[Updates from The Writer's Desk]

Formal Questions

What is your favorite line from one of your books? Dialog or otherwise.

It’s the exchanges. I grew up on buddy movies, so that’s the way people talk in my work. Or at least that’s the way I’d like to think they talk in my work. There’s a bit of back-and-forth from Lords of Night which encapsulates all of it:

“Have you ever felt low on sarcasm?” Rook asked. “Because you use it all the time. You’d think sooner or later you’d just run out.”

“It’s a renewable resource,” Zero said with a grin.

Now that your book is published, do you avoid re-reading it out of fear that you’ll find more edits? If you have re-read it, did you make the edits or leave the book how you first published it?

Re-reads are humbling. The writer you are now is better than the writer you were then, if you’re doing it right. Consequently, what you wrote before is going to be full of areas where you know you could do better.

I leave it how it was. What little self-published work I have out was very well edited, and the stuff from publishers was, too. I just resolve to do better for the next one, because there’s always a next one. Also, revisions are cost-prohibitive, hah.

Has interacting with fans of your work ever influenced a story you were still writing? You don’t need to be specific. Just yes or no. 🙂

Always. I don’t have that many fans, really. I’m still finding my niche. But I do have a tight-knit group of people who read things I’m working on and give me insights. Sometimes someone will say something which will illuminate things I hadn’t figured out yet. That’s always nice. Those people are great, and I like to put them in stories. And then kill them messily. It’s a form of tribute.

Fun Questions

It’s the zombie apocalypse and it has been for at least a month. What do you smell?

Depends on where I am. But I guess B.O., because unwashed bodies have a very special tang. Also, unless you live somewhere like Vegas, the power grid won’t hold up after people are gone and no one is keeping up with maintenance, so showers and clean clothes and air conditioning are things of the past. And maybe things of the future! But not things of the Now.

Tell me about your favorite, easy to prepare meal.

Hah! Tortilla pizza. Take flour tortillas and line a baking sheet with them, then cover them with Ragu or some other ready-made sauce. (Or make your own with a mix of tomato paste and tomato sauce, salt, pepper, oregano and garlic.) Top with shredded cheese and pepperoni, put it in the oven or over a fire until it looks and smells right.

Pick a type of business establishment in your town/city that is in the best position to survive a zombie apocalypse. Why would anyone in that business/building have a higher chance of survival?

Gah, someplace elevated? I really don’t think about this too much, hah. But… someplace elevated, with access to the city’s drainage system, I guess? Austin isn’t New York or Chicago, so there’s no escape to giant sewers or subways.

I would also guess new sub-developments, where there aren’t too many people. And ranches, and farms. In the case of a pandemic, those places are cut off, but that also means fewer bodies. And hey, this is Texas. There is going to be firearms.

What is the most difficult part of surviving a zombie apocalypse? Who would die first?

Losing people is the worst. I can’t even put it into words, and that’s what I do. As for who would go first, I’d have to say first responders, and then people who want something to put on YouTube or whatever. “Wait, let me get a quick video of thiEYAGH.”

Do you own running/tennis shoes? And how fast can you run a mile?

I do, but I’m an old man now. I used to run a mile in six minutes, but now it’s probably closer to twenty. That said, it also depends on why I’m running, innit? If I’m running to get back into shape, it’s twenty. If I’m running for my life, it’s as fast as it needs to be. If I’m running to save my kids, I’m the goddamn Flash.

A single can of food remains in your supplies and the dead are too many to risk a supply run. The expiration date printed on the can came and went last month. Your belly is aching from hunger. Do you risk it and feast, take your chances outside to find something safer for consumption, or starve a while longer and hope for some sort of miracle?

I’m a guy, so expiration dates are just suggestions. But don’t be a fool, cook your food. Char it if you need to, but kill them bacteria. Also, we’re omnivores. If you have a stock of vitamins, have some of them and eat a sweater. You’ll get full and hey! It’ll clean you out pretty well. Fiber!

Final Questions

What did you learn from writing your first book? Are there things you do differently as you work on new pieces?

The first couple of books were definitely learning experiences. After working with D.L. Snell, I’ve learned the value of an outline. That guy is the master, and my outlines pale in comparison, but they exist now where they didn’t before. My former method was to set everything up, and then just see where things went every time I picked up pen and paper. Or, keyboard these days. Doing it that way is great for short stories and novellas, but for full-length works, it tends to produce a lot of meandering, and the pace and focus suffers. (For me, at any rate.)

I also learned that if you are going to break the rules, you have to do it for a good reason. If you’re doing something different just to do it differently, you’ll sooner or later find out there’s a reason things are done a certain way. My first novel then was a complete failure on so many levels, partially because I wanted to do something differently, but through a lot of work and putting to use lessons I’ve learned since, it’s now a much better piece, and I’m hopeful to get it picked up soon. Or later. And it’s still different, but now there’s a reason for it.

Also, also, flashbacks… make them stand out clearly. Oh, there are so many mistakes I’ve made and learned from. I’m sure you don’t want to read these all day, hah.

If there is only one lesson or nugget of wisdom that a reader could take away from your book(s), what would you hope that it be?

Do what you can and believe in yourself. But if you can’t whup it, know when to go down.

Plug something. Anything.

This month, I have a superhero novel coming from Permuted Press by the name of Sad Wings of Destiny, and it is my magnum opus. It might be the best thing I’ve done in the history of ever. We’ll see.