AUTHOR WEDNESDAY: Richard Taylor Pearson

This week we put our five questions to The Role author Richard Taylor Pearson:

1. Would you like to introduce yourself as a writer? 
   Certainly! I wear a lot of hats these days, as I’m not only an author, but also an actor and attorney. As a author, I write LGBT fiction. Specifically, my goal is write the stories I was always waiting to read when I was a kid. I used to pine for an LGBT novel that explored what it was like to be an actor trying to make it on Broadway, and eventually I just got tired of waiting, and decided I would have to write it myself.
   
   
2. Summarise your latest book from Lethe in five words! 
   As an attorney this is hard! I guess it would be:
         Backstage Drama: Love vs. Art
   
   
3. What’s the secret to your writing? Locking yourself away and writing a disciplined word count, or waiting for inspiration to strike? (Or something else entirely, of course…)
   I set a word count and force myself to get to it. It used to be 1,500 words a day, but now that I’m a father, I’ve dropped it to 500 words and I give myself two or three days to do it. Some of the best advice I was ever given was that you’ll never “find” time to write, you have to “make” it.
   
   
4. If your house is on fire, what book do you rescue? (Forget about your loved ones, they can save themselves…)
   I’d grab The Lost Language of Cranes by David Leavitt, which was the first LGBT novel I ever read. It really inspired me to give writing a chance. After that, I’d grab Trysts and Vintage by Steve Berman. I’ve read my copies so often, that losing them would feel like losing a friend. They also led me to Steve, and ultimately to me becoming a Lethe author! Next, I’d probably grab my copy of Wicked by Gregory Maguire. Shortly before the musical became a smash hit on Broadway, a friend gave me a copy of that book. I’d recently had my heart broken, and I read the entire book in two days. It helped me get over it really fast. Finally, I’d probably grab all my sheet music! Many years ago I lost all my sheet music, when my car got broken into, and I felt maimed by it. I love to sing, and having the right sheet music is essential!
   
   
5. Finally, let’s pay it forward. Recommend one gay-lit writer we should be reading right now. (Or any writer, if you prefer.)
   ​I absolutely adored Husky by Justin Sayre. Honestly, as a kid who grew up husky, and as an adult who still struggles with weight, Sayre’s novel was felt like it was written just for me. I’m always happy to see LGBT novels that features characters with body types that are something other than the thin twink or muscled gym bunny. 
   

The Role is out now from Lethe Press. Check it out.