Interview With David W. Murray,
(author of Majesty)
(added March 1, 2006)
The interview below may be reprinted
with permission. The interview must contain the links and photos
including the credit posted at the bottom of it. Please email Wendy
at Dreamish.com
 [Wendy
at Dreamish.com] I
recently visited a website for the book, Majesty. I found
the author, David Murray, very interesting. I decided to ask him
for an interview so that I could learn more about his past work
with Disney, his present work on Curious George by Universal
Pictures, and his books which have been likened to, The Chronicles
of Narnia.
His answers have been very inspiring...
[Wendy at Dreamish.com]
How did you get started doing animation for
Disney?
[David W. Murray] In 1996 the Florida studio
was looking worldwide for background painters. Background painters,
paint all of those beautiful scenes behind the animated characters.
Basically, we are the unsung heroes. Anyway, a good friend from
college, the best man at my wedding, submitted his portfolio and
was accepted. He suggested I submit my portfolio as well. I took
the standard test in November of that year. The test consisted of
copying an existing background painting, rather a photo of the BG
painting. At that time I was a fashion illustrator and worked primarily
in black and white for newspaper print. So painting full color in
acrylics was quite a challenge. But things went well and three months
later we moved the family to Florida and I was working on Mulan.
[Wendy
at Dreamish.com] What
have you worked on for Disney? Do you write or animate or both?
[David W. Murray] I worked on Mulan,
which was the first animated Disney film to be produced, start to
finish, at the Florida studio. It was a big feather in our cap.
Next we helped the California studio with Tarzan. Then
came Lilo and Stitch, then Brother Bear. I also
worked on John Henry, an 8 minute film short. That was a lot of
fun. I was the voice of John Henry, in pre-production. Later, they
used someone with a deeper voice for the final cut, but still used
me for another character, Man 1. I'm sure you remember him well.
I never got a chance to write for Disney, which is a very difficult
thing. Even John Lassiter of Pixar fame had to leave the company
before he was taken seriously. I did however submitted numerous
treatments for new story ideas, just as a way of exercising my writing
skills.
[Wendy
at Dreamish.com] What
is the best experience or influence you have had working with Disney?
[David W. Murray] The
best experience was working with all of those talented Disney artists.
The Florida studio closed in 2004, but it was something I'll never
forget. Not coming from an animation background, I was amazed at
how fast the animators could draw. They also did caricatures of
fellow workers that were hysterical. Working late nights to get
the films done was a memorable experience as well, especially the
catered meals.
[Wendy
at Dreamish.com] How
did you come to work on the new animated “Curious George”
film by Universal Pictures?
[David
W. Murray] After the Disney studio closed I finally
got my chance to write for a smaller studio call Ravenmoon. There
I helped re-design an animated character they needed developed
for a 3D film short, entitled Mr. Bicycle Man. I art
directed and story boarded the project and later won the Golden
Aurora award for the film short. 8 months later I joined Project
Firefly, an animated studio started by some very ambitious friends
from the Disney studio. They were just starting work on Curious
George. It was good to see a lot of the old crew.
[Wendy
at Dreamish.com]
Why
did you decide to become an author?
[David W. Murray] Like
many closet writers, writing just seemed to be in my blood. I
had written 4 screenplays prior to working at Disney and prior
to writing Majesty. My first screenplay was a comedy ghost story
which takes place in a haunted mansion. The script was an original
idea written for Eddie Murphy in 1987. Ten years later I showed
it to Disney. They took the concept and the rest is history. The
second screenplay was also a secular project, a classy, classic
sci-fi, sort of a combination of Close Encounters and
Terminator, no slime. My third was entitled GODSEND
The Encounter. The folks at Touched By An Angel were fascinated
with the script. Godsend is essentially a spiritual warfare
thriller, where angels and demons do battle in the streets of
modern day New York City, basically Touched By An Angel
on steroids. If ever you wanted to see AWESOME ANGELS kick demon
butt, this is the movie for you. I have since changed the title
Godsend, to In The Night, due to the movie with
the same name. My fourth screenplay some say may be my best, although
I have a lot of die hard fans for Godsend. The fourth script is
entitled Retroshock, a Christian Sci-fi. A literary agent
liked it so much he had me adapt the story to a novel, which will
probably be released between book two and three of the Majesty
series. It's a story of a young genius inventor, a modern day
Einstein who makes millions as a weapons designer for a defense
contractor. When he tinkers together a time machine, he opens
Pandora's box and realizes that the only way to avoid disaster,
is to confront his own non-belief and go back in time to meet
the inventor of time itself, Christ.
[Wendy
at Dreamish.com] What
inspired you to write the story "Majesty”?
[David W. Murray] After Retroshock, my wife said,
"Enough!" Writing is very demanding and I needed to
spend more time with the family. She was absolutely right. I felt
I had pretty much gotten witting out of my system, and I was in
no rush to write anything for a very long while. Then several
months later, the unexpected happened. One Spring night, in 1998
my sons Wesley 6, Brandon 3, asked for a bedtime story, which
was like offering a fudge sundae to someone on a diet. How could
I resist. The first Harry Potter book had just come out
and they wanted a story about wizards and magic, but since I wasn't
about to put a positive spin on sorcery, I tried to think of a
story that would portray magic as a dangerous, and destructive
power. The story spanned seven or eight nights with a series of
cliffhangers. At the end of it, I got the proverbial, "Tell
it again!" To which I replied, "Go to bed."
That night, before my wife fell asleep, I told her a very condensed
version. When I was done she mumbled from her pillow, "You
have to write that one." I was shocked! The next day I checked
with her to make sure she wasn't just half asleep and knew what
she was saying. So with her blessings I started writing Majesty.
Majesty is a fantasy adventure about two children who
are swept into another world where the power of God and the forces
of magic have been at war since the beginning of time. Once the
children learn the truth, they must choose sides.The boy chooses
the wizards and their magic, while his little sister chooses God.
And with the help of an angel she must battle for her brother's
life and salvation. At the center of the conflict is Majesty,
the white horse of Christ's return.
[Wendy
at Dreamish.com] Will
this be a trilogy or a chronicle series? If a series, then how
many books do you plan to write?
[David W. Murray]
Majesty is a trilogy. There is a story behind that as
well. When I finished the story my wife, Mary Ellen, reminded
me that the 350 page manuscript still had to be double spaced.
Suddenly I had a story that was over 700 pages long. Who's going
to read a 700 page book?!
Before I panicked, I decided to trust that God had somehow already
worked this out. So I went to the exact middle of the manuscript
and discovered a chapter break and a perfect cliffhanger. You
can imagine my surprise when I realized I actually had two books
in one. Wish I could say I planned it that way, but I didn't.
Book two entitled, Majesty and the Dragon's Throne, is
the exciting conclusion of book one, and only has to be edited.
Book three will tell the story that precedes book one, a story
of two other children who travel to the Nohr World a hundred years
earlier.
[Wendy
at Dreamish.com] How
long did it take you to write your first book compared to the
second book that is coming out?
[David W. Murray] It
took seven years to write the story from start to finish, book
one and two. And it will take another six to eight months to edit
book two.
[Wendy
at Dreamish.com] What
age group would like to read these books?
[David W. Murray] Majesty
is for ages ten and up, but I have had a few nine year olds contact
me to say they read the story and loved the book. I believe their
exact words were, "The book is AWESOME!" Their reviews
will be posted on the web site in about a week.
[Wendy
at Dreamish.com] How
long did it take you to create the front cover illustration for
“Majesty”?
[David W. Murray]
I started the illustration when I was working on Lilo
& Stitch in the Disney studios. Right from the start,
I knew I wanted something classy, something that looked leather
bound; a cover that was dark and mysterious, chalked full of detail,
and would depict a scene from the book. The original painting
was done in acrylics then enhanced in Photo Shop. The art of animation,
like the world, is fast paced and filled with deadlines. It was
nice to be able to take my time on the cover and get what I really
wanted. I'm happy with the cover art, it has the mood I was looking
for, mystery and adventure.
[Wendy
at Dreamish.com] Did
you find it hard to get your book published? Do you have advice
to share?
[David W. Murray] This is a great question
and one that lies at the heart of the reason for this book. It
was very difficult to find anyone who would publish Majesty,
particularly Christian Publishers, which was a surprise to me.
When I first took the original manuscript around, 2002-2003, I
was told, "Forget it. You'll never get this published."
The reason being, the subject of magic was taboo in Christian
circles. The idea was, in spite of the onslaught of Harry Potter
and the message that magic is good, we (Christians) were supposed
to say nothing. Which reminded me of the old saying, "For
evil to triumph, all that is needed is for good men to do nothing."
When I saw this weak and passive response, and realized that the
leading Christian publishers were forcefully shoving their heads
into the sand, I was not only shocked, I was convinced more than
ever that this book was needed.
That is why I self published. With self publishing you get your
book in print and retain control of the content. If you have a
story about a purple spotted widget, you can get it in print.
However, you will have to do the bulk of advertising and public
relations yourself, still it is a task I'm enjoying more and more.
I enjoy meeting new people and hearing how the book has touched
their lives. One mother said the book prompted a conversation
on spiritual warfare and God's protection, after reading the first
chapter to her 9 and 11 yr old at bedtime.
That was a blessing to hear.
[Wendy
at Dreamish.com] What
do you do to promote the books? Does a publisher or distributor
help?
[David W. Murray] I've sent out press releases,
done several radio shows, and book signings. I'm now in the process
of hiring a publicist so I can get to the task of editing book
two. Book promotion is a full time job and I'm much more comfortable
sitting at the computer, writing. Still, I'm learning to step
out of my comfort zone. A word of advice. As an author, get accustomed
to the idea of promoting yourself. Often times, your personal
story is what will help to sell the book. Who are you? What led
you to tell your story? It's the human interest that draws attention
to your product. With that in mind, I've thought of taking up,
skydiving, or race car driving. I'd like to try out for the NFL
and NBA. But at my age, all I'll probably make is the AARP (American
Assoc. of Retired Persons). Oh, well.
[Wendy
at Dreamish.com] Who
has read and endorsed the book so far?
[David W. Murray] LeAnn Weiss, best selling
Christian author has read the book and was gracious enough to
give it a glowing endorsement. Ms. Weiss likens the story to,
The Chronicles of Narnia, which is the greatest compliment
I could wish for. Her quote is on the back of the book. LeAnn
Weiss is the writer of the Hugs series, book of encouragement
for moms, dads, kids, teachers. She is a talented writer with
a wonderful heart for people.
I've had parents, and teachers contact me to say they enjoyed
Majesty, but it's been the response from the children
that have been the most gratifying. I was on the radio in Feb.
with an 11 yr old boy from Minnesota, who loved the story and
compared it to Lord of the Rings, because of all the trolls, ogres
and goblins in the story. Then there are those children who have
been prompted to write their own stories as a result of reading
Majesty. It's especially gratifying to hear from the parents who
say their child has never showed any interest in writing before
they read the book. For me, that's a good day at the office!
[Wendy
at Dreamish.com] Do
you have any plans for the books be made into films or video games?
[David W. Murray] HAH!! Majesty
the movie? That would be amazing. Having a book go to film is the
dream of every author. I suppose I shouldn't speak for others. Although
it is certainly a dream of mine, I have no immediate plans. Majesty
would have to prove itself in the market place first. If it should
hit best seller status, then the question becomes more realistic.
Still, I have to say everyone who has read the book has asks that
question. I suppose, they can see the images within the text, vividly,
like I can. It's like a canvas of the mind and after experiencing
the book, the reader wants to see the picture come to life. That's
why I prefer writing to painting pictures. I'd rather spent a lifetime
bringing the world of my imagination to life, instead of painting
still images. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I say
this book would make a beautiful picture.
[Wendy
at Dreamish.com] Do
you have a memorable moment that you would like to share since you
started your author journey?
[David W. Murray] The most
memorable moments, I believe are the ones that take you by surprise.
They are the things you don't expect. At my first book signing,
I happened to glance up from the table and see a woman walking
away. She had purchased one of my books and had it tucked under
her arm. I watched her until she disappeared in the crowd. It
was an obvious and insignificant thing, but it was poignant to
me. It's one thing to mail out a review copy, or have people buy
the book on the other side of the country. But to see your book
carried away and be lost in a crowd is to witness a visual metaphor.
It is one person's idea, literally being carried into the masses.
It was a gratifying moment that made me smile.
[Wendy
at Dreamish.com] Who
inspires you? Have you met ever met them or would you like to
meet them?
[David W. Murray] I literally wrote Majesty
in my bedroom closet. The space was actually very cozy. It was my
mini office. Don't laugh. As silly as it sounds, there are many
dads working in closet offices all across the country, or so our
carpet cleaner says. Anyway, I kept a picture of C.S.Lewis and J.R.R.Tolkien
on the wall in front of me. Those two pictures were a constant source
of inspiration. At my age, both Lewis and Tolkien had suffered great
lose and hardship, yet were still able to write in spite of adversity.
It is a testimony of both perseverance and genius. After seven years
of writing, I can indeed say that I persevered. As for genius...
Hey, I write in a closet. Nuf'said. :)
[Wendy
at Dreamish.com] Thanks
David. It has been great learning more about your past and present
work and sharing it with our readers at Dreamish.com.
[David W. Murray] Wendy, thank you
very much for the opportunity to talk about the book and spend time
with you and your audience. It was a pleasure and I hope to visit
you again as things progress with Majesty.
You can visit David's
website to see his cool animated flash introduction for Majesty,
read more information about his books and purchase them... »
Click Here Alternately,
you can call to order copies: 1-866-909-2665
Wendy Shepherd is the owner and creator
of a multitude of websites on the internet since 1997. To learn
more about Wendy Shepherd, please visit the website at www.wendyshepherd.com
.
This interview
may be reprinted with permission. The interview must contain the
links and photos including the credit posted at the bottom of it.
Please email Wendy at Dreamish.com
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