Welcome to BK Walker Books Etc. I'm so happy you could join me today in Saskatoon, Canada.
Beautiful isn't it? I've always loved Canada. Charles is on tour with his book, Why Don't You Just Kill Her? with the Virtual Book Tour Cafe'. You can follow his entire tour HERE.
BK: Please tell us a little about yourself...
CD: I’m a Microbiology major at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada, entering my
fourth and final year. I’m working as a hot dog vendor and driver over the summer. My interests
include music, dance, and inline skating. In the summer of 2013 I’ll be moving to Metro Vancouver to
work as a food technologist, antibiotic specialist, or a biofuels technician ( it all depends on which
biotech company in Vancouver makes me the best offer within a few months of my graduation ). I
particularly want to live in Vancouver because of its diversity, its beautiful surroundings, and its
fitness culture.
BK: Please tell us a little about your book....
“ Why Don’t You Just Kill Her ? “ is a graphic drama which starts out innocently enough, with
the question “ What would you do with absolute liberty ? “ It’s the question on the mind of our hero,
Chili, as he’s confronted with evidence of the evil of the two villains of the drama, Scalper and Ticket.
At first reluctant to join the fray, eventually our hero is forced to answer this question through his
actions. This sets the stage for a dramatic confrontation between good and evil and ultimately
resolves the issue.
BK: What inspired you to pen this particular novel?
The subject of the drama is particularly important to me ( as an agorist ) since
the world of Chili, Scalper, and Ticket is the kind of world I see looming on the horizon ten to
fifteen years from now where such questions become particularly acute.
BK: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I decided one morning that my latest work was strong enough a drama to be worthy of the name.
That clinched it for me.
BK: How do you keep your story flowing?
The tools I use to ensure flow are : dramatic structure, virtual camera technique, and careful crafting
of ( admittedly laconic ) dialogue.
BK: Do you ever run into writer's block, and if so, what do you do to get past it?
When this happens, I wander out into the world. and take pictures with my cell phone. I capture
textures created by the interplay of light. I take notes in a simple notebook. All this I do while
listening to music on my iPod. All the while I ask myself, what would a character in my book be doing
here ? What would be their motivation ? I sit down ( in a coffee shop, on a bench, or at home ) and
start to write. The ideas just start to pour forth. Few tools have the immediacy of this technique
BK: What is your writing process like? Do you have any quirks, or must-haves to write?
I spend a lot of time in internal dialoguing. It worked for Socrates and it works for me.
Really, all I need is a chance to wander around in the world, a place to sit down and write,
and comfortable shoes. That’s pretty much it.
BK: Where do you hope your books/writing will be in the future?
If by that you mean, what will they be about, I’ll give you a clue. My next book or the one after that
will be about a detective who is contacted by people through the shadier parts of the Internet
to solve their problems. It’s set in Vancouver in 2013. He’s not strictly a detective, though, he’s also
part vigilante. How he does this is quite possibly unique in the annals of fiction. Stay tuned.
BK: What do you hope readers will take away from your books?
I hope readers will take away a sense of optimism about the world – a sense that ordinary people’
can have an effect on the way the world works.
BK: What is one piece of advice you received that you carry with you in your writing?
Isaac Asimov ( one of my influences ) once said, when asked to give advice to aspiring writers,
“ Be Clear ! “. Clearly convey the intent of your writing. I’d part ways with Asimov on the possibility
of writing dramatically AND clearly,which I think adds greatly to the import of your words.
BK: What is one piece of advice you would give to new and aspiring writers?
Ignore everybody ! By this, I mean ignore advice given to you that doesn’t make sense to you.
Consider what people have to say, though.
BK: Are you currently working on any new projects? What can we expect from you in the future?
I’m currently working on a 3D Graphic Drama that follows a 21st Century off – the – grid detective
with an unusual ( for a detective ) day job.
BK: Where can readers find you?
You can find my work on amazon.com and createspace.com under “ Charles Ducasse “ or “ Why
Don’t you just kill her ? “. I can be reached at aspenglade@hushmail.com.
Thank you so much for taking time to chat with me today. It's been a pleasure having you and I wish you much success in the future.
He reacts with indifference to his ex’s actions, just as he tries to ignore a later spat between his current girlfriends. We start to wonder if anything can awake this man’s callousness when the victim of the first crime bursts in on him and slams down an article stolen from the hero by his ex. His two girlfriends finally pull guns from under the table and take up defensive positions ( at least somebody’s pulling for our hero ! ). But what does our hero do ?
He grabs his retrieved property and drives off the villain and her henchwoman. He decides to intercede on behalf of the victim. ( Why doesn’t he just kill the villain ? )
Cut away to a scene of the grand opening of a theme park built by the hero, his two girlfriends, and the former victim. All is well until the boss villain is spotted sneaking in, bearing a giant battleax. One of the hero’s girlfriends alerts the hero and the former victim to this fact, and the newly – formed team gets their defensive plan into action. In an act of personal courage, the newly – empowered victim stuns and trips the charismatic boss villain in front of her mesmerized followers. Meanwhile, the hero dispatches his ex ( driving a Blood Flag – bearing bulldozer ) with carefully prepared defenses. The boss villain is suddenly seen as a double failure, despite her hype. In the turning point of the novel, the crowd turns against the boss villain. Was this part of the hero’s plan to save the victim from his self – destructive tendencies?
The novel concludes with the band of friends enjoying supper at the theme park’s restaurant. One of them wonders about the origins of what they’re eating. ( Think about the nature of all the characters in the novel. It’s grimly funny.) Finally, the victim asks the hero why didn’t he just kill the villain ? The hero passes the article stolen from him to the victim with the words “ Pass it on“. Finally, we have the answer. The price of the victim’s Liberty was the showdown with the boss villain. Without that confrontation, the victim would carry his victimhood with him forever. Now, the former victim has the chance to be a hero to some other victim later on, breaking the cycle of victimhood and starting a new, better cycle.
Publisher : Createspace.com
Genre : Graphic novel / general
Release Date :Print version : March 27, 2012
eBook version : March 06, 2012Purchase Links :Print Version :http://www.amazon.com/Why-Dont-You-Just-Kill/dp/1470180359/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334621414&sr=1-2
eBook Version :http://www.amazon.com/Why-Dont-Just-Killebook/dp/B007HTL4IO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334621414&sr=1-1
Charles Ducasse is a 3rd Year Microbiology student at the University of Saskatchewan. He enjoys dancing, drama, and music. He urrently lives in Saskatoon, Canada but will be moving to Vancouver, Canada in the summer of 2013. This is his first book. He can be reached at
aspenglade@hushmail.com
2 comments:
Thank you for chatting with me today Charles.
What would you do with absolute liberty?
An intriguing question indeed. I sitll think I'd behave like a law abiding citizen!
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