Bookish Brews Snapshot
The Glassman by MultiMind
Mars, a rock vocalist, is learning how to live with his new self in the aftermath of a devastating accident: he discovers he can control glass. That's not all that changed about him - and that is exactly what worries everyone around him. Mars isn't a monster … but he isn't so sure himself.
💀 Dark Content 🥀 Flawed Characters 👻 Supernatural ❤️🩹 Trauma and Healing
- Genre: Paranormal, Thriller
Interview with MultiMind
Amanda: Can you tell us what you’re most proud of about The Glassman?
MultiMind: The fact it’s actually out. I had been working on this work since I was 15. I love the cover, I love the premise, I’m just so glad it’s out finally. It was a very long time coming.
Amanda: What is the most important thing you hope that readers get from this story?
MultiMind: Good question. Mars goes through a lot so it’s hard for me to say of what I hope readers get from this story. There really isn’t a “moral of the story” here, so the most I can hope for is that people like the story. But also that not all stories that are about Latin folks, Afro-Latin folks or Black folks have to be centered around institutional and systemic pain/trauma. And that it doesn’t have to be chock full of negative stereotypes, such as drugs and gangs, either. In other words, they’re people, too, and people sometimes go through massive problems that get plinked on their laps the best they can.
Amanda: What are some themes you worked to tackle in this story?
MultiMind: Another good question! I never know what themes my books have until others tell me, ha. I, however, do notice for myself the theme of dealing with and experiencing trauma in a realistic way and the theme of family – both family of blood and family of bond – are pretty prevalent here in this book. I have trauma disorders of my own so I wanted to make sure I didn’t make the story seem stereotypical or Netflix-y, where you already know the ending and twists and likely choices of grit by page three. I’m not much of a family person but I know others who are so it helped tremendously with the dynamics.
Music is also a theme, I wanted to depict a more realistic count of “how things are in the music industry”. Obviously, different people experiences are different in the music business, but I have rarely seen a good, dynamic, “yup, this seems legit” depiction. Well, the closest and best I had seen was TLC’s biopic – which I love a bunch – but usually, it’s pretty cookie-cutter, stereotypical and just plain bad. I spent enough time around the business to notice that. What’s on tv and what went on around me usually were two very different things. I wanted to include that dynamic as well.
Amanda: Are you a part of any writing groups or communities? How have they helped you in your writing and in your publishing journey?
MultiMind: I am part of writing groups and communities but in all honesty, I keep everything pretty close to the armor when it comes to writing my books – unless it’s about yammering about fountain pens and ink. Then I never shut up, much to everyone’s chagrin. When I write, I block out the world. No one really gets to see what I pen up until after my editor works on it and I feel ok with the work.
The writing communities I’m part of, all PoC or all Black writing groups, mainly are great for the camaraderie but I mainly talk to one or two people about writing exclusively. Even then, it’s more about the logistics and feelings about the publishing industry – they basically get to hear me whinge but they don’t really hear much of anything about my actual works until I am in promotion mode.
It’s mainly an artist thing because I believe once I tell the story out, it pretty much disappears from my head so I rather tell it to the page where it’s going to be recorded. I never cared much for the “don’t tell people what you’re working on” idea because it somewhat sounds a little ridiculous to me. Instead, I have a more artsy reason, which is simply that I don’t want the story to float away when I ought to be writing it down. I’m just very solitary when it comes to writing, simply put. That and I’m remarkably odd and I sometimes want to spare people of that. Only sometimes, however.
I’m only part of writing groups for Black writers or BIPoC writers because at least I get to see something new and more interesting conversations – when I check into those groups, of course. I can be very isolationist so it is easy to fall into that. I try not to, however. At least long enough to scoop up any cat pictures and pretty, inspirational art that gets posted into those groups.
