We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michael Young a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Michael , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
I was the oldest of eight children, and so my parents were pretty busy. Despite all they had on their plates, however, they always took time to encourage my creativity and talents. They took time to listen to my songs, to read my stories, and to encourage me to find ways to share them with others. I entered contests, sang in church, and shared my talents with my brothers and sisters. It would have been really easy for them to lose track of my interests among so many children, but they took the time to help me grow and flourish.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
After devouring every book I could get my hands on as a kid, I decided to try my hand at writing a book when I was in high school. I wrote a fantasy, time-travel novel to prove to myself I could and I’ve been writing ever since. Today, I write novels, short stories, song lyrics, deep dives into music history, and do everything I can to pass on what I’ve learned to aspiring writers. I like to keep my works story/character focused while paying enough attention to world-building to create a convincing escape from the everyday. I’m also an avid, trained musician and I love to incorporate music into whatever I do, whether it’s writing songs or unearthing the history of beloved songs to share with others.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wished I would have had software to help myself get organized earlier in my career. After I had been writing for a while, I discovered Scrivener and that totally changed how I write, where I could keep all my pre-writing, writing, and editing all in one place and easily rearrange elements in my story. It is a powerful tool that helped me take my writing to the next level by helping me do each stage of the process more efficiently.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
In a society that so often turns to sensationalism, politics, and smut to sell their art, I want to focus on providing art that uplifts and inspires, that focuses on intriguing, well-crafted stories that also pay attention to the craft of writing. I want to constantly be questioning and subverting familiar tropes and not simply rehashing what has been done. I want to put my own spin, my own stamp on everything I touch, even if that takes a lot more effort.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.authormichaelyoung.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/mdybyu
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormichaelyoung
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/authormichaelyoung/
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/mdybyu
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnSK-1ERYEEvB1tAl0SNKgg