Poetry /Comedy Satire Gift Rhyme Millennial Humor Silverstein Memory
Date Published: 04-15-2026
Publisher: The Tink and Tank Press
Interview with Mickey Mack
Author of The Bric-a-Brac of Mickey Mack
Do you have a routine or something you do to get you in the mood to write?
It’s not so much a routine as it is being open to inspiration and ideas. I have a day job. I have a life. That said, allowing myself to plumb the depths of ideas that flicker is the most important thing. I call the moments of inspiration “fireflies.” The best ideas often start as a flicker in the night sky. If you’re perceptive and respectful of the flashes of ideas and inspiration, a firefly may very well turn into a great idea. Sometimes sitting in silence and reflection welcomes fireflies. After a long day of work, when you’re exhausted and find yourself decompressing and unwinding, you may be prone to ignore the fireflies. I’m too tired, distracted, or beaten down to admire and follow them. The best thing to do is get up, even when tired, and follow the fireflies. They may lead you to something special.
Do you have a special song, drink, or food you enjoy while you are writing?
I love a Dr. Brown’s Diet Cream Soda and 15 to 20 minutes in a chair outside. I listen to the breeze. I listen to the birds. I take a sip and can hear the carbonation when I bring the can to my mouth. It puts me in the perfect headspace. Then I head to the office and lock in on ideas I’ve been mulling over.
How do you know what to write?
As mentioned, the inspiration comes to me. I’m certain inspiration comes to everyone; you just have to be paying attention. Admittedly, there may be long and uncomfortable periods of drought. In those periods I focus on being grounded and present. There are times I start writing and the ship runs aground. The path goes nowhere or leads to a dead end. I find that an important part of the process. I may have explored that avenue to the best of my ability and come up with nothing. The best ideas come from observations of the lived experience. That’s where the sincere and genuine moments reveal themselves. The people you interact with, the stories they tell, and the stories they don’t tell all spill ideas. To me, the best stories are the ones the speaker isn’t telling.
What does a typical writing day look like for you?
There is no typical day of writing. In that is the challenge. Everyone has responsibilities. Everyone has stressors, obligations, and obstacles. It’s the windows of free time and availability that you must take advantage of. For example, on the drive home, I may come up with an idea. However, I can’t just start writing going 70 miles down the highway. Call me “Ernest Hemming-highway.” But when I get home, I do my best to get to the computer straight away and write down at least the start of what I suspect might be a great idea. Writing finds its way into the cracks of life if you let it. It’s being an opportunist, taking advantage of windows of time, and fanning the flames of inspiration.
Do you do anything special to celebrate after writing “the end”?
My favorite thing I do is read a brand new section to my wife. The way I celebrate finishing a piece is to read it to her and watch her face. I want to see how it affects her. What sections or lines resonate with her. What forces a smile, what drops her jaw in surprise, what furrows her brow. That’s my favorite part.
How long does it take you to write a book?
Because of my wandering and meandering process, and because I have a busy day job, it takes me several years. I always tell myself that if I just wrote full time, I could churn out books much faster. But then what would I write about?
What is the most difficult part of writing a book?
The most difficult part of writing a book is putting yourself out there. Never knowing if what you’re writing is going to land or resonate with the reader. It may be important to me, but will it be important to the reader? I’m writing a heartfelt piece about a dog. Oops, the reader is a cat person. Those feelings often concern me. Is my message getting to the right audience? And if not the right audience, is this work enough to persuade you anyway?
About the Author
Purchase Link
https://mybook.to/BricaBrackMickeyMack
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