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INTERVIEW - Kfir
Luzzatto
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Moe: Where are you from?
Kfir Luzzatto: I am an Italy-born, Israel-based author and I
live in a small residential town called Omer, near Beer-Sheva, which is the
capital of the south of
Moe: What is your specialty?
Kfir Luzzatto: Although my first work is mostly horror and dark
fantasy, I experiment with many genres. I have written mainstream fiction and
even a techno-thriller.
Moe: Do you write full-time
Kfir Luzzatto: I try to write as many hours a week as possible,
but I also balance my writing time with other demands.
I don’t keep a regular schedule and the amount of time I put into my writing
depends very much on what I am working on and what stage it's in. Some stages
demand very intensive work; for instance, while drafting the first, defining
chapters of a new book, I may forget myself altogether and work very late into
the night. Other chores, such as the proofreading of a finished book or story,
require more methodic work and less passion, so it's easier to organize my
working hours for them.
Moe: Do you still have a "day job"? If not, what did you use to do for a
job?
Kfir Luzzatto: I have a "day job" as a partner in a patent law
firm. In a sense, this is a "writing job", so sometimes it is difficult to come
home after long hours of writing technical stuff, and sit down to write some
more. During holidays and vacations I find myself writing several hours a day,
every day, usually mornings and evenings, while during the year I can only make
time for writing in the evening and during weekends. Whenever I know that I can
sit down for at least one hour without interruption, I simply do
it.
Moe: Describe your office.
Kfir Luzzatto: I am very lucky to have an amazing library to
work in, which I have modeled after one from an antique Italian villa. Besides
the books, it contains a large marble table that sits eight, my desk with my
computer, and two comfortable armchairs in which I like to sit to read and
proofread.
Moe: How does your living arrangement affect your writing/work?
Kfir Luzzatto: My office is only five minutes away from home
and I have arranged my daily life so it is as flexible as possible. Since I can
do much work from home, writing and work don’t have to collide, and if I need to
stay home for the morning to finish a story I can take care of work emergencies
from there, any time they come up.
Moe: What is the setting of most of your novels?
Kfir Luzzatto: I create setting that capture the atmosphere
needed to best fit the plot. Not being tied to a specific setting allows me to
be more creative and to explore many different options.
Moe: What genre do you write? What made you decide to tackle the genre of
novels you write in?
Kfir Luzzatto: I don’t really have a genre. I know that this
makes life more difficult, but I simply can’t fit in the box. To my mind,
everything in the story (the setting, the genre, the period, etc.) is
subordinate to the idea behind the plot. In other words, I don’t say to myself
"I am a horror writer, now I need to think of a plot that is horror", but
rather, "here is the idea I want to offer my audience; what genre will be best
to present it?" That's why I found Ron Miller's (TheColumnist.Com) comments on
my ghost novel, "Crossing the Meadow", so rewarding: “If you saw and admired M.
Night Shyamalan's 1999 film "The Sixth Sense," you may be attracted to 'Crossing
the Meadow'..." To me it meant that I had indeed managed to integrate my plot
and ideas into the genre I had selected for them (dark fantasy).
Moe: What kind of research do you do to make your novels realistic?
Kfir Luzzatto: I think research is extremely important, and I
spend whatever time needed to research the background by whatever means it
takes. But because I write fiction that is character-driven (and not much
event-driven), my needs in this respect are rather limited. On the other hand, I
once spent two months researching for a short ghost story ("Going to
Moe: Do your books have a specific and distinctive quality,
characteristic, or concern? If so why is this important to your books?
Kfir Luzzatto: I believe the common thread that runs through
all my books is the will to let the reader become intimate with the characters.
Achieving this result is sometimes not easy, because you must let the reader
into the character's mind without giving too many details that may hold up the
action. Once I feel I have accomplished that, the rest becomes easy
work.
Moe: Tell us about your current release.
Kfir Luzzatto: My new novel, "The Odyssey Gene", was released
by
Moe: What exciting story are you working on next?
Kfir Luzzatto: Right now I am working on a fantasy-adventure
book for young adults. The exciting part is I am co-authoring it with my 11-year
old son. We work together on the concept for each chapter and then I write it up
before we work on the next one.
Moe: What ways have you found effective for promoting your books?
Kfir Luzzatto: I think, to be effective, you must promote in as
many different ways as possible. Still, there is little doubt that the Internet
has become the most important vehicle for promotion.
Moe: How do you find time to write, promote and take care of
everything else in your life?
Kfir Luzzatto: Finding time is the most difficult part of it
all. For the time being I simply defer sleep to whenever I'll be able to afford
it; it doesn’t look like this is going to happen any time soon,
though.
Moe: What have you read for fun lately?
Kfir Luzzatto: I have found a Rex Stout that, somehow, I had
overlooked ("And Four To Go"), and I have re-read "I Claudius" by Robert Graves.
Moe: Besides writing what do you do for fun? What are your hobbies?
Kfir Luzzatto: I am a family man (with four kids) and much of
my fun I have with them. We travel a lot and watch movies together. Besides, I
have played the piano since I was little and three years ago I took up studying
the violin. I also enjoy working for The Harrow – an online zine established by
Moe: Do you have a website where writers can learn more about you and your
writing?
Kfir Luzzatto: My website is http://www.kfir-l.com . If you go there, be
sure to check out my "Fun with Old Books" page, as well as the trailer for my
novel, "Crossing the Meadow".
Moe: Is there anything that you would like to share with my
readers?
Kfir Luzzatto: Writing is a tough occupation, but the reward is huge. If you really like writing and, objectively, your work has a distinctive voice, don’t get discouraged over rejections. Recognition for your work is hard to get, but it's out there.
Thank you Kfir!