How do you get inspired to write?
I get inspired by things that either have already impacted the way the world turns (historical events, historical people), or things that are likely to affect us all moving forward. My first book in the Porter Beck series, THE BITTER PAST, focuses on the decade of the 1950s when we were exploding atomic weapons in the air just above the desert floor in Nevada. I was so captivated by this period of the Cold War, I decided to write a mystery, a "what-if", novel about it. It's those kinds of things that grab me. My most recent story, THE BLUE HORSE, deals with two major themes: the eventual vanishing of the wild horse in America, and the dangers of lithium mining - and how each of those issues affects the other.
How do you deal with writer’s block?
No such thing. Not really. I don't know any writers who have this problem. If you sit down to write a story, just start typing. What appears on the page at first might be horrible - you might not keep any of it. But it will get you started and into a rhythm. You have all the time in the world to edit your words. But you can't edit what isn't there - so get them on the page!
What mystery in your own life could be a plot for a book?
Funny you should ask. When I was a kid, my siblings and I used to joke that my parents were Russian sleeper agents. My dad had been in the Air Force and worked on some highly classified projects, and we never knew any of our relatives. Occasionally, they would show us photos of people they claimed they were related to, but we never got to meet them! For all we knew, the photos had been clipped from magazines. So it was a running joke at our house - and perhaps a great idea for a story!
What are you currently working on?
Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?
Again, I try to keep apprised of things going on around me. Right now, wild horses are being rounded up by the federal government and permanently removed from the range. Why? Because they're competing with forces much bigger than them, namely the cattle industry. At the same time, we're in a race to mine lithium and keep the Chinese from cornering the market. Lithium gives every device we use now its longevity, so it's something we need. But at what cost to animals and the environment?
What kind of research did you do for this novel?
Tons. I read everything I could get my hands on, interviewed people on all sides, and tried to remain agnostic. It's how I typically approach research. It takes a while, but for me it's an essential piece before I start writing the first draft.
In general, what emotions do you usually wish to elicit with your writing?
I have two goals with my writing: get readers to laugh and get them to cry. For me, that's the whole ball game. And to be a writer, you have to want the ball. If I can deliver on those two emotions, I've done my job.
Best advice on writing you've ever received?
Stop dancing around the idea that you're a writer. Stop being afraid to tell people that's who you are. Because until you're willing to put yourself out there, until you're willing to sit down and see a story through to its end, you're something else.
What is the weirdest/wildest topic or fact that you’ve had to research or uncovered in your research?
Can you tell us a two-sentence horror story?
Sure: The sirens had fallen silent hours ago, yet the horizon still burned a color no human language had ever named. In the basement, the Geiger counter clicked like a heartbeat that refused to die.
What else would you want readers to know about you?
I live in the West. I write about the West (mostly), and I think the West (west of the Rockies) is the most beautiful land I've ever seen. I do my best to paint that landscape in a way that makes it easy for a reader to picture. Setting is as much a character in my story as any person.
Where can readers find you online?
Readers can find me pretty much anywhere on social media (just type in Bruce Borgos -there's only one of us �� - and they can also find me at bruceborgos.com
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