Writers on Wednesday~ Michael Young

Welcome to Michael Young today! I first met Michael when he was selling his Christmas book, SING WE NOW AT CHRISTMAS which he gave all the proceeds to National Down Syndrome Society. Other awesome people wrote a story for the book, edited and designed the cover...for free.
Awesome, right?

Enjoy today's post!

Is there one book or author who changed your life/viewpoint/writing?

I loved C.S. Lewis growing up. He showed me that you could write fantasy stories that had a deeper, even spiritual meaning.

Give us your elevator pitch.

This is for a book for which I am trying to find a publisher called “Starspire”.

When a stone tower to rival the Empire State Building appears on the fairgrounds overnight, no one suspects that a 13-year old boy is responsible. When Tyson Phelps was two, he swallowed a gem that fell from the heavens and now some of his dreams become reality while others fade.

After many disastrous incidents in Tyson’s childhood, Tyson’s parents keep him home-schooled and away from the world.  Tyson, however, pleads to be taken to the carnival for his birthday to see Markus Zauber, the self-proclaimed ‘Greatest Magician in the World’, and they finally give in. When Markus can’t even pull a rabbit out of a hat, Tyson falls asleep in the dark tent and dreams about the wizard he wishes Markus were. Suddenly, a new, improved version of Markus appears on stage and casts a powerful sleeping spell on Tyson to keep him dreaming forever.

As a result of the wizard’s dark magic, Tyson’s dreams are contained in one place and form an ever-growing tower in which a separate dream forms each floor. His parents enter the tower, bent on awakening and rescuing their son. As soon as they set foot in the tower, however, they revert to teenage versions of themselves and soon discover that the dreams of a 13-year-old are a dangerous place to be. The wizard knows he will lose his power the moment Tyson wakes and does everything he can to make sure that each of Tyson’s dreams will be darker than the last.

What’s your favorite snack?

Popcorn, especially the movie theater kind. That’s probably why I like to go to movies so much.

What is your most memorable high school experience?

That would be traveling to Hawaii with my high school choir. We stayed in a five-star hotel on the beach, went to a Luau, and visited Pearl Harbor, and our choir took first place in the competition and I won a trophy for a solo I sang.

What was the first book that turned you into a reader? 

The Hobbit. It was pretty exciting to see it finally adapted into a movie.

Are you a night owl or early bird? 

I am very much a night owl, as is my two-year old son. Sometimes I write while he crawls around.

What is your favorite meal? 

I’m a sucker for homemade Italian. My wife made me a white lasagna with sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and chicken that blew my mind.

What do you never leave home without? 

My laptop and something to write with. You never know when inspiration will strike, and you also never know when your laptop might give out on you.

Do you have any pets? 

Nope, just a couple of cute little sons.

What is one piece of advice you would give aspiring writers? 

Don’t spend so much time worrying about what people think about your writing and get on to writing your next piece.

What are you goals for 2013?

I had my best writing year ever in 2012: over 600,000 words written. This year: revision! That’s a lot of words to get through, but I think it will pay off.