Do you have a job besides writing?
Yes. I have worked in a dizzying amount of professions but right now I pay my rent working as a helper for disabled persons.
What is the story behind Dun Scaith?
The Fort of Shadows – on the Isle of Skye was the stronghold of the Celtic warrior queen and martial arts teacher, Skyar (Scáthach in Scots Gaelic.) She was reputed to train only those men already brave enough to reach her by overcoming the many dangers surrounding the fort…
Why did you choose the name Dun Scaith?
I’ve been fond of visiting the Scottish Isle of Skye for a long time, but only in the last few years did I really understand the depth of the legend of Skyar (or Scáthach as she is known in Scots Gaelic) and how intimately it is connected with other Celtic legends, for example that of the legendary Irish warrior Finn McCool (yes, that is his name – in English).
As I was looking for a name that somehow described the journey that I feel I – as a man – am on through life and a name that had something to do with something I cared about, Dun Scaith struck me as being particularly ‘right’. It may not make much sense if you are not me, but then again: It’s not supposed to!
There are surely many other good names, but I feel I can really identify with those warriors trying to come near Skyar’s Fortress of Shadows (the Dun Scaith) which to me symbolizes a quest for knowledge, wisdom and personal growth. It could’ve been anything else, really, but since I am very fond of Scotland in general and Skye in particular, it became Dun Scaith.
Why do you write under a pen name?
I do and I did. I chose the pen name, or alias if you will, of Christopher Marcus because I originally intended to publish fiction online and, rather vainly, I thought that if this fiction ever got published, either by myself or an old-school publishing house, it would be good to have a name to it that was easy to pronounce and remember for most English-speaking people.
Since then, I’ve also discovered that it’s also had the advantage of protecting my private online life to some extent as well – as that of my family and closest friend – from spammers and trolls.
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Do you have more questions that you think would fit in this FAQ? – Email them to Christopher Marcus here: beyourstory AT gmail DOT com
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Last edited by Chris on December 27, 2011 at 11:39 AM
