The Rad Apartment Series w/ The Very Unluckily Lucky Quaroo, Children’s Author – Magic Mike
Though for the sake of the new up and coming author Magic Mike, we can quickly tame your fast connection between his popular children’s books and the oh so Channing Tatum’s blockbuster movie, but with his recent ‘The Very Unluckily Lucky Quaroo’ book tour, it’s safe to say he will be creating a new face to the name. His dream is to perpetuate and share with the world through what he is able to create during his life. Magic Mike started out with poetry which he still loves deeply, and always liked to draw. As a very curious person, he is certain he will start exploring outside of his principle at some point. So what does this entail? We spoke with the author directly, touching on his gift for writing and what that very next chapter might just look like.
Did you grow up in a household full of books and reading material, as well a certain author you looked up to as a child that inspired your writing niche? I never read much as a kid actually. My brother and I were part of a book club at our community library during our summers, and we would go every day but wouldn’t read anything. We were there mostly to play computer games, and the library’s Ethernet beat our dial-up, so we went. But, at school when we had trips to our school library once a week or so, I had a penchant of sneaking away from the group to flip through Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants books, Dr. Suess, and Robert Munsch’s stories, of who’s my favorites are Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets, The Zax, and Thomas’ Snowsuit, respectively, they’re wonderful and I recommend them to everyone.
When did you realize you had the gift of writing for children? I think I’m still realizing it now. Part of what I love so much about telling stories is that the process is explorative for me. I have no formal training in any element of what I’m doing, so I’m at each moment learning and testing, which I think is a very sincere and rewarding kind of self-discovery. There’s a quote from a book I love called A Room With A View by the English novelist, E.M Forester, that says, “Life, is a public performance on the violin, in which you must learn the instrument as you go along.” which I think captures perfectly how I feel.
Was there any doubt this is what you wanted to do, or at any point feeling this was a tuff market? I was full of angst growing up because I always wanted to, out of rebellion for a long while, and only very recently; earnestness, reach outside of what I felt was either implicitly or at times explicitly proposed to me and my peers as ‘realistic’ or ‘smart’ professional pursuits growing up, and try my hand there. I decided to pursue a career as a writer because I fell in love with stories, the World’s, the characters, and the minds which contrived these things that I came to revere. I became infatuated. I think it’s because I’m smitten by them, that I want to be close to them and be part of that Universe.
Are there certain messages you have ‘ in between the lines’ sort of speak in The Very Unlucky Lucky Quaroo? I really enjoy interpreting meanings and messages from literature, I feel that it’s among the most enjoyable parts of experiencing any form of art: the freedom to let and believe what affects you to be. So, I hesitate to explain things too much, but I’m finding so far that, being a Children’s writer you’re almost expected to tell exactly what the thing is about and what message readers are supposed to get from it. Which to me isn’t much fun. When I’m asked, I describe the plot which is about a bird with the gift of sharing eternal luck and fortune at a stroke of its feathers, and then try not to go much further with the hopes that anyone who might read the story will have the space then, to find their own meaning from it, even it’s not the one I intended.
Can you remember the first thing you wrote as a child? I wish I did, but no. My Mother saved some of my early school assignments and she showed one to me recently that I did when I was in grade 3. It was about me helping a baby whale whose mother was captured by Pirates. In the story, I could talk to the whale and breathe water, all without the mention of me having the powers to do so. It was extremely well written.
As an author, if you had to create a mini-biography, even just a few words to describe your artistic process of creating a book, what would those words be? There’s a beautiful song, performed by Ella Fitzgerald that I love called, Stairway to The Stars, the sentiment of which I think answers this question perfectly, and so I think I’m going to answer to this question with a song recommendation 🙂
To the youth who are aspiring writers of all genres, What would be your advice? To go for it, even if you have no clue what you’re doing. A dream paired with inaction is only an ornament of mind, something to pretty your daily thinking, and can be so much more.
If you had to write the next chapter for yourself, What would it look like to you? I’m not sure, I try, and it’s really difficult, not to; to plan too rigidly, too far ahead. I feel like planning, sometimes stops us appreciating diversions that can prove to be more beneficial than where we wanted to be at that point. I have an overarching goal that I’m mindful of, but I’m content at the moment to take purposeful, meandering steps towards it.
To Keep up to date with Magic Mike visit their Instagram HERE and also check out Magic Way’s website HERE
Way to go! 🙂