Mark Cecil

Mark Cecil is an author, journalist and host of The Thoughtful Bro show, for which he conducts author interviews with an eclectic roster of award winning and bestselling writers. He has written for LitHub, Writer’s Digest, Cognoscenti, The Millions, Reuters, and Embark Literary Journal, among other publications. He is Head of Strategy for A Mighty Blaze and he has taught writing at Grub Street and The Writers Loft.

Cecil's debut novel is Bunyan and Henry; Or, the Beautiful Destiny.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

I really love my title, Bunyan and Henry; Or, The Beautiful Destiny, which I think does a lot of work.

The initial title of the book was just “Bunyan” because it’s a big, larger than life story about a very famous folk hero. Sort of like, Oedipus Rex, or Hamlet, or Madame Bovary and so on. By the time my publisher acquired it, we changed it to, “Paul Bunyan And The Beautiful Destiny,” because this picks up some of the spiritual and philosophical themes of the work as well.

But by the time we were ready to go to print, the team at my publishing house thought that title could be improved. So we came up with a number of alternatives, and even sent a list of possible titles around at Penguin Random House and at my agency, and people voted on their favorites. I think we got it right in the end.

First, it highlights the unlikely friendship of these two American folklore heroes—white lumberjack Paul Bunyan and Black steel drivin’ man John Henry. The other title didn’t have John Henry in it.

The second part of the title “Or, The Beautiful Destiny,” is great for a few reasons. First, it announces the philosophical and spiritual aspects of the work—this is a book that has a meditation and message about how to live an authentic life, and follow a higher calling. While my book is often described as an entertaining romp, it’s also meant to serve as a kind of bottled courage to those considering a change in their lives.

Finally, the title as a whole has a kind of literary ring and formulation to it—it has a semicolon in it, after all! It harkens back to a kind of old-timey, literary tradition, like Moby-Dick, Or, The Whale. I think the compound formulation is intriguing, and literary, and subtle, and just might do the thing a title is supposed to do most…make a person passing it in a book store think, Wait a second, what’s this about? And then they read the first page and get hopefully get hooked.

What's in a name?

I really do love character names, and I’ve been told by other writers that my character names “do some of the storytelling work.”

Of course my main two characters are well-known folk heroes. They already had names. But the other characters I had a lot of fun with. To name a few:

Eleanor Throttlecock—a tough minded, upper class British woman who runs an outlaw, underground fight ring.

Mad Dog Mahoney—Bunyan’s chief rival in Lump Town, the polluted mining hamlet where the story begins.

El Boffo—the book’s main antagonist, an archetypal Yankee peddler and owner of Lump Town. He has written an evangelistic book aphorisms called Awaken The Capitalist Within.

Bright Eyes—the genius Native American woman who has cracked the scientific mystery of the book.

Pulaski and Lynch—a pair of racist bounty hunters.

All these names are a lot of fun, but also capture the essence of the characters, I hope.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your novel?

I think my teenage self would be really proud of this book! It’s an all-ages kind of story, one that a teenager can enjoy, and also someone late in their lives. For a long time I was trying to write books that were serious, dark and pessimistic…in other words, books that seemed more “literary.” But at last I wrote the book of my heart, one that’s upbeat, optimistic and full of hope in the end. It’s the kind of book I would have loved to read as a young man, when one always feels at a crossroads, on the verge of making a big decision, and trying to figure out life.

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

For me endings are harder. I once heard Jeannette Winterson say that writing a novel is like entering a tunnel that gets narrower and narrower. At first there’s lots of light and room, but then there’s just this tiny little opening at the end, and you have to squeeze yourself out of it. That said, if you can nail the ending, and deliver the payoff you have set up, it’s the greatest thing in the world. Where your character ends up and why is deeply related to what the story “means” and what you are trying to say. And it is hard to figure out what you’re trying to say! Endings are tough—but if you stick the landing, you’re golden.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

I believe that all great fantasy and myth—and arguably even more realistic fictional storytelling—is powered by emotional autobiography. I think Lord of the Rings is about J.R.R. Tolkien’s experiences in World War I (much as he might have denied it.) And I think Luke’s conflict with Darth Vader is really about George Lucas’s own revolt against his father, who owned a stationary story in California and wanted his son to work with him, rather than go to film school. For me, I left my job mid-career to chase my dream of writing a book. It was more heartbreaking, desperate and difficult than I ever could have imagined. And yet, in the end, I did publish my book, and it was absolutely one of the most exhilarating things I’ve ever done. Paul Bunyan in my book is stuck in his life, and wonders if he will ever leave his terrible job and chase his own Beautiful Destiny. Finally, he decides to take the leap. His adventure is a metaphor for my own.

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

What an interesting question. I’d have to say film has influenced me, especially fantasy films like Lord of the Rings and Black Panther. I always want my writing to be so clear and visual, that even a child could conjure up in their mind what they are seeing. My books also have tons of dialogue, rhymes, chanting and even singing. I often ask myself when writing, could a director shoot this scene? And if a film director couldn’t shoot it, then usually that means the scene is not clear enough or active enough or entertaining enough. Filmmakers take pace and action very seriously, and I try to bring that into my work.

Visit Mark Cecil's website.

My Book, The Movie: Bunyan and Henry; Or, the Beautiful Destiny.

The Page 69 Test: Bunyan and Henry; Or, the Beautiful Destiny.

--Marshal Zeringue