Interview w/ the Author

Q: Why do you write?

A: Well, got to go back to when I started. I wrote a few poems and I was told they were pretty good. My ex girl friend, who at the time was my best friend, suggested I get some poems published. Others said it as well, so I took it serious. But I went further and wanted to do a book. So now a hobby as turned real. I just feel like I have to write. I don't have plans on being famous, I want to inspire and uplift people. I'll always write even if people don't wanna pay for my books, I'll still make em. I write because I've learned words are powerful. Long as I have a passion to write about what I go through and what I see around me, I'll write.

Q: How long have you been writing?

A: Since 2006.

Q: Influences?

A: God, my family, friends, life, politics, music, relationships, strangers, my poetry partners (TeErra, Patrick, and Dave).... Music is the biggest influence on me and my writing. I LOVE music. All kinds of music. Stevie Wonder is probably the biggest influence. His songs are poems. They mean something and he can sing about anything. I kinda stayed away from reading poetry because I believed in my own words, style, and ideas. I knew how I wanted to write and I didn't want to "write like someone else." But now that I'm working on my 3rd book I'll start reading some stuff. Just so I can see some different things. Just like no body wants to keep hearing the same song over and over, they don't wanna read the same thing.

Q: What do you write about?

A: Just about everything. Love, politics, life, family, friends, joy, pain, emotions... All the feelings and emotions a person can feel. Even fantasy and dream type situations. I try to write about real things.

Q: Do you get personal?

A: At times. I usually don't put peoples names in my work if its "sensitive"or something like that. Like relationship I've had, I don't use names just out of respect. Plus names aren't needed. You can still feel the emotion or relate w/ out a name. But on the other side I do get personal w/ myself because people can relate and feel that much more connected. If someone reads about my grandfather, they can say "man I went through the same thing and it was hard for me too."

Q: What's the difference in the first 2 books?

A: "A Walk Through My Mind" (AWTMM) was really raw. I wouldn't say rushed, but I went right in. In "Journey" you can see the growth in writing and putting the book together. I took more time to actually think about how to put a book together. I took more time to edit poems, grammar and spelling. I knew just cause I knew what something meant doesn't mean the reader does; for example slang words. I write just about every day so it's all about presenting the best book I can. The second book I actually got it reviewed before I published it lol.

Q: What's next?

A: Working on starting my business, MarcManArts. Which will be geared towards helping others publish and teaching technologies that will help them. Also a new book coming early next year (2010). It'll be called Reality Dreaming. I'm super excited about this one. I'm pretty much done w/ it. A few tweaks. The theme is all about dreams and the view of them and so called reality. Real world v the world we create. I'll give up the intro....

Q: You did a book 07, 08... why not 09?

A: Well I can't really say yet.. Let's just say "we're" working on something. I'm not leaving 09 empty.