Subscriber Queries Answered, or Shamelessly Self-Promotional FAQ
What is “markwillwrite”?
“markwillwrite” is the official newsletter of author, songwriter, and publisher Mark Will (now on Substack!). The phrase “markwillwrite” is also used for branding purposes on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. It has at least five meanings:
1. declarative: Mark will write.
2. interrogative: Mark will write?
3. imperative: Mark Will, write!
4. prescriptive: Mark, will, write.
5. mathematical: mark + will = write
What kind(s) of books does Mark Will write?
Mark Will writes mostly literary fiction (some of which might be classified as “transgressive”), but he also writes travel literature (for which he has coined the pretentious neologism “peregrinography”) and, occasionally, poetry. His literary fiction includes Jigs & Tales of Bawdry, the cover of which features the artwork of Egon Schiele and looks like this:
His travel writing includes Postcards from the Nordics, a trailer for which is on YouTube:
Here’s another YouTube video in which Mark Will reads from the first volume of his projected 26-volume epic poem Of Letters and a Man at the 2017 Taipei International Book Exhibition (ah, remember the days before Covid?):
Mark Will has also published translations.
What does Mark Will translate?
Literary classics. Thus far, Mark Will has translated Fernando Pessoa’s Message and Aeschylus’ Persians. He is currently working on translations of Aristophanes’ Peace and Euripides’ Trojan Women (which along with Persians will comprise an Ancient Greek Anti-War Trilogy). In 2021, Mark Will’s translation of Pessoa’s Message, originally published by Cadmus & Harmony Media, was reprinted in a special deluxe hardcover edition available only at Café A Brasileira in Lisbon, Portugal.
And Mark Will writes songs too?
Indeed he does. In addition to writing books, Mark Will is the songwriter, vocalist, and bassist of the Taiwan-based art rock collective [ai], whose albums Carmina Formosa, Carmina Formosa Deluxe, and No Cure for the Princess Disease are available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and other digital platforms. Here is a lyric video for “Dystopian Theme Song,” which is one of [ai]’s most celebrated tracks:
For updates on Mark Will’s musical activities, subscribe to “Carmina Formosa,” [ai]’s official newsletter (only on Substack of course!)
Why does Mark Will list “publisher” as one of his titles?
Mark Will is editor-in-chief of Cadmus & Harmony Media, the imprint under which he publishes his own books (and occasionally those of other writers). Cadmus & Harmony Media also have plans to venture into music publishing and film production at some point. Here is the Cadmus & Harmony Media logo:
Mark Will has a logo of his own too, doesn’t he?
It is actually a magical sigil which Mark Will conceived while in a mystical trance, but, yes, it is also a de facto logo which he uses for branding purposes on social media and elsewhere:
Does Mark Will have an author photo, like most writers do?
Sure, why not? Here is Mark Will on vacation in Spain in 2018, a trip he will document in the forthcoming peregrinography Journey to Iberia:
Does Mark Will have a website?
Yes, Mark Will has a website, but he has begun to suspect that Substack is a better platform for engaging with his readers.
Who are Mark Will’s literary influences?
Mark Will’s literary influences are too numerous to mention, but lest he be accused of dodging the question he will list three of the most significant:
James Joyce
Marcel Proust
Leo Tolstoy
What is Mark Will reading now?
Mark Will is currently reading Immanuel Kant’s To Perpetual Peace, Doris Lessing’s The Golden Notebook, Sigmund Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams, E.M. Cioran’s The Trouble with Being Born, and Thomas Bernhard’s Extinction, among other things. Follow Mark Will on Goodreads for updates and occasional reviews.
What is Mark Will writing now?
At this very moment, Mark Will is putting the finishing touches on Earnest Games, an experimental novel/thematic collection of stories which will be out by the end of next month (hopefully). Here is the table of contents:
The Fool
A Teachable Moment
DIY
A Tale of Two Blowjobs
Alpha Male 2.0
The Indifferent
A Message from the National Security State
Assassin
Adolescent Psychedelic Reverie
Four or Five Ways to Shoot Andy Warhol
Monomyth
Kiss of the Flower-Snake
Flanagans Wank
The Ladyboy, or the Thai-Girl?
Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail 2020
Femme Fatale
Reader-Response Questionnaire
Notes from Underfoot
The Magician
Now doesn’t that sound like something you’d like to read?
Where did Mark Will get the idea for Earnest Games?
Mark Will conceived of Earnest Games after re-reading the following couplet from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales:
What, in general, inspires Mark Will to write?
Like Achilles, Mark Will is inspired primarily by rage.
How does Mark Will deal with writer’s block?
Mark Will doesn’t believe in writer’s block. Rather, he believes in discipline. Thus he simply forces himself to sit down in front of a computer screen or an empty sheet of paper and he doesn’t allow himself to get up until he starts typing or scribbling. Sometimes, like Malcolm Lowry (allegedly), he must be tied to his chair by a kindly dominatrix in order to ensure productivity.
What does Mark Will think is the best thing about being a writer?
Mark Will considers writing to be the least ignoble of all immortality projects (and potentially the most glorious form of failure).
What is Mark Will’s advice for aspiring writers?
In the words of Charles Bukowski: “Don’t try.” (If that’s too demoralizing, substitute this quote from Epictetus: “If you want to be a writer, write.”)
So why does Mark Will write?
On behalf of Mark Will, Lord Byron has already answered this question (with questions of his own) in Don Juan, Canto XIV, 11:
That’s all well and good, but what’s the point of subscribing to “markwillwrite”?
In addition to regular updates on all things Mark Will, subscribers to “markwillwrite” will get author interviews, book recommendations, tips on writing and publishing, and all the latest episodes of Mark Will and Tomek’s new podcast Texting! A subscription is absolutely free (with a paid option coming soon), and though “markwillwrite” may provoke you at times, it will never be boring! Tell your friends!