I’d like to welcome author, Paul Bahou, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need for your writing sessions:

I write and edit my books on my computer, but I write my short stories on my phone. All I need is one or the other and some quiet so I can focus.

Things that hamper your writing:

TV, other people, anything that takes me out of the zone.

Things you love about writing:

Writing clears the cobwebs of the mind. You get so much mental clutter and junk over the course of the day, especially for someone like me who has a short attention span. It’s almost like meditation in a way; forcing my brain to hone in on a single train of thought for an extended period of time.

There’s also this creative itch that I have to scratch, or I go batty. I used to satisfy it by playing and writing music. Since I’ve had kids that’s been pretty difficult, so writing stories has been a very satisfying way of engaging with that call to create.

Things you hate about writing:

That I don’t get to do more of it. I have a list of story summaries on my phone that I work on when I get the time. I’m currently working on a series of short stories to release as a collection. I’m usually working on two different stories at any given time, one that’s being written on my phone and one that’s being edited on my computer.

Easiest thing about being a writer:

Writing the first sentence.

Hardest thing about being a writer:

Writing everything that comes after that.

Favorite music or song:

My favorite band in the world is Tool. Their music just hits me in a way that nobody else’s does. It’s heavy, it’s melodic, it’s lyrically dense and damn if they don’t sound absolutely flawless live. Their album Lateralus changed the way I look at music.

My second favorite is Carly Rae Jepson. She writes the musical equivalent of warm hugs you can dance to. I love her music. I know it’s the furthest thing from progressive metal, but aren’t we all full of contradictions in some way?

Music that drives you crazy:

100 Gecs is the group that made me realize I was old. And I’m not even old. I just can’t do whatever that is. My brain just isn’t wired for it.

Favorite beverage:

Coffee.

Something that gives you a sour face:

Anything with too much sugar in it.

Favorite smell:

Your kid when they’re a newborn and you smell their head. No greater high my friend. Fellow parents, you know what I’m talking about.

Something that makes you hold your nose:

Meat. I don’t think I’ve eaten a cheeseburger since George W. Bush was president.

Last best thing you ate:

The tacos my wife made for dinner last night. The woman is Mozart in the kitchen.

Last thing you regret eating:

That fourth taco. Oof.

Favorite places you’ve been:

I love Coachella. There’s magic in those polo fields. I really love music festivals in general. I’ve got a pretty wide palate when it comes to music, so I appreciate being to check out different types of artists in a fun, vibrant setting.

Places you never want to go to again:

I’ll go anywhere as long as I’ve got my wife with me. It’s less about the place and more about the company. I think that’s the trick to living a good life in general.

Favorite books (or genre):

I love authors like Kurt Vonnegut or Chuck Palahniuk. People who tell stories out of left field that defy typical plot line conventions.

Books you wouldn’t buy:

Anything written by someone with an opinion show on a cable news channel.

Favorite things to do:

Write music. Write stories. Talk about music. Talk about stories. Watch music. Watch stories. My novel Sunset Distortion is a story that heavily involves music. I’d say I found a way to mix my two favorite things.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing:

I’d say running through a fire and eating bugs are two things I’d like to avoid if possible.

Things that make you happy:

My children

Things that drive you crazy:

My children

The coolest person you’ve ever met:

My wife.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video:

I once saw Justin Timberlake when I was coming out of the bathroom at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood. My friends and I were in college and seeing Dane Cook. We were all hammered. And not just hammered, but like, irresponsible college level wasted. Justin was in line waiting for me to come out. He was taller than I imagined. Though then again, I was pretty inebriated, it’s very possible I was slouching like some sort of confused hunchback who stumbled into the light after years in the belfry. I wanted to say hi, but I think I just grumbled incoherently at the poor guy.

About Paul:

Paul Bahou is the author of Sunset Distortion: The Pyramid at the End of the World. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Cal State University Long Beach with a minor in Music. He began his career writing grants while playing in his rock band, eventually moving out of music and into the sustainability sector. He lives in Southern California with his wife Melissa, daughter Sophie and son Harrison. He writes fiction and the occasional dad joke in his spare time.

Let’s Be Social:

Website

facebook.com/paulbahouwrites