


3. What inspires you?

Many things inspire me; reading, observing nature, my friends, my life, my family. Sometimes watching the rain, feeling the sun, enjoying the breeze. Sometimes a sentence, a word, a sound, music, art. What most inspires me is the fact that I have an immense world inside of me which is naturally expressing out with creativity.


4. Do you “people watch” for your writing?

Not really.


5. Who are you favorite authors?

Wordsworth, Keats, Poe, Baudelaire, Shakespeare, Whitman, Mann, Joyce, Borges. And Many others.


6. What is your favorite book?

The Kybalion” by Hermes


7. What genre do you most like to read?

I think the genre I enjoy most depends on the mood I am. However, I really enjoy reading books about psychology, philosophy, art history, spirituality, astronomy, astrology and classic masterpieces of literature.


8. What genre do you write? Is this reflective of what you read?

On a certain level, yes. I deeply enjoy reading and capturing the essence of deep ideas, whether they are philosophical or spiritual, and transmit them in a story or a poem.


9. What genre do you have a difficult time with that you wish you could write?

I don’t think I have a genre that reflects me a ‘difficult time.’ There are many ideas I have for stories that take place in different time periods and civilizations, but I think the difficulty of writing in those ‘environments’ is related to how I would prepare myself in the language and my knowledge about them before writing.


10. What kind of research do you do or have you done for your story?

For ‘The Characters’ Short Living Story’ I would say the “research” has been really broad and deep. It comes from world literature, philosophy, spirituality, alchemy, Christianity, Buddishm, Hermetism, Judaism, Hinduism to Tarot cards, Astrology, psychology, politics, sociology, art history, music, etc.


11. Do you have any writing rituals like eating chocolate or lighting incense?

I really do not like being distracted when I’m writing, so the only thing would be listening to music that keeps in the tone of the genre. However, when it is poetry, I prefer being somewhere where there is no music nor sound. I love chocolate, I usually eat a piece after writing, but it is not a ritual. I do not light incenses, I should though.


12. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind?

I prefer to give myself doses of classical music. Vivaldi, Bach, Amadeus, Beethoven, Mahler, Holst. However, my choice would completely depend on what I am writing.


13. Introduce us to your current book.

“The Author ~ or ~ The Characters’ Short Living Story” is a timeless mystical adventure of six characters who alchemically face the darkest perils of the human psyche and search for the Truth . . .


14. How long did it take you to write it?

It took me 10 years to write it. The actual story took me around 6 years, but there were philosophical and spiritual elements I wanted to include, so it took me 4 more years to complete its composition and all the elements I wanted to include.


15. Which character(s) of yours do you most relate to?

The Author does not let me answer that question. All the characters relate to me in a very special and unique way. I can’t choose between them.


16. Who is your favorite character in this story?

I don’t have a favorite character. And if I did, for the sake of the Reader, I can’t share which one is my favorite.


 17. Which character is the best role model for readers?

What an interesting question. In this particular story, each reader will see one character as their role model as a reflection of who they are. Therefore, the label “role model” can change for a reader depending on their state of mind. Ironically, I would say that ultimately the best role model would be ‘The Author.’


18. How did you decide on your cover?

The cover is something very special. I wanted to do something pure, artistic, humble, yet meaningful and profound. I think it may present something controversial; most book covers present a polished and carefully developed epic image, a design which attracts the reader for the marketing angle. I painted my book cover, I prefer the artistic angle. Yes, in this system, it is a product which sells, but most importantly, it is literature, it is Art, it is human expression, and I consider that more important.


19. What do you hope people discover while reading your story?

Themselves. This story is a mirror. The first impression would be that this story is my mirror, which is also true. However, it is composed in a way for the Reader to free their mind, and in this journey, find their true selves.


20. Have you written anything else? Tell us about it/them.

Yes. I have 2 books already written, composed. I just need to go back to them and revise them. I can only share that one of them is a collection of 9 short stories which tell one story; it is not that philosophical, but very spiritual indeed.


21. Do you experience writers block, how do you deal with it?

I think every writer experiences writer’s block at one point or another. Whenever it happens to me I take it very naturally. I rather see it as a gap than a block. “I am here, I want to get there, but there is a bridge missing.” If I feel or think at some level that I have the element I need, then I reread again from where I am coming from to where I see the gap; this helps me be more attentive to the flow of reading. Sometimes I just jump the gap and continue writing ahead; later on I will come back with the missing element and built the bridge. If I feel or think that I do not have the element I am missing, then I let it sleep; I detach completely from the writing and do something else. If I come back and I am still missing that element, then I research. Questions will always provoke to find answers.


22. What do you not like about writing?

What a marvelous question. I think the only thing would be that it requires a very static posture, physically of course. It is not I do not like it, because I enjoy comfort, but whenever I am inspired and writing a lot, I sense that my body needs to stretch. From there, I don’t like the fact that my body is saying ‘dude, take a walk,’ but my mind is still working ‘. . . and from the trees, the sunlight casted Robin’s shadow on the grass and . . .’ usually, it is my heart who finds the connection between them and proceeds to what I feel to do.


23. Are you working on anything now

I am working on The Alquemical Bibliotèque, which is information about the spiritual aspects of the story for the Readers who have already read the book. It opens December 25th in the official webpage www.thecharactersshortlivingstory.com.
 And many other things.


24. How do you market your work

Artistically.


25. What would you say to readers?

Take your time to read this story, it is not like other stories and I’m sure you will see why. For the Readers who have not yet began the journey, enjoy its flow, you will be in for a very special treat, and I’m sure you will be surprised. For those who have finished reading it: I’m sorry and you’re welcome. You can visit the Alchemical Bibliotèque for some more mind-blowing information that will expand the horizon of what you know, it opens December 25th


26. What would you say to writers aspiring or otherwise

Words have more power than you think, so use them wisely.


27. Where can one purchase your book(s)

You can acquire the book at amazon.com


Social Media
Offical website:
http://www.thecharactersshortlivingstory.com
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/theauthororthecharactersshortlivingstory
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/FacundoRaganato
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/facundoraganato/