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The Importance of Gorillas in Literature
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| Errol
Scott is the author of fiction published in literary magazines around the world,
in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Czech Republic, Mexico, South Africa, Japan, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
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Question:
What originally inspired you to write?
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Errol
Scott: There is a theory that says if you can imagine it, you can be it. Olympic athletes know this, and they know that it’s effective.
We live in a world where too many people abandon their dreams, where bad people are rewarded, and the truly good, helpful and earnest are shut down.
If I can imagine dreams that succeed, evil that is thwarted and the good achieving their dreams – and can express all this through my work – then perhaps someone, somewhere, will also remember their dream.
One more dream picked up, dusted off and recommitted to would be a very good thing.
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Question:
What inspired you to write about gorillas so often? Where do you get your ideas?Errol
Scott: Seven people, seven places, seven emotions. I write them down at random, sit back and stare. I pick one from each group and then find the story that fits.
Strangely, a gorilla often makes its way into the “seven people” category. So primates appear in my stories, whether as hero or helper or foil, at an above average rate.
Gorillas really are the ultimate apposite. That is, within stories, they are well-adapted to the hero’s role. Courageous, sensitive, capable of great strength. And like heroes, they are a frame in which we can recognize a bit of ourselves.
It is crucial in literarture to have heroes that we can see ourselves in. It draws the reader into the story. It teaches us about ourselves.
The best learnings come from unexpected sources. We're not used to seeing a reflection of ourselves in a gorilla and we are not used to recognizing comparisons with gorillas as a compliment.
When we are given the opportunity to do so, however, the power of the resulting "a-ha" is that much greater. Gorillas illuminate literary themes with great impact.
After selecting my hero, gorilla or otherwise, I do whatever it takes to move him through my newly chosen place so that he rises above intimidating obstacles to achieve his greatest desire.
The hero seeks what he is missing. When he achieves it in the end – well, that’s growth. I just pick a person, place and a state of being. That’s it. That’s all I do. Every single time.
So far, so good.
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Question:
Have you always known you would write? Errol
Scott: No, I didn’t know – not until I met a number of bumbling fools and three truly evil individuals.
These three bastions of evil were so self-serving, so self-righteous and so completely self-centered that splitting off just a few of their foul characteristics has served to create whole fleets of fully-fledged villains.
And once you have a truly vile villain - of course, he or she must be vanquished, and by someone truly remarkable. Fortunately there are any number of brilliant heroes just waiting, floating somewhere in the stratosphere, to be called into action.
Evil individuals are the true well of evil inspiration. We’re all indebted to evil people. And sadly they are, it seems, a bottomless resource.
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Question:
How long does it take to write one of your stories?
Errol Scott:
Anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months – though the concept of the world that the story is told in can take up to 6 months to “gel” before that.
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Question:
After finishing a story, do you find it hard to let go since you put so much time into writing it?
Errol
Scott: Nope. I’m thrilled to get rid of it. But only after I’m done. This can mean more than thirty rewrites.
When I read it through and there’s no more changes to make – that’s when it’s time to get rid of it. That's when I know it's time to move on to the next gorilla.
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Question:
Do you write front to back, or do you skip around and then fill in the blanks?
Errol
Scott: I plan in excruciating detail. So straight forward and through the trajectory of the story is, well…pretty straight forward.
When I come to a scene that I can’t visualize, I know that I haven’t plotted in enough detail. If I can “see” the next scene beyond the gap, I jump forward to that and make a note to myself.
It’s taking a bit of a risk that the gap is, in fact, fillable. Usually it is. Sometimes it’s not.
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Question:
Do you do research for the names of your characters?
Errol
Scott: Yes, always. I look for names that have meaning that supports the character’s personality, the theme or the story outcome.
I research color association – I use color very deliberately throughout each story. Often, I incorporate associated meanings of key objects to underline theme as well.
Stories are like paintings. Or movie storyboards. They have foreground, middle ground and background. Each scene needs balance and form.
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Question:
Do you have visual images of them in your head?
Errol
Scott: I need to have a fully realized image of characters before I can even begin. Without this, the characters simply refuse to move. I know when I’ve got them – that’s when the story takes off.
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| Question: Do you keep a chart of all your characters and their appearances within the plot when you are writing?
Errol
Scott: Yes, in explicit detail. I chart plot arc(s), level of tension in a scene and the frequency that characters appear per page and per chapter.
For plot and tension, I am looking for arc progression and for frequency I am watching for overall balance and symmetries. All this data tracking effort is in order to graph it.
Once it’s visual, then I can see the patterns emerge and correct errors early before they get too “ingrained” in the story.
I also track my number of writing, researching, marketing and administration hours as well as daily output. This is to balance my processes as well.
If there’s something you are putting off, there’s nothing like seeing the imbalance in brilliant color on a graph to motivate you to correct it.
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Question:
Do you pattern your villains after people you know?
Errol
Scott: Never. However, the pastiche of selected evil characteristics that I have observed has been quite informative. A basis to enlarge upon.
And, of course, I have never had a gorilla as villain. I have played with reversing this trend, but so far I have not created a result that I felt comfortable with.
Fiction must at all times be believable. For me, an evil gorilla is so far from a reasonable possibility that it would crack my most determined attempt at suspended disbelief. If I can't make stories believable for myself, then I know I will fail to convince readers.
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| Question: Do you pattern your heroes after people you know?
Errol
Scott: Never. Heroes are something greater than all of us. We need them to be.
My heroes begin as everyday people, who upon encountering extraordinary situations, rise to meet them. The extraordinary situation defines the hero. The hero becomes the hero within the story. Never before.
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| Question: Who are some of your favorite characters in novels – created by you or other writers?
Errol
Scott: Frodo. Sherlock Holmes. Walter Mitty. Curious George. Arthur Dent. The bumbling and the brilliant – who are often found both within the same character.
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| Question: What made you write in the era that you do?
Errol
Scott: I write mostly contemporary. I write what I know. I do so much research on everything from names to science, that it’s good to have one area that I can rely on.
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| Question: Do you take part in decisions regarding cover art for your stories?
Errol
Scott: So far, I haven’t had the chance. But if I could, I’d commission one of the monkey artists at the St. Louis Zoo who paint for charity.
I have a feeling they’d think just like me, that they’d reflect the story’s emotion just right – or I hope at least we’d find that we had a lot in common.
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| Question: What do you want to write about that you haven’t written about before?
Errol
Scott: I’ve sketched a ghost story that’s on the back burner. It explores animal after-life and spirituality. Difficult to research. Really difficult to research.
I may have to make some of it up.
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