Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello, I’m a 34 year old writer who lives and works in London. By day, I publish a magazine for a membership organisation, and in the evenings I act in charity theatre productions and write. I’ve mostly written short stories and non-fiction articles for a variety of publishers. In terms of books, I self-published my MPhil thesis on Jean-Luc Godard back in 2004, and last year released a collection of short stories called “Something Nice”. My stories are also available in a number of anthologies, including The Cat That Walked Through Time (2000), Shelf Life (2008) and A Splendid Salmagundi (2012), with a story in Grimm & Grimmer Volume 4 to be released in August 2013.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Something Nice – 10 Stories” was inspired by my mother. My Mum has always been very supportive of my writing, but she hates the dark and sometimes twisted subject matter of my short stories. She’ll ask what I’m working on and I’ll tell her about serial killer auditors, haunted photocopiers or people growing a cow’s bum on their forehead after eating too many burgers. At which point she always says: “Oh Andrew, why don’t you write something NICE?” So now I have!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think it’s that unusual, but I do most of my first draft writing in the pub, with several pints of beer. I used to write in cafes when I was a student, but in the UK cafes tend to close in the early evening, leaving me with little choice. I like writing in pubs, people leave you to get on with it, and the relaxing properties of alcohol help the words flow. After three pints the writing needs more and more editing when I come to type it up later, but it works for me.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve read very widely in English and French, and I think most of my reading has influenced my writing to some extent. My short fiction has definitely been inspired by Guy de Maupassant, Philip K Dick, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury and Robert Shearman, though not necessarily in that order. Marguerite Duras, Jean-Paul Sartre, Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams and Paul Magrs have also been big influences at various points in my development as a writer. One of my stories is a direct response to some fairly impenetrable Foucault philosophy, but I wrote it so long ago that I can’t remember which philosophical point I was addressing, or even whether I agreed with it.
What are you working on now?
I’m always working on a variety of projects. Like just about everyone else I know, I’m working on some zombie fiction. But I’ve also got a few thousand words of an urban fantasy novel on the hard drive, and am pitching to write a YA novella. I also continue to write short fiction in various genres and on various themes, which I then pitch to professional anthologies. If they’re accepted, great, if not they go into a potential sequel to Something Nice. I also translated Casanova’s Histoire de ma Fuite a couple of years ago, and am dabbling with the idea of self-publishing that.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t tend to promote my writing very aggressively, I think people are fed up of being bombarded with offers of free e-books, etc. I’ve found that engaging in genuine conversation on sites like Goodreads has helped raise awareness of my work, but even if I hadn’t self-published, I’d still be on the internet talking about books. The only really active promotion I’ve done was setting up my Facebook author page, which has occasionally driven a few sales.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
A long time ago, I submitted a proposal for a Doctor Who New Adventure. I think I was 13. One of the New Adventures authors added a reader’s note to the inevitable rejection letter, and it was the best advice I ever received:
“Read a lot, write a lot, live a lot.”
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Other than the above, I’m with Hemingway. “Write drunk, edit sober.”
What are you reading now?
I’m reading “The Critic” by Richard Brinsley Sheridan and “The Real Inspector Hound” by Tom Stoppard, as I’m rehearsing large parts in both plays for a charity show in early June.
What’s next for you as a writer?
My next challenge is to get a novel length work completed and published. I have a few works in progress which might fit the bill, and it’s going to be a case of talking to publishers and agents and seeing what has the best chance of succeeding.
What is your favorite book of all time?
I just don’t know. Probably Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, or Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett. Both great books which are occasionally under-rated due to their humour. But I’ve read so many awesome books over the years that I always find it a bit heartbreaking to pick out just one as a favourite.
Author Websites and Profiles
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