Tuesday, 19 July 2011

Words with... Helmy Kusuma


Thanks to Helmy Kusuma, spiritual healer/writer, for this interview

How long have you been writing?
I believe I have been writing since the first grade, typing since the eight grade.
Oh... you mean writing a book? Last year, 2010.

Do you have a day job or do you write for a living?
I currently write for a living, but since it proves to be rather an impossibility, at least with only ten copies sold, I have been frantically searching for a freelance job. Unless, of course, you plan to buy one thousand copies or, even better, ten thousand copies.

What do you feel is the ideal recipe for a good novel/story/poem?
I think any story that is passionately written with proper tools such as humour.

What/who inspired you to write and still inspires you?
Myself. There have been so many things happening in my life that I find it almost impossible to contain them inside my head, let alone my imaginations.

What books have you written? Do you stick to one genre?
Mementoes of Mai. Nope, just like I don't stick to eating rice alone, I enjoy making cakes.
Errr... what I mean is I don't stick to one genre.

How long did it take you to write your book/s?
It took me about three months to really write Mementoes of Mai, three months to proscratinate and another two months to edit it.

Do you have any works in progress?
Absolutely! 
There is Hope - a science fiction thriller ( a short story );
Cinta 3 Sisi -  a romance novel ( but not in English ); and
Vietnam Odissey - a creative non-fiction about my recent trip to Vietnam.

Which character from your books do you like most / are most like?
Mai.

Where and when do you write ­ – do you have set times during which you write or is it just when the mood takes you?
Mood pretty much dictates me.

Have you ever based a character on someone from real life? Has the person guessed?
Yes, not a character, but several characters. Nope, but another person has noticed it.

How do you find the marketing experience? Any advice for other writers? Do you use a blog or twitter, etc?
Since I have only sold ten copies so far, I don't really capable of giving advice.

One day you’re walking in the forest and you bump into an alien librarian from Mars. He wants five book recommendations from you…
Remembering Atlantis by Daniel Condron;
Tooth, The Whole Tooth And Nothing But A Tooth by Shaun Allan;
Mars by Anonymous;
A Flash of Inspiration: A Collection of Very Short Stories by Indie Authors ( compiled by Helmy Kusuma ); and
Mementoes of Mai by Helmy Kusuma, of course.

Some of your fave things: Animal? Food? Drink? Film? Colour? Band? Song? Place to chill out?
Turtle and Horse.
Cheese and Pho.
Water and orange juice.
Memento and As Good As It Gets.
Blue and green.
Not sure about band...
My Way by Frank Sinatra.
Outside the house is the perfect place to chill out, especially at dawn...

Which book do you wish you had written?
The Alchemist.

What other hobbies/interests do you have or has writing taken over?
Travelling, watching movies, reading comics, browsing the internet, eating delicious foods, meeting beautiful ladies... ah, there are too many!!

What would you like to achieve in the next five years?
Sold thousands copies of my book. I don't care which title.

If you won the Lotto, what would you do with all it?
Go travelling around the world!!

Please complete this story in 100 words or less…
"There was a young frog called Kipper…" that lived inside a small pond by a busy road. Every day he would croak loudly hoping to attract a lovely lady that passes daily on her horse cart. Yes, Kipper was once a handsome farmer; an old witch made him into a frog and he was hoping a kiss would bring his old self back. 
"John?"
"Yes, my lady?"
"Do you hear a croaking?"
"No, Ma'am. I don't."
"Really? Frogs' legs soup would be nice in this kind of weather."
I drive the cart away and Kipper gets to live another day.
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3 comments:

  1. Unknown20 July 2011 at 10:21

    Great to see you here, Helmy. I also enjoyed having you on my blog a few months ago. Good luck with your book!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown20 July 2011 at 12:29

    Thanks to Vickie for interviewing me. She sure knows how to dig!
    Thanks M.E.!

    ReplyDelete
  3. vickiejohnstone20 July 2011 at 13:35

    You're welcome!!! :)
    One of my faves is also the Alchemist :)

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for commenting :)

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