I was tremendously fortunate, to have received advance copies of both Eric Keegan’s chaps itty bits vol. 1 & 2 and, I must say they are FABULOUS!!! Not only does Erik scribe various writing styles from micro pieces to soulful dialogues, itty bits also simultaneously houses diverse themes and content. Eric’s work as he says is a “stream of consciousness style…” which is a place, I am so familiar with — as most of my poems are the same. It’s a way of expressing yourself and allowing your work to genuinely flow in whatever direction it is meant to. As a writer, sometimes it can be difficult and pressured to get the words out – I especially relish Eric’s philosophy with regards to not needing to push out the words regardless of strain. I guess, that’s why Eric’s work is genuinely excellent he forces nothing, and allows the writing to be organic – which truly impacts the final body of work. Eric can be found on Instagram @blankpagesofmine or https://blankpagesofmine.com/. And, from the looks of this interview — you\’ll have reading material well into 2020 to explore…
RMMW: Do you have any artist rituals before starting a new piece?
EK: The first thing I do with a new work is create the title. Not even so much tentatively, it needs to be concrete and as engrossing to me as it would be to the potential reader.
RMMW: Have you ever been creatively blocked, if yes how did you get out of it?
EK: Because I write with a stream of consciousness style, whenever I hit a dead-end creative roadblock, I put the project on hold and move to something else. It\’s not a way of giving up, it\’s just that my signed, sealed, and delivered projects have generally been ones that were completed quickly in a short amount of time.
RMMW: What\’s your favourite book written by you?
EK: It\’s one of my unpublished works called \”Both Sides of One Two.\” I\’ve been sitting on the manuscript shelf collecting dust for too long and I would love to go back and give it a final edit because it\’s style and story are not something the average reader encounters out in the literary universe.
RMMW: Who is your favourite indie poet?
EK: Glen Binger has been a HUGE source of inspiration, since first having me at his \”Stories by the Sea\” in Belmar a few years ago. He\’s not afraid to write who he is, motivate and rally others to the indie cause, and honestly, face-to-face he\’s one of the most likeable and egotistical-free people you\’ll ever meet. My two most admired qualities in a friend and acquaintance.
RMMW: Tell us about your Diorama Society?
EK: It\’s a mindset that I\’ve developed since writing and publishing my debut work, The Dioramist. Creativity, especially in the writing sense, is a three-dimensional representation of the worlds and thoughts and colossal mind-trips that reside within out foremost and furthest withdrawn thoughts. When I read a great book, I don\’t just think of words on a page, I think of how they pop up from the parchment, grab you by the shirt collar, and thrust you deep inside of the cover-to-cover realm.
RMMW: What inspires you as a writer?
EK: I was adopted by and grew up with wonderful family along the salty shores of New Jersey, but I originated from a family that I\’ve never met in Oregon. Whatever pieces of me have felt incomplete or undefined since my childhood have been sewn back together mainly through the writing.
RMMW: Do you have any unfinished manuscripts awaiting publication?
EK: I took some time away from social media the past 6 months together to hone-in-on the writing and get some manuscripts completed. My current release calendar (tentative to change) is as follows:
Lines at the Amusement Rides (a poetry collection)
She and He, He and She (really excited about this one, a long form piece that\’s comedic and a modern take on \”Who\’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf\”)
A Declaration of Our Rippling Days (a poetry collection that needs some more work and finesse, but a passionate tale that I loved creating)
The Overnight Solemn Bird Whiskey Wheel (this was an absolute trip; how and why it came to be, and how it became the sum of its parts almost on its own accord)
Ebb and Convo (a long form comedy, missed a Summer release this year so now it\’s coming in 2020)
Strange Vagabonds Taking Flight (the spiritual poetic sequel to Strange Cars in the Night)
The Dioramist 2 (the original was so enjoyable to write that I wrote the sequel a week later)
RMMW: What struggles do you feel contemporary writers currently face?
EK: Inner confliction with the big, wide world of writing. No one should ever doubt themselves. If there\’s one thing I\’ve learned, you should write to the best of you — know how and the people you meet and encounter as a result…that\’s the real silver lining.
RMMW: How old were you when you wrote your first book?
EK: 30
RMMW: What do you like to do when you are not writing?
EK: My fiancée and I are big into golf, travel, I read sometimes more than I breathe, taking photographs, and more recently, podcasting and voice acting.
RMMW: What is your first writing memory?
EK: For a grade school project, I made \”Animal Island.\” It was a children\’s book made entirely out of felt and crafting pieces.
RMMW: If you had a superpower what would it be?
EK: I would remove negativity both from the world and from any developing person who feels like they\’re getting lost out there inside of a deceptively lonely world.
CCIQ Press 
