(find Delson on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DelsonArmstrong)
At an early age, Delson was encouraged to read as many books as he could, which fuelled his imagination and sparked the desire to become a full time writer. He began writing short stories and enjoyed the class fiction writing assignments he was given, which helped him to develop his skills as a writer. It also made him really look into pursuing writing as a serious craft, and the first time he thought of doing that was in the sixth grade when he was around eleven. He began to outline The Falsifier and based many of the characters on his friends in school, but left it that for some time.
At an early age, Delson was encouraged to read as many books as he could, which fuelled his imagination and sparked the desire to become a full time writer. He began writing short stories and enjoyed the class fiction writing assignments he was given, which helped him to develop his skills as a writer. It also made him really look into pursuing writing as a serious craft, and the first time he thought of doing that was in the sixth grade when he was around eleven. He began to outline The Falsifier and based many of the characters on his friends in school, but left it that for some time.
He currently transits between New York and Bombay, spending equal amounts of time in both cities and embracing the best of both cultures as well as soaking in the inspirations he encounters daily.
He enjoys practicing yoga, meditation and philosophy, as well as classical music. His favorite composers include Beethoven, Bach, Mozart and Chopin and he plays the piano occasionally, wishing he could find more time to continue his practice. He is also a major film buff and watches movies all weekend long every week with his family and is currently working on some screenplays, one of which he wrote during a year online at the New York Film Academy.
We made a short intervew with him:
What inspires you to write stories across time and space?
I suppose it’s the stories I grew up on. History, in general, has always mesmerized me. But more than that, I think this fascination with space and time, the unknown, is an extension of our own search for meaning in our lives. We all want to go beyond ourselves, beyond where we are and when we are in time. So I think the concept of time and space, whether in Science or Science Fiction, is a universal idea that we’d all like to explore or at least we all ponder upon once in a while. Some of the most influential stories on my own writing have been the myths of Ancient Greece and India. More contemporary stories would include Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. I think in all these stories there are underlying archetypes which appeal to our psyche as a global society. I’d like to think with The Falsifier and the entire saga, I’m doing the same!
How does the eastern and western philosophy and culture influence you and your story?
I’ve been lucky to experience the best of both hemispheres and at times the worst. It’s the worst that seems to have influenced me in terms of creating the conflicts in The Falsifier, and I’m sure readers will easily identify those conflicts with real world events and situations pertaining to recent events. But the philosophies of these two cultures, to me, seem to be very similar in their thought processes and search for Truth. Readers from the Eastern World, from
My overall impression of both cultures and the influence they have on me is that I think we are the same internally wherever we are, because as I delved into Socrates, Plato, Pantanjali, and Lao Tzu I see that their words resonate with the human spirit, which is in search for something higher than itself, higher than what it is. But all great teachings lead to the same destination, in my opinion.
Finally, I’d like to say that given the present condition between the Islamic world and the
Well, some of my favorite authors include Alexander Dumas (for The Count of Monte Cristo), Philip Pullman (for the His Dark Material Trilogy), Anne Rice (for The Vampire Chronicles and Christ the Lord Series) and Christopher Moore (for many of his books including the Bite Me series)
What do you think is the most difficult aspect about being an author?
Honestly, I find nothing difficult as an author. I love writing and I’m fortunate enough to do it full time. But if there was one thing that I think would need improvement, it would be my discipline. I try to write a minimum of 1000 words a day. Sometimes they flow like the Ganges , and sometimes there’s nothing. And it’s the latter that can be quite dreadful. But I enjoy it. I love the idea of being a creator of a new universe in which anything is possible and which people enjoy immersing themselves in.
