Offworld by Robin Parrish Author Interview

We continue with the CSFF Blog Tour featuring Offworld by Robin Parrish. You will be treated today to my first author interview. I'm pleased to have had the opportunity to interview Robin Parrish!!

Julie: Who or what inspired you to write OFFWORLD?

Robin: The idea came from a flash of inspiration. I had this visual of a spaceship that's been away from Earth for a while that comes home, pops open the cockpit, and steps out to find that the population of the whole planet has disappeared. I had to figure out how such a thing could have happened -- and I didn't want to go down the obvious roads to explain it, I wanted to come up with something really big and different -- so the story came from answering those questions.

There was also a desire on my part to do a story that was totally character-driven. The Dominion Trilogy was a blast to write, but the most common feedback I got about it was that it was very plot-driven. Not that that's a bad thing, necessarily, but the most resonant and emotional stuff does usually come from character-driven storytelling. I wanted to prove that I could do both, so I'm very pleased with the fact that Offworld is entirely driven by these very three-dimensional characters and their needs, emotions, and decisions.


Julie: Do you have a favorite character in this book? If so, who and why?

Robin: It's such a cliched answer, but I really do like them all, for different reasons. If I have to pick one, I'll say Owen. He has a quiet dignity and stoicism that I really admire. He never panics or gets flustered, and always seems ready for anything.


Julie: If you were to cast your book into a movie, who would you choose to play the leading roles?

Robin: Uh, let's see, off the top of my head... Eric Bana would make a good Commander Burke, I could see Bryce Dallas Howard as Trisha, Justin Long for Terry, and Dakota Fanning would make a very cool Mae. Owen is the easiest one, because I was actually thinking of Ving Rhames as I wrote him.


Julie: On August 6, you tweeted "Most non-believers find my books "too Christian." A lot of believers seem to think they're "not Christian enough." How do you respond to that?

Robin: What I'm learning the longer I do this is that when it comes to whether or not a reader enjoys your work... expectations are everything. The quality of my writing is important, but it isn't always the determining factor. A lot of times, what the reader was expecting going into it defines their response -- sometimes even before they've read Page 1.

My tweet that day was a result of my frustration at how tiring it can be, trying to suit everybody's expectations -- when a lot of the time, my involvement in their enjoyment of my work is remarkably minimal.


Julie: What has been your favorite book to write so far? Why?

Robin: Writers always hate this question, because it's like asking you to choose between your children. Each one is different, special, and represents something you're very proud of. That said, I'm crazy about Merciless because it was the culmination of the Dominion Trilogy, the final piece of that huge puzzle, and it very much explained my thinking on the nature of the universe and existence.


Julie: What else would you like for your readers to know about you Robin?

Robin: Everything you need to know about me is found in my books -- either past books or those yet to come. Please buy them, tell your friends, and enjoy the ride!

Thanks for taking the time to allow me to learn more about you and your writing Robin! I'll certainly be checking out your Dominion Trilogy!!

Robin Parrish’s Web site - http://www.robinparrish.com/
Robin Parrish’s blog - http://twitter.com/robinparrish

Please be sure to check out these other participants’ Links:

Brandon Barr
Jim Black
Justin Boyer
Keanan Brand
Gina Burgess
Canadianladybug
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
April Erwin
Karina Fabian
Linda Gilmore
Beth Goddard
Todd Michael Greene
Katie Hart
Ryan Heart
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Melissa Meeks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Mirtika
Eve Nielsen (posting later in the week)
Nissa
John W. Otte
Lyn Perry
Steve Rice
Chawna Schroeder
James Somers
Speculative Faith
Stephanie
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Elizabeth Williams

Thank you to Robin Parrish and Bethany House Publishers for a copy of this book to review and giveaway!