Author Interview With Will Pollock

As you know, August’s theme is all about writing, so what better way to start than with an interview with author Will Pollock.

Will’s book, Leaving Triscuit is available now on Amazon.

Leaving Triscuit

Say “hello” to better good-byes. “Leaving Triscuit” is a blueprint on how you can heal the stress of leaving pets while you’re away for work or leisure. This poignant and personal story is woven with advice from animal- and human-behavior experts who contribute affirming, indispensible strategies to strengthen and even improve the unique bond between pet and parent. Using picture imaging and harnessing the innate, unspoken connection between pet and parent, your separation anxiety will fade away and a greater understanding will be formed.

And now over to Will 🙂

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I’m a freelance multimedia journalist, artist and photographer based in Midtown Atlanta. I have a Masters in Journalism from Northwestern and I’m obsessed with good storytelling. A dog lover, art curator, humorist, blogger, activist and sports fan, I try to take on projects that make a difference in people’s lives.

What inspired you to start writing in general and why this book in particular?

I was embarking on a 2.5 week trip to Ireland and, when faced with the stress of leaving my dog, Triscuit, I was deeply affected by it. Affected to the point where she was physically ill and I felt incredible dread and worry. I promised myself I’d take on a project that helps people who face the same dilemma. I’ve found it’s a very common experience for parents of fur babies. The resulting book, “Leaving Triscuit: Conscious Departures, Happy Homecomings,” is an expansive look at the process of leaving and returning—with tips, comments and deeply resonant thoughts from four different animal-communication and human psychology experts. The core concept is picture imaging: where you lean in to metaphysical and real-world tools to calm yourself and your pet so that you can enjoy time away and not worry. “Leaving Triscuit” tracks all parts of the trip and how to put these solutions into action.

Do you have any tips for anyone planning on writing their own book?

Keep at it, and write some every day. Be tenacious. Be a disruptor and challenge orthodoxy. Keep your contacts and previous work colleagues close because you never know when you might work with each other again, or when you might call on them for advice, a new connection or a story/book idea. Be a voracious reader—particularly in the area(s) you’d like to focus on. Practice your pitches to editors, agents or whomever and remember that pitches need to be deeply researched; they are a direct reflection of your ability to tackle a subject. If your pitches shine, that tells the recipient that you’re a capable writer.
What do you like to read? Any favourite authors?

I have fairly bad dyslexia (undiagnosed from when I was young) so reading anything at length is difficult. When I do read I gravitate to non-fiction, deeply reported topics, stories and articles that allow me to grow as a journalist, author and person. Rachel Maddow’s “Drift” is a great example of how I picture myself in the future (re: challenging orthodoxy and being a disrupter)—telling a story but always hewing to facts and reason. Right now I’m reading The Tenth Insight (the sequel to The Celestine Prophecy) and (All Alone on the 68th Floor, Barbra Res’ account of being a female pioneer in NYC real estate. Both of those keep me grounded in my favourite topics: metaphysics and real estate.

Tell us one random fact about you

I’m extremely superstitious. From my years of playing and watching baseball perhaps, but still: I bounce my tennis ball a set amount of times before I serve. I can’t walk on sidewalk cracks (as a result of growing up in Manhattan I guess). And I have to touch the ceiling of my car when I go through a yellow light.

What can we expect next from you?

I’m developing a number of new projects, including two coffee-table photography books and a political book on lack of funding for government areas and agencies. I’ll likely be publishing a retrospective of 10 years of running ARTvision Atlanta, my art charity that has raised more than $60,000 in funds for worthwhile causes. My next book will be “EIQ: Everyman’s guidebook to developing Emotional Fortitude” and is a wide-sweeping deconstruction of how emotional intelligence in men needs to be developed, cultivated and celebrated. I’ll be talking to a wide-range of people, including psychologists, comedians, politicians and artists.

What is your favourite thing about writing?

It’s a catharsis that I always grow from. As an extrovert and an opinionated native New Yorker, writing is a form of expression that I’m grateful to have accumulated over time. And it’s something I feel is a work in progress; an art form that can change the world if you allow it to.

How do you combat writer’s block?

I always write better with “fresh eyes.” That is to say: if I’m having trouble with a certain project I’ll go for a walk, go play tennis, go for a run or a hike—anything that gets my brain and blood pumping, and then I sit back down and write better.

Do you have a particular routine when it comes to writing?

Not really, but coffee in the morning is always a great way to start my day. I write as much as I can in the morning because a) I’m a morning person and b) coffee is the perfect motivational elixir.

Anything else you would like to share with us about you or your book?

I’m so grateful to be able to share this book’s message, and to challenge the consensus idea that dogs and cats somehow become a burden to us when we have to travel. They are our joy, in a lot of respects, and we can use these trips as a way to deepen our bond with them rather than increase stress and upset.

Thank you for this opportunity.

Thanks Will. Don’t forget, Will’s book, Leaving Triscuit, is available now.

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