As a young man, CallumC once chased off a group of vandals with an empty rifle. This was somewhere in between enlisting in the British merchant navy at age 16 and working his way through Europe, Australia and the U.S. as everything from a waiter to a farmhand on a sugar plantation to mustering cattle in the Australian outback.
To say that CallumC probably has some stories to tell now that he’s retired would be an understatement. He does of course, including two novels on WEbook. Right Hand Up to God is the tale of a daughter who promises her dying mother that she will raise her newborn brother. The other, Princess Sheeba, is the humorous story of a young dingo finding its way in the world.
WEbook caught up with CallumC to talk about his writing, his short but prolific tenure on WEbook, and the easy life of retirement.
1) You joined WEbook only last November and have already given and received tons of feedback and contributed to a large number of projects. How do you stay so motivated?
Being retired helps. WeBook helps me to focus my time. Giving feedback other than ‘Nice Job’ can be quite demanding, and sometimes requires a delicate touch of diplomacy. I also try to respond to all feedback gratefully received on my own work, and of course, reciprocate. Sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day.
2) The projects your leading right now—Right Hand up to God, A Glimpse at the Past and Princess Sheeba—seem very different. Mentally, how do you shift gears when moving from one project to the next?
When one writes a novel, or even a short story it becomes part of you. It’s like part of your soul, like having different prayers for different occasions. Like a priest may have a death, a baptism, and a wedding all in the same day. As he is called, so shall he respond?
3) What was your most profound moment on WEbook?
I think when I uploaded my first novel Right Hand Up To God and waiting for the first responses, and yes, relief when that first review was favorable. A lot of firsts here, but then there are a lot of firsts on WEbook.
4) What’s your favorite day of the week and why?
I don’t have one; being retired they are all much the same. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great not to have to clock on every morning. I have my partner; my greatest fan, my dogs, Sheeba and Tara. Sheeba
was the inspiration behind my second novel Princess Sheeba, and my writing more than fills in the blanks.
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